The split leaf philodendron is also known as the Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa). It is a beautiful climbing plant with big leaves that employs aerial roots as vertical supports. But unlike ivy, it doesn’t have suckers or clinging roots to help it pull itself up. It has a wide variety of different fauna to develop and support it in its natural habitat. However, as a houseplant, it requires a pole to assist train it upward. The use of a moss pole plant support improves the appearance of the tropical setting and hides the woody stake. Following is some information on creating and utilizing a support for cheese plants.
Monstera deliciosa: Does it require a trellis?
You should give Monstera deliciosa moss-covered support sticks or a trellis because it likes to climb and cling to big trees in its natural habitat utilizing its aerial roots. You can trim the aerial roots if they get troublesome, but it’s better to simply tuck them back into the pot.
Do you need to ascend Monstera?
What should you do if your Monstera becomes so tall that it begins to topple over? It need a ladder to ascend!
In its native rainforest habitat, monsteras are climbing plants and can be found climbing trees. By use a moss pole or other vertical support, we reproduce this for potted Monsteras. This prevents the large plant from taking over your living room and enables your Monstera to grow upwards toward the light without toppling over and breaking its stem.
How is a Monstera vine trained?
- snips for gardening or wire cutters for ties If you try to cut wire with normal scissors, they will become quite blunt very quickly.)
- green ties
- wooden chopstick or peg (optional)
*Depending on the plant, I have a few options in my plant care kit, including: soft ties, which are thicker with a wire core for flexibility; regular (thin) plant wire; these elasticated bands with “arrows” that I bought at a stationery store; and a velcro roll, which is adjustable and can be cut to size.
Because my grandparents often used old tights (pantyhose) cut into strips for their tomatoes and runner beans, I frequently use them for my outside plants. My nan’s old “pop socks,” which had been replaced or laddered, were chopped up, and I clearly recall putting them in an old (empty) ice cream tub in the greenhouse. These can also be used to indoor plants.
Remember that every plant has a unique “personality” and growth pattern, thus no two monsteras will ever appear the same growing around a support. Working with each plant individually and giving it the best assistance possible will ensure its growth and success.
To begin with, you should determine whether your monstera’s pot has enough space for a support to be added without repotting. Get a trowel and dig a small hole for the support to go into if you aren’t planning to re-pot the plant (if you are using a sphagnum or coir pole). The cane supports can be easily put into the potting mixture if you’re utilizing them.
When repotting a plant, start by removing the soil from around the roots. Next, look for any dry or shriveled roots and trim them off. If your monstera is actually composed of several smaller plants, separate them and arrange them around the coir pole in the pot. This will enable the plant to naturally mould itself around the support.
My large monstera plant is shown in photographs taken from the side, demonstrating how the plant ‘leans up’ on the support, which is placed just off the center of the planter. My plant was trained from a somewhat little specimen, and as a result, it has really begun to encircle the coir pole, making it less noticeable from the front. If you add a support, keep in mind that the shape of your monstera will effect how your plant looks, however they do adjust. I have three monstera plants, and I think this one is the most attractive because the support is so completely hidden by the leaves. This was done on purpose because my plant is next to a wall and over the past few years, all of the leaves had oriented themselves toward the window. Choose a support that will allow your plant to be seen from all sides if it is the focal point of the room. In this case, I would recommend using two U-shaped canes crossed over like an X (each cane at 90 degrees from the other, crossing over in the center of the curve).
Here are some close-ups of the placement of the coir poles from when I repotted my monstera plants last summer, as well as instructions on how to wedge the pole into place using a chopstick or a dolly peg to make it stable.
If you want to learn more about the general repotting procedure, follow the blog post link I provided here.
*I recently repotted all three of these lovely plants, so I’ll put together a post in the upcoming weeks to illustrate how they currently appear.
Make sure the support is inserted deeply enough! With my plants at their current size, I set the coir pole exactly at the base of my pot and then start to re-pot, adding potting soil all around it. Maximum stability will result from this. If required, I use a knife to cut away part of the extra coir to reduce how much of the wooden central pole is covered. I added the extensible sections to the top of the pole while I’m using it, so I shouldn’t have to entirely separate the stems from the coir for a very long time.
Before leaving your monstera unattended, be aware that the support may move somewhat when you water it. The soil naturally moves when the plant is watered, therefore even though the pole is buried deep in the pot, it is inevitable that it too will move slightly. Additionally, as new leaves expand, they can occasionally slightly pull on the coir, causing it to move. It may be held much more securely with the aid of the pegs. I only occasionally correct my plant because it has a tendency to lean.
