Gentle bump here I dont know if the tag initially worked @tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

While you are waiting for Al:

The roots look good. Looks like the perlite you used is on the fine side. So it is possible that your mix may have been more on the wet side. What is the mix you are considering to put this into? I would not hesitate to transplant into 511 mix. Initially you may have to water it a bit frequently and then wean of it over a period of two weeks or so. I think you should have no problem.

@tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA) thank you!

yes unfortunately the perlite I bought was the fine one, i plan on getting the larger one next time. Definitely quite a wet mix.

So - (1) does it seem ready to be transplanted and if so

(2) is 5-1-1 recommended for monsterra?

many thanks!

@tropicofcancer, did you mean you "would" or "would not" hesitate to transplant into 511 mix?

The roots look sufficient to me. I agree with @tropicofcancer that I would water it a little more frequently as it adjusts. I usually keep those guys in an area where I can watch them closely for a while during the transition.

I'm going to try perlite for my monstera standleyana which seems to be reluctant to produce any roots in water. Perlite is next for that guy!

@popmama (Colorado, USDA z5) they rooted very quickly in the perlite! much faster than the cuttings I did last time in water.

@tropicofcancer (6b SW-PA) thank you this is really helpful!

@tropicofcancer Thank you for all your help you've been a wealth of information and so I think you're the perfect person to ask.

Because ive been having trouble getting all the resources for proper 5-1-1 I was wondering whats your take on growing plants long term in perlite? How it compares to the 5-1-1 and which would be better for the plants long term and why?

Im still trying to source coarser perlite for the 5-1-1 but it got me thinking since here in Israel fine perlite is so cheap ($15 for 100L) and the cuttings did so well in the perlite/peat mix if this could be a solution to my issues lol

Had been busy with some repotting and getting ready for even repotting my outdoor plants. We had some wonderful days weather wise and so had to make use of it.

I have grown only a few plants in pure perlite so my experience here is limited. In theory, Plants can be grown in pure perlite (with the dust removed) but it will be a bit tricky. Overall it holds less water and nutrient holding capacity is also low. It will be just like growing in pure grit or sand. You will need to fertigate with every watering with a fertilizer like Foliage Pro that has all the macro and micro nutrients. You may also consider using CRF in the media.

During peak growing season you may find that you need water more frequently especially for thirsty plants. If you are adding peat keep it to about 20% of the mix. That will increase water and nutrient retention but also start decreasing the air porosity of the medium. 511 will have a better overall water and nutrient holding capacity and also air porosity.

Perlite also is extremely light and so it is quite possible that the weight of the plant may pull roots out of the mixture. Wind can also blow the perlite off the surface. You can place some larger heavier rocks on the top prevent some of it. I would at least tie the plant to pot well.

I had a dwarf Japanese yew in pure perlite top dressed with lava rock because it is how I received it. It did quite well in the pot. But it is not a thirsty plant. After about 2 years I repotted to a gritty mix. Repotting was not fun. Perlite comes off easy but wet perlite sticks to everything and it floats. Post cleaning was a chore. One big reason I dislike perlite.

@tropicofcancer exactly the answer i was looking for thank you! I hope you make great use of the weather ☺️

@tropicofcancer Im wondering if you have any insight to this. I repotted into 5-1-1 mix and have been watering every 2-3 days using a tell to make sure its dry enough.
For some reason they dont seem to be growing too well.

1. i inspected some roots and there were some that were black and very brittle.
2. a lot of the new growth is turning black at the tips then drying off and needing to regrow a new bud. I will attach a photo.

I really appreciate all your help and any insight will be really helpful!

Also with the tell - how long do you leave it in the soil because if i leave it for example for 30min it will come out more "moist" then for a few seconds where it usually comes out dry or nearly so. Sometimes it comes out dry but if i stick my fingers in the soil still feels cold to touch.

I would insert the tell for 15-30 secs. Your mix looks a chunky and probably on the dry side. After a transplant I water more frequently the first week or two.

Hard to tell what is causing the black tip. Does the leaf fall off? Could be excess salts, fertilizer. Did you add dolomite lime - how much? Probably the clue lies somewhere there.

True it is quite chunky - i did sieve through a 10mm mesh. But yes there is a large portion of large pine particles.

I did water more frequently and now letting it dry more - between 2-3 days. Because I do feel the mix is still not dry enough before that but i could be wrong in interpreting this mix.
Added dolomite at around 2tsp per gallon. I also water, wait and then fertigate till it drains out. I should note it needs very little water before it starts draining out. Probably because of the chunkiness?

The tips go black. Then a new tip comes out from underneath, with some this will turn black too and with others a leaf will come out (sometimes with difficulty unfurling).

Sounds like you did all the right thing. Probably it is little too fast draining. Give it a good soak in water first. The, I would say water it daily for a week or two and see how things progress. Also when new leaves come out try misting them a bit. The extra moisture may help in unfurling those new leaves.

I will do! I was getting scared to over water from fear of root rot and after seeing some black roots i got a shock. Any insight as to why some would turn black and fragile (not mushy)

May be some roots got damaged during repot and they died. These usually fall off easily. Old mature roots may turn brown, dark too. Too dry soil can be the cause too. Monitor it for a few weeks and let it settle in the mix.

Do something. Water it very well and let it sit for say 5 minutes and then tilt the pot to let the excess out. If very little excess comes out then it means your mix is very well draining with a small PWT. I suspect that is the case. Also means you should water a bit more frequently. Once I did specifically make a mix that was much more chunkier and had a bougainvillea in it. Outdoors in Summer I had to water it twice daily sometime. But grew really well.

@tropicofcancer perfect! many thanks i really appreciate all the help!