The Thai Constellation: Ten Months In

Ten months since I brought home the Thai Constellation. It's gone through a full winter under the grow lights and is now picking up again as the days get longer. Time for a proper update.

Growth Rate Over the Winter

The Thai Constellation slowed right down between November and February — one leaf in three months, which I expected. Variegated plants are less efficient at photosynthesis, so less light means even slower growth than usual. I kept the grow lights running for 16 hours a day and didn't push it with fertilizer. Patience.

Since early March it has picked back up. Two new leaves have unfurled in the last six weeks and a third is currently emerging. In total it has produced seven leaves since I got it. The regular Monstera next to it has produced roughly double that in the same period — but the Thai's leaves are simply more interesting to look at.

The Best Leaf So Far

The sixth leaf was the best one yet — larger than any of the previous ones and with a section of the leaf that is almost entirely cream-white. It's the kind of variegation I was hoping for when I bought the plant. The seventh, currently unfurling, looks like it will be similar in size. The pattern shifts with every leaf, which is part of what makes this variety so compelling.

What Hasn't Changed

Same spot, same soil, same light. I still haven't repotted it and don't plan to this season — the roots haven't reached the drainage holes yet. It gets watered when the top half of the soil is dry, which in winter was once every two and a half to three weeks. Now that it's growing again, closer to once every ten days.

Ten months in and no regrets. I'd buy it again without hesitation.