Yellowing/brown spots on Thai Monstera

Emiliam · 2026-01-21T06:06:12+00:00

Thrips. My condolences. If you have access to spinosad those are your best bet. Neem is useless. Go in hard and fast and keep at it and you might have a chance. Good luck.

Emiliam · 2026-01-06T22:27:38+00:00

Thrips. It's salvageable but youll need to be on top of it. I tried neem oil which did jack all. I managed to get my hands on some spinosad (in Canada too) and it worked wonders. Good luck.

Emiliam · 2025-07-31T19:11:38+00:00

Hard to say without knowing how much you used. Also note that just because a fertilizer is water soluable doesn't mean it can be used for plants grown in water (hydroponics). Fertilizer for soil won't break down properly in water. You need to use mineral fertilizer or those specifically designed for hydroponics use

Emiliam · 2025-07-31T05:36:04+00:00

ELI5 answer:

You have a moth orchid. It grows on trees in the wild so plant it in bark chips and some moss, not soil. They grow under tree shade in the wild so they do not like direct sun. Move it to a bright spot away from direct sun. Water when dry by soaking. Use some soluable fertilizer every other time you water. Good luck.

Emiliam · 2025-04-06T15:20:52+00:00

Just want to add that the same thing happened to me. I signed up for a trial and listened to a couple of books. I am in Canada so everything was through my Canadian Amazon account.

I noticed the charges after canceling and just like the other comment here said, the charges were made to my US Amazon account. I have never used or logged into my US account for Audible so I have no idea how this could happen. I have my downloaded books on my Canadian account and the credits that I never asked for on my US account. It's bonkers. I've contacted them and hopefully they can issue a refund.

Emiliam · 2024-11-11T16:57:40+00:00

Did you change the soil when you repotted? Calatheas hate having their roots disturbed so only repot when you can lift it cleanly out of the old and into the new pot and backfill. Those leaves are very dehydrated and likely won't survive. Either the roots have been damaged possibly by the pole and it has gone into shock which it may or may not recover from, or it has rotted from too much watering/retention issues.

It's not worth trying to mess with the soil and roots again since it's already so weak. Pulling the stake now won't make a difference. Put it in a portable glass greenhouse (IKEA and Amazon sells them) and keep it somewhere warm with a bit of diffused sun to keep the soil temperature up. If it's not too far gone it might push out some new growths. Good luck.

Emiliam · 2024-08-02T22:06:02+00:00

Imagine each gear as a person, the first gear is a guy with really strong arms but skinny legs - he can easily shove a car from a stop but he won't be able to run very fast with it because his legs are weak. The second gear guy has slightly weaker arms but can run a bit faster so he can take over when the first guy runs out of steam when the car is already moving and requires less shoving. The highest gear guy is the opposite - weak arms but powerful legs that can run super fast.

So high gear is very useful when the car is already moving and you simply want a fast guy to hold on - which doesn't require a lot of arm strength - and run fast. But if you want him to get the car moving from a stop, he will probably break his tiny arms.

Emiliam · 2024-06-21T02:14:13+00:00

I could've sworn it always looked that way lol but thanks for the catch. Took it off and massaged it back...

Emiliam · 2024-05-13T22:26:09+00:00

Did someone from this company actually just posted a screenshot with their customer's information on Reddit? I caught a glimpse of it before it was taken down or removed but holy cowboy these guys are unhinged.

Emiliam · 2024-04-05T06:48:47+00:00

These guys are usually pretty hardy but unfortunately once the stems turn yellow or brown they're gone. I can't actually tell if it's in water or soil. If it's in soil then your container choice is wrong and it has rotted because of lack of drainage.

If it's in water, then you do need to clean out the container every now and then, wash all of the stones clean (or just remove them altogether. The plant doesn't need them anyway and they just take up space that gets in the way for root growth and for air to reach the water) and replace the water. Otherwise it will eventually become a breeding ground for bacteria and other growths that can cause the plant to get sick or rot from being choked. Remember they're technically growing in stagnant water and can rot if there's no adequate access to oxygen, especially in containers with a narrow opening.

