It’s now time to tie the plant to your moss pole. Put the leaves and stems where you want them by gently gathering them up and placing them there. Put the stems in a position where the aerial roots can touch the moss or coco fiber.
The plant will eventually cling to the pole when its aerial roots expand there. You don’t have to keep the ties when this happens.
Tying your Monstera to a moss pole
To secure your Monstera to the pole, you can use any type of fastener, including string, twine, twisty ties, zip ties, or velcro. Velcro garden ties are what I favor using. They are soft and wide to prevent harming the stem, and the green hue blends into the plant. They may be put on with one hand, cut to any length, undone at will, and reused. By clicking the image or link, you can check the price on Amazon.
How is Monstera fastened to the moss pole?
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.
Should I attach a moss pole to my Monstera?
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.
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.
When should I provide a moss pole for my Monstera?
This is more of a moment for you to evaluate the situation and make decisions about how to direct your Monstera’s growth going ahead than it is a sign from the plant. If you are repotting your Monstera, this is the ideal moment to incorporate a moss pole.
Typically, Monsteras need to be replanted every one to two years into a container that is one size bigger than the one they were in before. But now is the moment to transfer it to a larger pot if you see that you need to water it regularly or that the roots are sprouting out of the drainage holes.
Even if you aren’t presently exhibiting the aforementioned symptoms, I would advise you to add a moss pole when you are repotting your Monstera. Because you can see the roots and avoid severing them when securing the pole in the soil, adding a moss pole to a fresh pot is considerably simpler.
How do I get my Monstera to start climbing?
One of the benefits of growing Monstera deliciosa inside for fans is its capacity to develop into a substantial cornerstone for a jungle-themed home. However, that expansion also creates some issues because a Monstera can quickly outgrow its allotted space. Large Monsteras typically grow outward, unlike other common houseplants with an upward, tree-like growth pattern (such the fiddle-leaf fig or rubber plant). Because of this, many people prefer their Monstera deliciosa to climb rather than trail.
How can I encourage Monstera deliciosa to climb? You can encourage your Monstera deliciosa to grow upright by providing a support system, such as a moss pole, coco coir pole, or trellis. This teaches the plant to follow its innate tendency to climb, which may result in a healthier plant with more leaves.
The good news is that Monsteras are designed for ascent. You can get this plant off the ground and out of the way if the correct circumstances and some encouragement are there. I’ll go through some specifics regarding how and why Monsteras are frequently observed climbing on moss poles throughout this article and provide you with advice on teaching this plant to climb.
How do you maintain Monstera’s balance?
Right now, Monstera Deliciosa is a stylish and well-liked houseplant, and it’s simple to understand why. The room’s broad, glossy, dark-green leaves have a tropical feel to it, and under the correct circumstances, they develop swiftly. In fact, this plant’s potential for growing too large for some homes is one of its only drawbacks. When a Monstera grows large, it often tips over or leans to one side.
How can a Monstera Deliciosa be kept from leaning over? Staking a Monstera Deliciosa with a support like a moss pole, trellis, or garden stakes is the best way to keep it growing upright. These natural climbers can be trained to climb these poles by being connected to them, and they will be supported as they do so.
Although a Monstera won’t be harmed by not growing upright, most people like them to be as straight and tall as possible for aesthetic and spatial reasons. To help you keep your Monstera looking the way you want it to, I’ll go into further depth below why why this occurs in the first place.
How do you encircle a moss pole with a plant?
You must first securely fasten your plants to the moss pole in order to teach them to climb it and grow additional foliage and leaves. Because they need to connect to the stake first to encourage upward development and foliage, this phase is crucial for training your plants. Plants are stimulated to directly connect with the pole surface, and tightly binding them will make this possible. You can affix your plants to the moss pole in a variety of ways.
- They can be pinned with metal staples, usually in the form of a U that allows you to press into the pole and catch the stem in the center.
- By making a loop around the outside of the stem and pole together and then tightening it to bond them together, you can wrap them with twine or wire.
- For larger plants and stems, Velcro straps or cable ties provide a more secure attachment than twine.
