The Clever Hack That Gives You Better Control Over Your Monstera Plant's Growth

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Any houseplant enthusiast would be happy to bring home a gorgeous Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), also commonly known as a monstera. This impressive tropical plant with huge green leaves instantly gives your space a jungle-like feel. Monsteras may be the darlings of social media, but in real life, these houseplants can cause an unusual problem — taking up too much room. If you feel like this beautiful vining houseplant is taking over your home with its unruly and gigantic leaves, there's a clever hack that can help keep your plant's growth in line: using Command hooks to reel in those outsized leaves and their stems. These hooks act as mini trellises and serve as stand-ins for the supportive trees that these epiphytes would be able to grab onto in their native rainforests.

There are worse problems you could have besides having an overachiever of a houseplant. In fact, you should take that growth as a compliment. When you keep your monstera deliciosa happy and healthy with warm temperatures, high humidity, moist but well-draining soil, and exposure to moderately bright, indirect light, these houseplants are fast growers that can reach over ten feet tall if allowed to sprawl. While many Swiss cheese plant enthusiasts grow these large houseplants staked on moss-covered poles, there are other ways to support them. Using Command hooks as a hack to train your monstera's foliage up the wall is a clever way to keep it under control, but you'll need to follow a few tips.

Since monsteras are toxic, be sure to put on gloves before handling to prevent contact dermatitis. Depending on your monstera's size and number of leaves, you may be able to get your plant's foliage under control with a pack of 6 Medium Command Wire Toggle Hooks. To use them to train your monstera's foliage, place the plant near a wall, then position a leaf where you'd like it to stay, and attach a Command hook to the wall behind the stem. When the hooks are in place, you'll need a way to attach the stems — some houseplant growers tie stems to hooks with coated wire, but you can also use twine depending on positioning.

When you attach the vines to the Command hooks, keep in mind that you'll still need to be able to move the monstera occasionally for watering. The idea of never having to move your plant again might be appealing, but even if you're not one of the gardeners who waters their Swiss cheese plant in the shower, you should at least be able to move it enough to empty its saucer after watering. To keep your houseplant moveable, tie a loose loop around the leaf petiole that has more slack when attached to the Command hook. You'll likely also need to add more hooks as growth continues. For even more support for your houseplant, use this hack in combination with staking your monstera on a pole.