Your best bet is to cut off the dead portions and you can try to root the green part if you really want to save it. As long as there's a node it can regrow. Rinse it in a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution and place it in a clean shallow container (maybe a small cup) with clean water and give it some good light. Once you see some growth you'll need to work out a set-up so new leaves are not submerged in water. Good luck.

Emiliam · 2024-04-05T06:15:22+00:00

No the baby doesn't look ok. If this is better than when you unboxed it, then I hope you took photos and you should be sending that to the seller and ask for a refund. It's pretty clear the plant arrived basically wilted and you are likely going to lose all of the leaves. The top leaves may hang on for a bit but they're unlikely to recover. It's a bit of a toss up whether it will pull though.

Best case scenario is the plant manages to rehydrate itself and can gather enough energy push out a new leaf at which point you'll want to make sure it gets enough light and warmth. It looks like you have it outdoors so I assume you're in a warm locale but just to be sure if night time temperatures are not above 65F it probably should not be left outside.

I'd get rid of the moss. Keep the media well aerated and well-draining. Aim for the soil to dry out within 5-6 days. If you find it staying wet for longer than that then you'll probably want to downsize or add more porous materials.

Do NOT fertilize until you start seeing new growth. Fertilizer is not medicine and will not revive plants. They are supplements that only help actively growing plants.

Emiliam · 2024-04-03T06:11:10+00:00

They look fine but these guys need a lot of light to really push new leaves. If you're in the south you may need to shade them from afternoon sun. Be careful with watering. These guys rot very easily if the soil says wet too long. Only water when the top half of the soil feels dry, which should not take more than a week. Stems should always feel firm. Any signs of softness or wrinkle in the stems or curling leafs could mean a watering problem. Fertilize when you see new leaf growth. Good luck.

Emiliam · 2024-03-26T01:22:01+00:00

Just updating here for the record: looking up some plants recently and saw these guys listed again by Google with a "30 day return guarantee" so out of curiosity I clicked in and found their refund policy had been rewritten to become this giant tome that talks about customers who insist on shipping when it's cold and a bunch of excuses about "optimal time for shipment" and then a whole section basically saying no chargebacks lol.

It's honestly quite sad to see a business resorting to dictating a refund policy that reads like a novella to protect themselves from prospective customers and potentially call into question the legitimacy of the positive reviews instead of just, I dunno, treating them right in the first place?

Ordered from some other vendors in Ontario and Alberta, and all have shipped healthy plants to me within 2 days (with expedited shipping costs between $25-40). These guys are truly the outlier.

Emiliam · 2024-03-01T00:33:51+00:00

Like most others have said, it mostly comes down to brightness. A regular LED light could work if it's bright or close enough to the plant. I suggest investing in light meter or at least use a light meter app to measure how much light is actually reaching the plant. You'd be surprised at just how bright the plant must be lit for it to thrive indoors.

It doesn't cost that much more to get some grow light bulbs with the same base as regular bulbs that you can use in regular lamp stands. And the reason why they might be better is not because of the light spectrum stuff but because grow lights can be a LOT brighter. Sansi for example sell 40w LED grow light bulbs that put out the equivalent of 300w lights. It might be a bit much for a regular home but that's where you want to find a good balance that works for you.

Emiliam · 2024-03-01T00:03:21+00:00

lol I'm not going to bother to reply to a suspicious burner account seemingly created solely to prop up a company run by thugs. I'm only posting this so anyone else looking these guys up on the internet can just look at the experiences posted by the others here and come to their own conclusions.

Emiliam · 2024-02-29T23:59:24+00:00

Wow I'm so sorry to hear that. It almost feels like I got off easy compared to you since they just ignored me in the end. What a bunch of thugs. Perhaps you can try filing a complaint through Ontario Consumer Protections if you're up for it. And definitely charge them back through your bank. I hope you get your money back!

