When you repot your Monstera, adding a moss pole is the optimum time to do it. This enables you to insert the pole deeply into the pot without causing any root damage.
Selecting your moss pole
Choose a moss pole that is long enough for your plant from the variety of lengths available. The optimal length should provide some room for growth and be equal to the sum of the pot’s height and the stem’s height above the pot. If your plant outgrows the initial pole, you can add a new piece on top because certain moss poles are extendable.
Next, choose your preferred pot type from the pot guide. The container should have just enough width to accommodate the pole and your Monstera’s root system. Choose one that has at least 1/2 inch (1 inch; 12.5 cm) of space around the roots to the pot’s edge on each side.
You can remove your Monstera, add a moss pole, and repot it into the same pot if it was recently replanted and there is still plenty of room in the pot.
Keep a few things in mind as you decide where the pole should go in the pot. To make it easier to knot, try first to position it close to the stem of your Monstera. Second, place it near the back of the pot where the foliage will largely conceal it.
How to repot a Monstera with a moss pole
It’s time to repot once you’ve decided on the position and orientation of the plant and pole! Hold the pole firmly in place in the pot’s preferred placement, all the way to the bottom. Pour the soil mixture around the pole, then add it one to two inches (2.55 cm) deep. Make sure your plant is centered before adding it. After that, add soil mixture to almost completely fill the remaining empty area in the pot.
Avoid compacting the earth to keep the pole in place if you see that it is wobbling somewhat. Watering your newly potted Monstera will assist in settling the soil and securing the pole. As roots envelop the pole, it will likewise get stronger over time.
How to add a moss pole to Monstera without repotting
Although planting a moss pole with your Monstera is usually more stable, adding a support without repotting can still be successful.
Pick a method for adding a support pole to a Monstera that is already potted that will cause the least amount of harm to the roots. This can be a skinny bamboo stick pole, a skinny pole or trellis with a skinny pointed stake at the bottom, or a skinny moss pole.
Place the support softly where you anticipate the presence of the fewest roots. Don’t push through resistance since it might be roots; instead, back off. Attempt again in a different location if the support is not deep enough. You might be better off repotting your Monstera anyway if it is too rootbound to put a support somewhere!
Does my Monstera need a pole?
In their natural habitat, epiphytic climbing plants climb trees and larger plants using their aerial roots. As they mature, these plants climb towards the sun since they frequently grow in the forest understory. As the plant ascends, its aerial roots support its growth by drawing water and nutrients from the detritus around it. Moss poles offer houseplant owners a chance to replicate the natural habitat of their climbing houseplants when grown indoors as houseplants. The plant’s aerial roots, in particular, can take up water and micronutrients just like they would in their native habitat.
For indoor plants, moss poles are not necessarily necessary; in fact, many climbing plants can thrive without them. However, giving climbing plants a support, like a moss pole, will cause them to produce bigger, stronger leaves and more vigorously than they would without.
Does Monstera require a pole for climbing?
The following three factors should influence your decision to provide your Monstera houseplant with vertical support:
- It resembles its native environment.
- Your Monstera will have larger leaves and more fenestrations as it grows taller.
- It will assist you in keeping your Monstera tidy.
Replicate natural habitat
Monsteras climb up trees for support in the tropical jungle, where it is their natural home, to attain greater sunlight. They accomplish this via their airborne roots, which support the plant instead of absorbing nutrients like typical roots would.
The Monstera is supported as though it were in a jungle by a moss pole or post that mimics a tree. It retains extra moisture, simulating rainfall and humidity in nature by drawing in the air roots of the Monstera.
Grow bigger leaves and encourage fenestrations
A Monstera’s aerial roots wrap around a tree or moss pole as it climbs it to absorb additional water and micronutrients. The plant gains an advantage as a result. This additional water source makes it simpler to hydrate the higher leaves so they can develop well and large, especially in the wild where Monsteras can grow rather tall.
Due to its energy no longer being directed at sustaining the stem, Monstera is encouraged to expand in size as a result of the more physical support. Now that it won’t topple over, it can produce large, hefty fenestrated leaves.
Avoid messy look
Your Monstera won’t be able to grow upright once it grows bigger without a moss pole or some other kind of vertical support. It will begin to grow off to the side and begin to send out aerial roots for support.
A plant that exhibits negative phototropism is the monstera. This implies that they will begin to move away from the light source if they do not receive enough light. This is how they search for a tree to climb in order to get more light.
Your Monstera can start to grow away from the window and into your room if it lacks support and seeks more light.
Your Monstera will look more arranged and deliberate and be simpler to maintain if you attach it to a moss pole.
How should Monstera be repotted?
Use all-purpose potting soil to repot your monstera at any time of the year. Repotting these plants should only be done every two to three years because they prefer to stay in their pots. Instead of repotting your monstera once it is in a container with a diameter of eight inches or greater, top-dress it with new potting soil.
Your monstera will eventually lose its lower leaves as it climbs; even cutting off growth tips won’t stop it from moving upward. While there is no method to promote regeneration on the lower, barren stems, it is simple to propagate a new, fuller-appearing plant from a strong stem with multiple leaves.
Do you recommend mounting my Monstera on a moss pole?
Although Monsteras can flourish without a moss pole, including one more closely resembles their natural habitat. As epiphytes, monsteras rely on the support of tree trunks to flourish. They cling by inserting their aerial roots into the structure’s framework. You may create a more natural growing environment for your Monstera indoors with the aid of a moss pole. By clicking the image or link, you can check the price on Amazon.