In the image below, you can observe that not all plants pleasantly cluster around a support. My tiniest monstera plant, it hasn’t really developed into itself yet. I have an idea for what you could do if your plant sprawls out and simply doesn’t seem like it will take to a pole—what that’s I intend to do with mine!
Of course, you could just let it grow naturally, but if you want to give it some support over the long haul, you could train all new stems—which are much more malleable—around the pole as they develop. Although this is a lengthier procedure, some of the older stems that may be growing at an odd angle can be clipped in pairs of leaves+ propagated as the new growth forms around the support.
The stem of my plant, which is visible above, is at such an angle that it would shatter if I attempted to move it. If your plant has this type of development, you might want to cut these stems off in pairs (they tend to root more readily this way; see photo below) and water propagate them (let the cutting grow roots in water). If you’d like your monstera to be fuller, you can replant this cutting around its stem. As an alternative, you might begin to develop a new plant from this cutting and expand your collection of monstera.
Although this monstera adansonii vine is not a monstera deliciosa, I thought I would show you how I used the U support, as you can see below.
I wrapped the stems around the cane without using any ties after untangling them. I want to grow a complete, column-shaped plant for my vanity and will train the middle stems to wrap around the structure as they become bigger. It provides this area of the space a nice sense of height.
Even though I adore my large monstera at its current size, I dug up some earlier pictures of it from 23 years ago to show you how it changed over that period. To see it expand even further, you can look over my Instagram account in the past.
The support for my large monstera is noticeably uneven in these two close-up photos of it in its current location. You can also see that I utilized a variety of ties to hold it in place. I have no plans to move this pole; it has been there for two years. Even my grandfather’s ancient wooden ruler is inside for stability. Even if it appears a little disorganized from the rear, the front view reveals that most of this is hidden.
Maintaining plants is a continuous process of learning for me, in addition to being a patience practice. The process of learning how to take care of plants involves experimentation, trial, and occasionally error. I am aware that many novice houseplant enthusiasts are reluctant to repot their plants or to consider giving their cherished monstera a support. I hope this blog will give you some confidence in how to take care of your plants, and I’m incredibly appreciative of your “support” (pun intended).
*This post contains affiliate links, which entitles me to a (very) little commission if you decide to make a purchase. I appreciate your support of my blog.
Monstera can it scale walls?
Most gardeners desire fast-growing, hardy plants that require little maintenance due to their hectic schedules and busy lives. One such plant is Monstera adansonii. Monstera adansonii is a tropical plant that was originally discovered in the forests of Mexico and Panama. It has distinctive and eye-catching leaves and grows swiftly with no maintenance.
The potential of Monstera adansonii to develop as a climbing and trailing plant is one of its distinguishing characteristics. This means that you can teach Monstera adansonii to climb a wall, trellis, or pole, or you can grow it like a vine in a hanging basket. This versatility, which dates back to the plant’s wild roots, gives Monstera adansonii owners some creative possibilities to decorate their house or place of business.
Epiphytes are plants that grow on the surface of other plants, and Monstera adansonii belongs to this group. Epiphytes collaborate with other plants in a way, employing them as a support system and drawing moisture and oxygen from the leaves.
However, this is not a self-centered relationship. By obtaining nutrients from trash or other creatures that may otherwise hurt the host plant, epiphytes not only don’t harm their hosts but also assist in clearing the space around them.
Many of these plants are vines that may be found climbing trees in jungle ecosystems, while some of them are funguses and other types of organisms. Aerial roots enable some vining plants, like Monstera adansonii, to climb.
Aerial roots, as their name implies, develop above the soil in the open air, and in addition to assisting plants in attaching to objects, they also help plants collect nutrients and water. These roots can grow along the entire length of the plant, not just at the bottom, and they extend from the plant’s stems.
Since a Monstera adansonii grows in this manner naturally, many gardeners enjoy experimenting with different methods to encourage their Swiss Cheese plants to climb surfaces in their home or workplace, taking over bookcases, stairwells, and even walls.
How can I quit climbing monsteras?
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.
Do I need to plant a pole in my Monstera?
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.
Why is my Monstera growing more and more?
You’ve probably seen the phrase “leggy” in houseplant forums or when trying to diagnose a problem with your Monstera. Despite how frequently the phrase is used, its definition is rarely given.
A Monstera that is spread out, with scant leaves and long stems, due to inadequate availability to light, is said to be leggy. A leggy Monstera tends to reach towards any available source of light. You may have noticed this in other houseplants as many different plants have the potential to become lanky.
Is moss pole necessary for Monstera deliciosa?
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.