The Sunday Mail
Delicious monster
IT is the view of some that the delicious monster flavour is a mixture of pineapple, mango and banana – I will let each person be the judge of that.
But I urge you to try it but be wary – it is delicious yet still a monster. It is leaves a stinging feeling on the tongue after eating it because it has irritant fibres on the surface, however, these can be wiped off with a little citrus juice.
Monstera deliciosa is a plant originating from the rainforests of South America. It is a climbing plant of the popular arum family (arecaceae). Word of caution here, all parts of the plant are considered to be poisonous except for the ripe fruit, due to the presence of oxalic acid.
Oxalic acid is known to cause kidney failure and is harmful if swallowed. The latex of the plant can cause skin rashes so wear gloves when handling.
A lot of patience is required, though, before one can enjoy the fruits of this exotic plant. It takes up to one year for the fruit to mature and ripen. However, it is worth the long wait. The fruit can be used to flavour ice cream or drinks. Delicious monster fruit is packed with lots of vitamin C and some protein being particularly good for athletes and those recovering from radiotherapy.
Monstera deliciosa or the fruit salad plant as it is commonly called is really a beautiful indoor or garden specimen. It can grow up to 20m in height whilst hanging on to a tree trunk or with support provided.
The leaves are particularly impressive glossy dark green heart shaped, being up to 75cm wide and 90cm long. Monstera will rarely flower indoors but outdoors in three years time. As I said earlier it’s a plant for the very patient.
The fruit can grow to about 25cm and 4cm in diameter, almost the size of a maize cob. It is covered with symmetrical hexagonal scales, which only come off when it is fully ripe.
You can speed up the ripening process once the top scales start coming off by wrapping the fruit in a paper bag until all the scales start pealing off as well. This will reveal the fragrant ripe flesh. The unripe fruit must not be eaten as it will irritate the throat.
The tropical jungles where the plant originates are the very growing conditions that one needs to typify to get the best out of your specimen. High humidity is very important for the plant when it is growing indoors or else the leaves will start drying out on the edges.
Leaf yellowing is also evident where there is moisture stress or nitrogen deficiency. The plant will respond well to a well drained rich organic potting mix. Mix one part compost, one part river sand and one part soil for a good growing medium.
To propagate the plant, make cuttings 10-15cm in length and plant these in river-sand. The cuttings root fairly fast. Once the leaves are a good size transplant the plants to a normal potting mix.
You can also propagate the plant by air layering, which is when you make a small incision near a bud. Then cover with moistened moss or any suitable rooting medium and keep it in place with a plastic covering.
Roots will soon emerge, this will allow you to cut away the branch and plant it in a normal potting mix.
The most common pests on delicious monster are your mealy bugs and red spider mites.
Spray with a suitable systemic pesticide cutting back the plant if infestation is too heavy. While you wait for the fruits enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the plant, truly a gem.
Andrew is a horticulturist and can be reached by email at [email protected]
