The Monstera plant is known for its dramatic, fenestrated foliage and naturally grows vertically along a single main vine. While this upward growth creates impressive height, many enthusiasts desire a fuller, bushier appearance. Achieving this lateral development requires activating specialized dormant growth points already present along the stem. Manipulating these latent structures is the direct path to promoting a denser plant structure.
Where Axillary Buds Are Located and Their Purpose
Axillary buds are the structures responsible for potential side growth, situated at precise points along the Monstera vine. Each bud is an embryonic shoot located in the axil, the angle formed between the main stem and the leaf stalk (petiole). The Monstera vine is segmented into nodes, and it is at these nodes that the leaf, the aerial root, and the dormant axillary bud are attached.
These buds contain undifferentiated tissue with the potential to develop into several different plant parts. If activated, an axillary bud produces a new lateral branch, creating a secondary vine complete with its own leaves. This latent tissue may also differentiate into a new aerial root or, less commonly, a flower spike. Their primary purpose is to serve as the plant’s backup mechanism, ready to initiate new growth if the main growing tip is damaged or removed.
The Biological Reason Buds Stay Dormant
Axillary buds remain dormant due to a biological mechanism called apical dominance. This phenomenon dictates that the main upward-growing tip of the plant, known as the apical meristem, controls the development of the lower lateral buds. The apical meristem is a highly active region of cell division whose primary function is to extend the stem upward toward light.
This dominance is maintained by the continuous production and downward transport of the plant hormone auxin, specifically indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Auxin synthesized in the apical meristem travels down the stem and accumulates near the nodes. Here, it acts as a chemical signal to suppress cell division and differentiation within the axillary buds. The higher the concentration of this hormone reaching a node, the more strongly the bud’s growth is inhibited, ensuring the plant prioritizes vertical growth.
Although auxin concentration naturally decreases further down the stem, the overall effect is a plant that dedicates energy to a single, tall vine, resulting in a “leggy” appearance. To encourage a bushier structure, the grower must physically or chemically interrupt this continuous flow of the growth-inhibiting hormone to the desired node. The goal is to remove or bypass the source of the auxin signal, thereby releasing the axillary bud from its dormant state and allowing it to begin active cell division.
Practical Methods for Encouraging New Growth
Activating a dormant axillary bud requires overcoming the chemical barrier established by apical dominance, typically achieved through physical intervention.
Pruning
The most direct and reliable method is pruning, which involves completely removing the apical meristem by cutting the main stem above a chosen node. Severing the stem entirely removes the primary source of the inhibitory auxin, causing the hormone concentration to drop sharply below the cut. The axillary bud just below the cut is released from suppression and is usually the first to activate due to its proximity. This technique often results in the activation of a second, lower bud, though the effect diminishes further down the stem. Pruning is highly effective, but it sacrifices the current main growing tip, which then becomes a new, shorter main vine.
Notching (Scoring)
Notching aims to interrupt the flow of auxin without removing the apical meristem. This method involves making a shallow, horizontal cut into the stem, about one-third of the way through its thickness, approximately one inch directly above the target axillary bud. The cut must penetrate the vascular tissue, specifically the phloem, which is the pathway for auxin transport down the stem. Interrupting the phloem physically blocks the downward movement of the inhibitory hormone to the specific bud below the cut, effectively tricking the bud into thinking the apical meristem is gone or damaged. Notching is less invasive than pruning and allows the main vine to continue growing upward while encouraging lateral growth at the notched location.
Cytokinin Paste Application
A highly targeted method is the application of a plant growth regulator paste containing high concentrations of cytokinin. Cytokinin is a hormone that promotes cell division and bud break. This paste, often called Keiki paste, is applied directly onto the dormant axillary bud after gently scratching away the protective cap (cataphyll). Cytokinin acts as an antagonist to auxin, overriding the inhibitory signal and stimulating the bud to grow into a new shoot.
Aftercare and Recognizing Successful New Growth
After intervention (pruning, notching, or paste application), the plant’s environment must be optimized to support the energy-intensive process of initiating new growth.
Optimizing Environment
Significantly increasing the amount of bright, indirect light the Monstera receives provides the photosynthetic energy necessary for cell division and expansion in the newly activated bud. High humidity and consistently warm temperatures accelerate the development of the new shoot by supporting a faster metabolic rate. Providing a balanced, diluted liquid fertilizer during this period ensures the plant has sufficient nitrogen and phosphorus to build new cellular structures.
Recognizing Activation
The grower should monitor the target node for changes, which usually become visible within a timeframe of four to eight weeks. The first sign of successful activation is the emergence of a small, firm, and pointy green or pale-green protrusion from the dormant bud location. This developing structure is the nascent lateral shoot, which will rapidly elongate and begin to unfurl its first new leaf. Initially, the new growth may appear smaller than established leaves. However, as the new branch develops its own root structure and becomes established, subsequent leaves will grow to a size characteristic of the parent plant. Continued support from a moss pole or trellis helps the new lateral vine grow strong and maintain its upright orientation.