Monstera deliciosa is one of the most popular indoor plants in Australian homes for good reason — it is striking, it is forgiving, and it has been the social-media indoor plant of choice for most of the last decade. In winter the Monstera asks for a slightly different set of care decisions than in the active growing season, and the gardeners who adjust their approach come out of winter with healthy plants.

A working set of notes for Australian Monstera owners through winter 2026.

The fundamental shift in winter:

The plant’s growth slows down significantly. The light is lower, the day length is shorter, and the indoor temperatures (even with heating) are typically lower than the warm months. The plant’s metabolic rate drops accordingly. The implication for care is that the watering frequency drops, the fertilising drops to near-zero, and the patient slow-care approach replaces the active-growing-season pattern.

Light through winter:

Monstera tolerates a wide range of indoor light conditions but it does not thrive in deep shade. In winter when the natural light is reduced, the question of placement gets more important than in summer.

The best winter position is near a bright window with indirect light. East-facing and north-facing windows in Australian conditions (south-facing in northern hemisphere terms — the opposite for the southern hemisphere) work well. Direct mid-day winter sun on the leaves can sometimes cause yellowing in plants that have been in lower-light positions, so gradual adjustment matters.

Plants in low-light corners through winter often produce smaller new leaves and stretched stem growth. This is not damage but it is not the plant performing at its best. Moving the plant to a brighter position for the winter months is the easy fix.

Watering through winter:

The biggest mistake in Monstera winter care is over-watering. The plant uses less water in the slower-growth period and the soil takes longer to dry out. Watering on the same schedule as summer leads to consistently wet soil, which causes root issues.

The reliable approach is to check the top 3-5cm of soil before watering. If it is still moist, wait. If it is dry, water thoroughly until water runs from the drainage holes. Then empty the saucer 30 minutes later so the plant is not sitting in water.

In a typical Australian winter (in temperate regions), an established Monstera in a 25-30cm pot usually wants watering every 10-14 days through the cold months, compared to every 5-7 days in summer. The interval depends on the room temperature, the humidity, and the light position, so the soil check is more reliable than a fixed schedule.

Yellow lower leaves in winter are usually a sign of over-watering or of normal seasonal turnover. A leaf that yellows slowly from the bottom up is often the plant naturally retiring an older leaf — this is fine and the leaf can be removed cleanly at the base. Multiple leaves yellowing rapidly across the plant is a sign of over-watering and the watering schedule should be reduced.

Brown crispy leaf edges in winter usually indicate low humidity rather than under-watering. Indoor heating dries out the air and Monstera (a humid-tropical plant) responds with edge browning. The fixes are grouping with other plants, using a pebble tray, or running a humidifier in the room.

Humidity through winter:

Australian indoor humidity in winter, especially in heated rooms, often drops well below the level Monstera prefers. Aiming for above 50% relative humidity gives the plant a meaningful improvement.

Practical humidity interventions:

Group plants together. The micro-climate created by a group of plants is meaningfully more humid than the open room.

Pebble tray. A tray of pebbles with water below the pot creates a small humidity bubble around the plant.

Room humidifier. The most reliable intervention if the room is genuinely dry.

Move to a higher-humidity room. Bathrooms and laundries are often the highest-humidity rooms in the house and Monstera does well in them if the light is acceptable.

Misting is the least effective of the common interventions. The humidity effect is brief and the wet leaves can encourage fungal issues if they do not dry within the day.

Fertilising through winter:

The simple answer is to skip fertilising through winter or to apply at a much reduced rate. The plant is not actively growing and additional nutrients have nowhere to go. Excess fertiliser builds up in the soil and can cause root burn when the plant resumes active growth in spring.

Pick fertilising back up as the days lengthen and new growth appears in late winter or early spring.

Repotting question:

Winter is not the right time to repot Monstera. The plant is at its lowest stress tolerance and repotting in winter often produces a sulky plant that struggles for months. Wait for early spring (typically September in temperate Australian conditions) when the active growth resumes.

The exception is if the plant is in a critical condition — root rot from over-watering, severe root binding causing health issues — where the alternative is plant death. In that case repot carefully and accept that the plant will take longer to recover than a spring repot.

Pest watching through winter:

Spider mites are the winter pest that most often affects Monstera in dry indoor conditions. A regular leaf inspection through winter catches early-stage mite activity. The treatment approach is described in our pest control notes — increased humidity and shower-sprays for early-stage infestations, neem oil or insecticidal soap for established populations.

For Monstera owners in Australian conditions through winter 2026, the working read is that the plant wants a slower, more patient version of normal care. Less water, no fertiliser, brighter position if possible, attention to humidity, and patience. The plants that come through winter in good shape are the ones whose owners have adjusted to the slower rhythm rather than pushing summer care through the cold months.

Spring will bring the active-growth resumption that makes Monstera the satisfying plant it is. Until then, the patient approach is the right approach.