- Utilize the plant itself by gently wrapping the vine around the pole, ensuring that the aerial roots have something to grip, since some plants only require a tiny amount of assistance to adhere to the moss pole.
A moss pole’s mechanism is unclear.
An epiphyte is a type of plant that develops on the surface of another plant, frequently a tree, and gets its nutrients and hydration from the surrounding air, water, rain, or accumulated detritus. Many of these plants are vines that climb the tree branches up into the canopy of the jungle. By providing a surface that is simple for the plant to attach to and a medium that includes micronutrients, a moss pole serves to simulate a plant’s natural growing environment.
Root connection is made possible by moss poles, which strengthens the plant (and makes for a more attractive growth habit). When lengthy vines have fully attached to the support, keeping your moss pole damp will give them access to another supply of water because the moss is absorbent.
Many people inquire about how they might encourage the growth of larger leaves and the desired fenestrations in their Monstera and other aroid plant species (the natural splits and windows that occur in Monstera deliciosa and Monstera adansonii at maturity). Climbing aroids like Monstera can be found in the wild growing up massive tree trunks. The plant becomes stronger and can sustain more weight as a result of its adventitious roots’ ability to cling to the tree as it climbs. It also receives more light as it gets closer to the jungle canopy, which supports the growth of bigger leaves.
Large leaves will start to develop after the plant adheres to the support with its adventitious roots because moss poles mimic this growth pattern. As long as your plant makes contact with the moist moss pole at each node.
How to Use a Moss Pole
- Determine the height of your moss pole. For your plant to have enough of room to climb, the moss pole needs to be taller than its tallest vine.
- Start by soaking your moss pole in water until it is completely soaked after you have constructed or purchased it. Your plant will cling to the pole easier thanks to the dampness.
- Place the moss pole as close to the center of the pot and the base of the plant as you can by inserting the wood end into the dirt. When setting up the moss pole, be extra careful not to harm your plants’ main roots!
- Start wrapping the pole in the plant’s vines. working your way around the pole, securing with twine. As adventitious roots will form at each node of the plant (where the leaves meet the stem), pay close attention to each one and make sure it has good contact with the moss pole.
- Voila! Observe your plants grow.
ensuring that Raphidophora tetrasperma’s nodes make contact with the support using twine
Moss Pole Maintenance Tips
- To make sure your plants’ adventitious roots receive water, it is beneficial to spray your moss pole frequently or to pour water down the pole when watering. The majority of aroids will enjoy the increased humidity!
- You can cut the rope as your plant firmly attaches to the moss pole. To continue training your plants’ growth, keep adding to the pole.
- You may either allow your plant to vine back down the moss pole to fill out growth when it has outgrown your moss pole, or you can extend it by binding a new one to the old one and repeating the process.
- When your plant outgrows its pot, replace it in a new container with the same moss pole.
- When removing a moss pole, exercise extreme caution to avoid injuring the plant’s adventitious roots, which could lead to problems with its health.
Where to Get a Moss Pole
In terms of plant care, moss poles are still somewhat of a niche item, but more and more nurseries are beginning to stock them! Our shops produce moss poles in lengths of 2′ and 3′, and our online store ships 2′ moss poles!
We advise using a strong bamboo stick or other rot-resistant stake, as well as a lot of sphagnum moss, if you want to attempt creating your own moss pole.
Alternatives to Moss Poles
Using moss poles is by no means the only option for plant support! For instance, using pushpins or nails, you can teach a vining plant to climb a wall. If a plant requires a little more support but isn’t a climber, a large piece of wood for larger plants can serve as a useful support and maintain the plant upright.
Thinner, lighter vines like hoyas, which have creeping vines that naturally wrap around supports like these as they grow, are excellent uses for bamboo stakes and ladders as supports. A small metal rod can support and maintain the upright development of smaller anthuriums that need little training.
With a moss pole to climb, Monstera deliciosa ‘Thai Constellation’ will generate more foliage.
We believe that by providing some assistance to your plants, you will be able to ensure their success for years to come.