Here you’ll learn about Rhaphidophora tetrasperma repotting including the soil mix to use, the best time to do it, the steps by steps, and things good to know so yours will grow healthy, strong, and look good. You’ll also see how I stake and train this plant.
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma has cut-out leaves and is quite the easy care houseplant. It’s the cousin of the Monstera delicosa, or Swiss Cheese Plant, which is favored for its huge leaves and tropical vibes.
HEAD’S UP: Rhaphidophora tetrasperma is the botanic name for this green beauty. It’s a mouthful to pronounce so here are a few common names, easier to say, that this plant goes by: Monstera minima, Mini Monstera, Philodendron Ginny, Monstera Ginny.
For your reference: Rhaphidophora tertasperma Care
What’s the best time of year to repot Rhaphidophora tetrasperma?
Spring, summer, and into the early fall are good times for repotting a Rhaphidophora. If you live in a climate where winter comes early, then spring and summer will be best.
I live in Tucson, AZ where the fall season is warm and sunny so I repot through the end of October.
HEAD’S UP: I’ve done a general Guide to Repotting Plants geared for beginning gardeners which you’ll find helpful.
Soil Mix
Note: This is the optimum potting mix I use for a Monstera minima. I have many tropical plants and succulents (both indoors and outdoors) and do a lot of repotting and planting. I keep a variety of potting materials on hand at all times.
The 3rd bay of my garage is dedicated to my plant addiction. I have a potting bench and shelves and cabinets to store all the bags and pails that hold my soils and amendments. If you have limited space, I give you a few alternative mixes down below which consist of 2 materials.
Mini Monsteras like a mix rich in peat moss that is well drained. I prefer to use coco fiber which has similar properties but is a more sustainable alternative to peat. The compost provides extra richness.
Monsteras grow on the bottom of the tropical rainforest floor. This mix I use mimics the rich plant materials which fall on them from above and provide the nourishment they need.
This is the mix I use with approximate measurements:
- 1/2 potting soil. I alternate between Ocean Forest & Happy Frog. This time I used both in equal amounts.
- 1/2 coco fiber.
- I added in a few handfuls of coco chips (similar to orchid bark) and a few handfuls of pumice and a couple of compost.
- I end by top dressing with a 1/4 – 1/2″ layer of the compost blend. The blend that I use is a mixture of compost & worm compost that I buy at our farmer’s market.
3 alternate mixes that provide a fast draining soil:
- 1/2 potting soil, 1/2 orchid bark or coco chips OR
- 3/4 potting soil, 1/4 pumice or perlite OR
- 1/2 potting soil, 1/2 coco fiber or peat moss
Pot size to use
They can grow slightly tight in their pots but will eventually do and grow better with a pot size that is larger.
You can go up one pot size if you’d like; for instance from a 6″ pot to an 8″. Mine was growing in a 4″ pot and was planted into a 6″.
Rhaphidophora tetraspermas grow very fast when the conditions are to their liking. If the plant and the new pot are in scale, then going from a 6″ grow pot to a 10″ would be fine.
Some Of Our General Houseplant Guides For Your Reference:
- Guide To Watering Indoor Plants
- Beginner’s Guide To Repotting Plants
- 3 Ways To Successfully Fertilize Indoor Plants
- How to Clean Houseplants
- Winter Houseplant Care Guide
- Plant Humidity: How I Increase Humidity For Houseplants
- Buying Houseplants: 14 Tips For Indoor Gardening Newbies
- 11 Pet-Friendly Houseplants
Take a look at this video. I’m at the work table repotting my Monstera minima:
How to Repot Monstera Minima
I watered mine a couple of days before I did the repotting. A dry plant is stressed so I make sure my indoor plants are watered 2- 4 days in advance. I find that if I water the day of, the soil can be too soggy making the process a bit more messy than it already is.
To remove the Rhaphidophora from the pot, I laid it on its side and gently pressed on the grow pot. If it’s being stubborn, you may have to run a knife along the edge of the root ball to loosen it. I’ve also cut grow pots if the root ball is tight and the plant won’t pull out.
Massage the roots if need be to loosen so you can pull them apart a bit. The roots of this plant weren’t tight at all so just a gentle massage did the trick.
Put enough the mix in the pot so that the top of the root ball is about 1/2″ below the top of the pot. I put the root ball inside the 6″ pot to measure how much mix I needed to add in.
Fill in around the root ball with the potting soil and the amendments. I tamped the soil down between the root ball and sides of the pot to get the plant to stay standing up straight.
Top with a 1/2″ layer of compost.
I put in the 2 moss-covered stakes and attached the stems with jute string. More on the staking in the video above towards the end and below in the FAQs.
As you can see from the thumbnail and lead photo, I ended up being able to get the bamboo hoop into the pot. It’ll give that new growth coming off the bottom something to climb up.
Viola, Rhaphidophora tetrasperma repotting is now complete!
Care After Repotting
This is straightforward and easy. Give your Rhaphidophora a good watering after you do the repotting.
I then put mine back in its bright spot in the kitchen where it had been growing about 8′ away from a south facing window.
You don’t want to let the soil completely dry out while the plant is settling in. How often you’ll water yours depends on these factors: the mix, the size of the pot, and the conditions it’s growing in.
It’s hot in Tucson now so I’ll probably water my newly repotted Monstera minima every 6 days until the weather cools. I’ll see how fast it’s drying out in the new mix and bigger pot but about once a week sounds about right.
In the winter months, I’ll water less often.
You might find these helpful: Guide to Watering Indoor Plants / Winter Houseplant Care
Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma Repotting FAQs
They can grow a bit tight in their pots but will do better in a larger one with more room for the roots to spread out. My general rule is when the roots are coming out or showing at the bottom, it’s time. You can always take it out of the pot and look at the root ball.
Also, if your plant is looking stressed, one of the causes may be it needs a bigger pot.
This is the main reason for Rhaphidophora tetrasperma repotting. This plant is a fast grower!
It depends on what form it’s growing in and how big the plant is.
If you stake it when the plant is young, then it’ll be easier to train it in the form you want it to grow in.
You can see me staking mine in the video above towards the end. I ended up putting the bamboo hoop in after the video was filmed. It’ll give my Monstera minima extra support.
Yes, it will eventually need a stake or some other means of support for it to climb.
When growing in their natural environments, they climb up trees and use their aerial roots as a means of attachment. The stake provides something for them to grab onto so they can grow upwards.
There are a few things you can use to train this plant: stakes, a moss pole, bamboo hoops, a trellis or a piece of bark. I made a trellis out of moss-covered poles for Swiss Cheese Vine to climb up.
Rhaphidophora tetrasperma plants have thick stems that get bigger and heavier as they age. They put out muI tiple stems which I’ve found do better with some means of support.
I wouldn’t grow a mature Rhaphidophora as a hanging plant but I will let a stem or two trail down. If you want a similar plant with smaller stems that does better as a hanging plant, check out Monstera adansonii.
The tallest I’ve heard one getting indoors is 15′. That’s why Rhaphidophora tetrasperma repotting is a regular project!
My Monstera minima is looking good after its repotting and staking/training. I’m sure it’s happy to have something to grow onto and not be flopping all over. When yours needs repotting, give it a go because it’s easy to do!
Check out these repotting guides too.
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