Your plant is getting taller and wants to climb... What do you do? You can either chop it and keep it small, or you can keep your climbing plant happy by giving it something to climb! In nature, these plants can climb on tree trunks and grow tall and huge. This isn't possible for indoor houseplants, but we can help indoor vining and climbing plants grow with the use of a climbing pole. I'll go over a few of the most simple and basic climbing poles available on the market.
COCO COIR POLE - This is the sturdiest type I've found. I use it for larger plants that need a lot of height with a textured surface to climb. The monstera albo in the photo is on a coco coir pole. This pole doesn't retain moisture like a moss pole does, but is super sturdy and perfect for those stubborn plants that need to be "trained" to climb. I like to use velcro plant ties to keep stems in place (the ties are reusable!). There is also a taller, bendable version!
MOSS POLE - Moss poles retain a lot of moisture. If you want the aerial roots of your plant to grab onto the pole, make sure to mist/wet your moss regularly! I currently have a few monsteras and my rhaphidophora decursiva on these ready-made moss poles. You can also get a bendable moss pole here. The goal is to encourage aerial roots to wrap around and grow into the moss, just like they would in the wild. Plants such as monsteras are considered epiphytes (epi: 'on' and phyte: 'plant'), hence all the aerial roots.
BAMBOO POLE - Bamboo is so versatile! I use straight bamboo poles and also curved trellises (some good options HERE and HERE). Since they are thinner than coco coir or moss poles, it's best to use bamboo for plants that have thinner, more bendable vines. I've attached my hoya obovata to a bent bamboo trellis. You'll need to train the vines to climb using some plant ties. Bamboo is best used for non-epiphytes, but I've seen them used for many types of plants without any problems. They're wonderful for propping up long vines and/or straightening out stems!
Remember to check the bottom/base of the pole you're getting. This is the foundation that will be buried in soil. It needs to be stable enough for the plant you use it with. Keep in mind that some wood foundations are more prone to rot, and metal foundations may rust.
This is only a very basic guide. There are many variations of climbing poles and DIY poles. I've even seen dried tree branches being used! I encourage you to find creative ways to make your plants climb!
Comments