Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Swiss cheese vine (Monstera adansonii)— schedule & NPK
Also called Adanson's monstera, five holes plant, Swiss cheese plant (vine type).
About Swiss cheese vine
Monstera adansonii · also called Adanson's monstera, five holes plant · tropical
Monstera adansonii is a smaller climbing aroid relative of M. deliciosa, with oval leaves perforated by oblong holes. Faster-growing and easier to keep compact than M. deliciosa. Mildly toxic to pets due to insoluble calcium oxalates.
Monstera adansonii, native to the rainforests of southern Mexico through Central and tropical South America, where it climbs tree trunks as an evergreen vine.
Feed monthly through the growing season with a balanced fertilizer; given support to climb it puts on size quickly and rewards steady feeding with larger, more fenestrated leaves.
Growth habit: Climbing or trailing vine
Sources: missouribotanicalgarden.org, aspca.org, plants.ces.ncsu.edu
What fertiliser swiss cheese vine actually wants — and why
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 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 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 swiss cheese vine:
Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 4 weeks in growing season. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 4 weeks — 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 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 swiss cheese vine
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for 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 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 swiss cheese vine watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding swiss cheese vine
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for 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 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 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 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 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 swiss cheese vine — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does 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. 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 swiss cheese vine?
Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 4 weeks in growing season. Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 4 weeks in growing season. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 4 weeks — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
What strength of feed for swiss cheese vine?
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for swiss cheese vine: frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
What does over-feeding 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 swiss cheese vine?
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of 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
- Swiss cheese vine care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water 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 200 fertilising guides in the Growli library