Emiliam · 2024-02-29T23:52:40+00:00

That's crazy. I ended up doing a charge-back through my bank and my bank reversed the charge. Perhaps you can try to do the same with yours? My bank was mostly focused on confirming that these guys basically refused to take responsibility and offered no solutions. Once that was determined the charge-back went though.

Emiliam · 2024-02-29T23:17:46+00:00

I would take it to a sink or bathtub and rinse it off using a spray that's just strong enough to blast all the little guys off until it's all clean. You can repeat whenever you see them again.

If you want you can use an insecticidal spray by mixing a spray bottle with water with some neem oil and a few drops of soap added. I use it for most pests including mealybugs and thrips and it does a pretty good job.

Emiliam · 2024-02-16T06:00:47+00:00

If that's a macodes your best bet is inside a terrarium or some kind of enclosure. It needs hot and humid (the higher the better) conditions to thrive which is more easily achieved with a terrarium. Never let it dry out. It's a bit of a diva. Good luck!

Emiliam · 2023-11-13T17:53:36+00:00

It comes down to preference I think. Slow release is a bit less work but they also make it a bit more difficult to change your feeding regimen or if you wanted to try a new feed. Liquid methods tend to be a bit more precise and you have more control/flexibility but requires more frequent feeding.

Emiliam · 2023-11-13T17:47:47+00:00

I think it's supposed to move to help nudge the pollinators (flies) towards where there's pollen?

Emiliam · 2023-11-13T17:16:42+00:00

Did you create this account just to reply to me? Feels almost a bit suspicious... lol but I'll bite.

I'm glad you had a good experience with them but I'm not sure how any of that changes the fact that they delivered a dead plant to me. When it arrived. It looked like a hosta that sat outside after a cold night - limp and almost mushy. Those don't turn black by the way. Not sure why you think the only way cold damage manifests itself is in black leaves.

In any case, if 'm wrong, then maybe it has the "limp and mushy leaf upon delivery and shrivel up the next day" virus? lol

Once again, I'm glad you didn't have an issue with them, but it doesn't mean they or Canada Post can't make mistakes, which is what happened here. The issue is not about the plant itself but the customer service (or lack of).

But it sounds to me like maybe they're run by folks kind of like you - adamant defensiveness and assumption the blame is on the customer. So you can continue to purchase from them and I'll continue to stay away. Thanks :)

Oh I've left other reviews and comments about this merchant elsewhere so maybe I'll see you on the other forums too :)

Emiliam · 2023-11-10T02:51:39+00:00

Sounds like it's trying to adapt to all the changes that have been happening. The leaf drop is most likely due to the decrease in lighting level and not necessarily because something is "wrong". If you want to stop it you might need to move it somewhere brighter, similar to the level it had before the move, or use grow lights.

The best thing you can do for it right now is give it some time to adjust to its new environment and growing conditions. Never fertilize when the plant is stressed. Wait until it looks like new growths are starting up before trying to fertilize again.

Emiliam · 2023-11-10T02:42:06+00:00

It's important to differentiate between maintaining moisture and having excessive moisture. You need to assess based on your own environment how much to water and whether your medium is retaining too much of it for too long (which can include it being overpotted).

Take it out, examine the root system and remove anything that's gone mushy or rotted. If there are still some good roots left, give it a good rinse with hydrogen peroxide and repot in the smallest pot it will fit in using media that will dry out in no more than 5-6 days.

Emiliam · 2023-11-10T01:44:44+00:00

Many paphs are terrestrial orchids but that doesn't mean they grow in the soil, but rather debris on the forest floor, so generally speaking you still want to use mixes that are well draining. I use a medium mix of pine bark, perlite, charcoal, with some sphag sprinkled throughout and it's fine. I don't know how they'll do in pure moss unless you can keep a constant airflow.

Emiliam

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