Why is a moss pole necessary for my Monstera?
Those of you who have a Monstera deliciosa at home may have picked up on a few things since bringing it in. One, aren’t those leaves gorgeous? Two, it’s actually expanding quite swiftly. Third, M. deliciosa doesn’t comprehend the need of having sound personal limits. Give this adorable giant of a houseplant a moss totem to grasp onto if you find yourself outgrowing your home. Here, we’ll walk you through the installation process and show you how to control some of your monster’s adorable excitement.
M. deliciosa uses its powerful aerial roots to cling to and take moisture from the rough bark of large rainforest trees in its natural habitat. It is a natural wanderer. A moss totem is an upright pole that is completely covered in sphagnum moss and is staked into the plant’s pot. Its natural surface provides something for a monstera’s roots to grip onto and take moisture from, acting as a stand-in for a tree. A moss totem allows M. deliciosa to act more like it would in the wild while yet supporting those heavy stems and leaves better than a traditional plant stake or wire trellis.
With just a few basic tools, you can train a monstera to a moss pole:
- Your terra cotta monstera
- a ready-made moss totem
- Soft plant ties, yarn, or cotton string are good options for gentle ties.
- A new container that is 1-2 wider than the old one, together with high-quality potting soil for houseplants, if repotting is required.
We like Mosser Lee’s Totem PoleTM Extendable Plant Supports for moss totems. These realistic-looking, tube-shaped supports come in three lengths plus an additional 12 extensions for when your monstera inevitably becomes even bigger. They are packed with moisture-absorbing, long-fiber sphagnum moss.
Getting Started
Start by putting the moss totem in a shallow water container and letting it soak until it is completely soaked.
Before adding the totem, it’s a good idea to check your plant to see whether it has to be repotted while the moss is soaking. You can install the moss totem without repotting your M. deliciosa if the pot is large enough and the roots aren’t too crowded. However, if your plant needs a new pot anyhow, now is a fantastic time to start working on its new totem.
If your monstera has to be repotted, start by removing it from its current container and looking at the roots. If the roots are tightly packed, you may need to loosen them up a bit. As you normally would, repotter the plant into a new pot with fresh soil; however, instead of placing it exactly in the center, move it slightly toward the front of the pot. With the majority of the foliage facing outward, the moss totem can fit behind the plant in this manner.
Installing the Totem
When the plant and container are prepared, deeply embed the strong metal supports at the bottom of the moistened moss pole. Keep the pole upright and tuck it behind the plant just a bit. The totem can then be stabilized by lightly pressing the earth at the base.
Attaching the Plant to the Pole
It’s time to acquaint your plant with its new totem now. Some of your monstera’s stems may be longer and more strong than others, as you may have noticed. Several huge leaves are supported by these thicker stalks, and they may also be beginning to sprout some knobby aerial roots. The stems could potentially start to spread out from the pot like a vine as they develop horizontally. The more slender leaf stalks and their leaves will be allowed to fill in around the bottom once you attach these stems to the totem.
Bring the stem up against the moistened moss and fasten it gently yet securely with a piece of soft plant tie, twine, or cotton string to help it adhere to the totem. If the stem is long, bind it to the totem by tying it to it several times. Repeat this process with any other substantial stems, then take a step back to ensure the plant’s general form is to your liking. Your M. deliciosa will eventually use its aerial roots to cling to the moss and proceed to climb higher on its new support.
Care Tips
With one extra step, caring for a monster on a totem is just like caring for one without. Misting the moss on occasion is a smart idea to keep your monstera interested in its new support. The roots will continue to spread into the moss if the plant detects moisture there.
For routine maintenance, make sure the container drains effectively, let the top inch or two of soil a little amount of soil dry out between waterings, and set your plant where it receives lots of bright, indirect light. Additionally, take sure to turn your wandering plant every so often to keep things balanced if it tends to lean one way or the other while looking for the best source of light.
Some Plants Just Need a Little Guidance
Not just monsteras are helped by a little patient correction in the home. A moss totem is also helpful with other monster species, such as M. adansonii, as well as some philodendrons, like “Prince of Orange” and “Pink Princess.” Ask if you need help caring for any of your “wandering plant pals.” We are always happy to assist.
A moss pole doesn’t need to be soaked.
Try to attach it as soon as possible while the plant is still young. However, you may still do it with an established plant.
Before putting the moss pole into the pot, you should first soak it in water until it is completely saturated. This, in my opinion, makes it much easier to tie a plant to a moss pole.
1. To ensure that your pole balances when your plant matures, it is advisable to place it in the center of your pot. Make sure the pole is buried in the ground at a depth sufficient for stability, but not so deep as to damage the roots.
2. Next, you begin surrounding the pole with the longest vine.
3. To assist fasten the vines to the pole, use velcro plant strings or plant tie strips. To make sure my aerial roots don’t protrude, I like to tuck them within the pole.
The fact that these plant ties are available in green or black is their finest feature. The ties will better mix in with your plant’s vines and pole as a result. So no one will be aware of your technique for producing strong, large leaves.
Plant TIP: Make sure the root nodes, which are where the stem and leaves converge, are fastened to or tucked within the pole. In order to eliminate the need for ties, this helps train the adventitious roots to cling to the pole on their own. Once your plant grows, you can eventually take the ties off.
Choose a pole length that is longer than your longest vine when deciding on its length. You won’t ever have to worry about your plant outgrowing the pole, so you may keep it for a longer time and let it grow whatever long it wants.
If you need to, you could add another moss pole on top to make the moss pole longer.