Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese vine) (Monstera adansonii)— schedule & NPK
Also called Swiss cheese vine, Adanson's monstera, Swiss cheese plant, Five-hole plant, Monkey mask.
More about monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)
About Monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese vine)
Monstera adansonii · also called Swiss cheese vine, Adanson's monstera · tropical
Monstera adansonii is a fast-growing tropical aroid vine prized for thin, lacy leaves riddled with oval holes (fenestrations). Its defining care need is bright, indirect light paired with a chunky, fast-draining mix kept lightly moist but never soggy. Give it a moss pole to climb and warm, humid air, and it will trail or scramble vigorously.
Growth habit: A tender, evergreen, herbaceous perennial climber with a rapid growth rate. It scrambles up trees by aerial roots in the wild and will either trail from a hanging pot or climb a moss pole indoors. Giving it a pole to ascend yields larger, more fenestrated leaves than letting it hang.
What fertiliser monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) actually wants — and why
Monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese vine) is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine): match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine), and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine):
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser diluted to label strength; it is a moderate but not heavy feeder. Pause or greatly reduce feeding in autumn and winter when growth slows. Flush the pot with plain water occasionally to clear any salt build-up from the chunky mix. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about monthly — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine): frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine):
- Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering.
- A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge.
- Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed.
- Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself.
Signs you are under-feeding monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)
- New leaves coming in noticeably smaller than older ones.
- Pale, yellow-green older leaves and slow growth through peak summer.
- A general loss of vigour and gloss in a plant that should be racing away.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or fish-and-seaweed feed plus a yearly top-dress of worm castings supports fast growth without burn risk. UK: Westland seaweed or Baby Bio Organic; US: Neptune's Harvest or Espoma Indoor!.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A balanced houseplant liquid at half strength applied frequently — UK: Baby Bio, Phostrogen or Westland Houseplant Feed; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro for steady leafy growth.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) need?
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula. Monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese vine) is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
How often should I feed monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)?
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser diluted to label strength; it is a moderate but not heavy feeder. Pause or greatly reduce feeding in autumn and winter when growth slows. Flush the pot with plain water occasionally to clear any salt build-up from the chunky mix. Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid houseplant fertiliser diluted to label strength; it is a moderate but not heavy feeder. Pause or greatly reduce feeding in autumn and winter when growth slows. Flush the pot with plain water occasionally to clear any salt build-up from the chunky mix. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about monthly — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
What strength of feed for monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)?
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine): frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
What does over-feeding monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) look like?
Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering. A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge. Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed. Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself. The mistake here is the opposite of most houseplants: under-feeding a fast tropical in peak season starves it, leaving small, pale new leaves and slow growth — but full-strength doses still burn it, so feed often and weak, not occasionally and strong.
Should I flush the soil of monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine)?
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Keep reading
- Monstera adansonii (Swiss cheese vine) care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water monstera adansonii (swiss cheese vine) — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise monstera
- How to fertilise pothos
- How to fertilise fiddle leaf fig
- All 271 fertilising guides in the Growli library