How often to water Swiss cheese plant

The interval

A Swiss cheese plant is watered about every 7 days in the growing season and about every 12 days in winter, and the pot decides the exact day. The growing season is spring to early autumn wherever you live, so the two hemispheres sit on opposite halves of the calendar, and each plant slows down with the short days of its own winter. In the cool, dim season the same jugful leaves the mix wet for days, which is why the interval stretches.

Push a finger in to the second knuckle, about 3 to 5 cm, and water only when it comes out dry. The Royal Horticultural Society advises letting the compost become almost dry before a thorough drink. Weight confirms it. Lift the pot just after watering, remember how heavy it feels, and lift it again a few days later. A pot that has gone noticeably light is ready, and one that still feels heavy when the interval is up is not, however dry the surface looks.

An overwatered Monstera shows it low down first. The lowest leaves turn yellow, drops of water may stand on the leaf tips in the morning, and in the worst case the base of the stem blackens and goes soft as the roots rot. A thirsty one is less dramatic. The leaves lose their stiffness and the edges brown and crisp, though dry air in a heated room does the same with the watering right.

Water from the top, slowly and evenly over the surface, until it runs from the drainage holes. Let it drain, then empty the saucer so the roots never stand in water. The RHS recommends water at room temperature, and rainwater or filtered water where the tap water is hard.

The particular thing about this plant is the pole. A Monstera trained on a moss pole roots into it as long as the moss is kept moist, so wet the pole when you water the pot. A damp pole tells you nothing about the mix, so the finger test still comes first.

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