Indoor plants: the Monstera team shares its worst mistakes

You're not born a gardener, you become one. Like all plant-lovers, the Monstera team has had its share of setbacks. Our beginner's blunders, our carelessness and the most unfortunate coincidences have claimed a few victims. To help you avoid the same tragedies, we've decided to share our worst houseplant mistakes with you.

Before Bori became an expert on watering frequencies and hardiness temperatures, he made a few blunders. The worst? Using unperforated pots for repotting. Within weeks, his plants were dead, their roots asphyxiated. The substrate looked more like soup than soil, and there wasn't enough oxygen for the root system to breathe.

So to make sure you don't make the same mistake, we always tell you to use a pierced pot for repotting. If nothing is specified, then a pierced pot is required. A few rare species prefer an airtight container. When this is the case, the Monstera application tells you and usually explains why.

Terracotta pots and small plastic models are sold with holes for drainage. Larger plastic pots often have pre-formed holes that you have to drill yourself. No holes? It's not a pot, but a planter. You can slide your drilled pot inside. But be careful! Don't let water stagnate at the bottom. It will rot the roots.

Wondering what sunburn looks like on a plant? Come and visit my Money tree. Its green leaves are showing discoloration, even fenestration, from an afternoon spent in a little too much sun.

With my Pachira, the damage is merely aesthetic. Its leaves have become almost transparent, giving it a rebellious look and not hindering its development. For Boris's alocasia zebrina, however, things took a turn for the worse during a major spring clean-up.

Out in the garden for a few hours, the elephant-eared plant burned in the sun. The thick leaves burned and fell off in the days that followed. Fortunately, the bulbs survived. After a few weeks (in the shade), new limbs sprouted.

Sunshine and fresh air help to boost the growth of our green plants. But the light outside is much stronger than behind glass. If you decide to take your pots outside, always respect the recommended exposure for each variety (shade, half-shade or sun). And remember that, apart from cacti and succulents, no species tolerates direct sunlight in midsummer. Not even in Lille or Brittany.

Camill's Dieffenbachia couldn't stand the northern summer sun either. Installed under a roof window in July, it lost all its leaves. After being moved to a less bright spot, the shrub regained its strength. A year later, this fast-growing plant has regained its former glory.

Plant-addicts definitely shouldn't be housekeepers. My poor Peperomia Watermelon unfortunately can't testify, but I'm sure he regrets that November morning when I aired the living room while vacuuming.

For half an hour, he was exposed to a temperature lower than his hardiness temperature. The consequences were not long in coming. Stems and foliage began to limp, hang and blacken. After two weeks, my 15-centimeter-high Peperomia argyreia had turned into a heap of stunted, black leaves.

This anecdote illustrates, in an extreme way, the aversion of tropical varieties to the cold. Always find a draught-free spot for them. And if you ventilate, install them temporarily in a room that stays warm.

Fertilizer is a weapon to be wielded with care. Used correctly, it accelerates the development of your plants. But be careful not to be too heavy-handed! My Pachira aquatica (yes, him again) was the victim of an accidental overdose. Just a few minutes after pouring in the fertilizer, brownish marks appeared on its leaves.

Fortunately, that was the end of the matter. In addition to sunburn, the shrub now has brown welts on some of its leaves. It continues to grow (it's a real warrior) and doesn't seem to mind.

I could have spared it this ordeal if I'd taken the trouble to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions. If it says half a cork for 5 liters of water, dilute half a cork in 5 liters of water. Follow our recommendations too. Sometimes, you may need to halve the prescribed dose. The application specifies this on the crop sheet when this is the case.

Afraid of making a mistake? Check out our article on how to fertilize your plants like a pro. Alternatively, you can opt for fertilizer sticks or granules. The quantity is distributed according to the plant's needs, and there's less risk of overdosing.

Housework isn't the only enemy of plants. DIY too can be fatal to them. I almost killed a Maranta kerchoveana and a Calathea rufibarba laying parquet. No, I didn't bury these poor unfortunates under a batten. I just left them out in the open for a few hours, next to a garbage can containing leftover paint stripper.

The stench and toxic fumes took their toll on the foliage. The leaves began to lose their pattern and turn yellow. As soon as I noticed, I took the victims to safety, but the damage was done. Over the following days, the limbs continued to lose their color and dry out.

The Goeppertia rufibarba may never recover. Two weeks after the event, it became completely dry. A single leaf, not yet emerged, looks green. Maranta leuconeura 'Kerchoveana' is doing better. It's no longer yellowing, and new leaf blades are hatching.

To avoid the same misadventure, don't tinker with your plants, and keep them away from chemical products. If the smell bothers you, there's a good chance your plants are feeling the pinch too.