Monstera Thai Constellation Care

Finding a Thai Constellation

I went to the Tinley Park Reptile Expo and got this Thai Constellation Monstera for $25, which is wild considering how it used to go for around $600 online. I remember seeing that on Steve’s Leaves. They’re a plant seller in Texas and an awesome place if you want to check them out.

Why Prices Dropped

Now Thai Constellation Monsteras are everywhere. You can find them in Lowe’s, Walmart, other big box stores. They’ve just gotten easier to reproduce because of new propagation methods, so the price dropped a lot.

Light and Burn Risk

I’ve had two of them. The one I have now has a leaf big enough to start fenestrating. The other one is smaller with no fenestrations yet. I don’t have a long history with variegated Monsteras, but I’ve had regular green ones and those were super easy to care for. I assume this will be similar.

From what I know about variegation, you just have to be careful about light. Too much light on the white parts burns them. If you put this plant in a southern window for hours of direct sun, you’ll probably get brown patches on the pale areas, especially on a new leaf that’s still hardening off.

When to Repot

I’m planning to keep this one in its 4 inch pot until it’s really ready to move up. I like to see it a little root bound first. I personally kill things when I pot them up too early.

In my environment in northern Indiana, with big north windows and normal house conditions, I wait longer than most people to repot. The cooler temps and lower light here make tropical plants more sensitive to overwatering. If the pot is too big, there’s too much soil staying wet too long. That’s when roots suffocate or rot.

Soil, LECA, and Root Health

I’ve grown Monsteras in chunky mixes with bark, perlite, and peat moss, and I’ve also done it in straight LECA, those expanded clay balls that wick up moisture from the bottom. I liked LECA. You don’t have to worry about the soil compacting and the roots get good airflow.

Don’t Overthink It

Overall, Monsteras tolerate a lot. Honestly, don’t fuss. Most people kill plants because they love them too much. Same with Hoyas. They mess with them constantly, and in my experience as someone who kind of neglects plants, you’ll kill them faster by hovering.