Monstera plants are natural climbers that benefit significantly from structural support in a home environment. Providing the right support encourages them to grow in a manner that mirrors their natural habitat, leading to healthier growth and more impressive leaves.
Why Your Monstera Needs Support
Monstera plants are vining epiphytes in their native tropical rainforests, meaning they naturally climb trees and other structures to reach sunlight filtering through the canopy. They use their aerial roots to attach themselves, allowing them to ascend and mature. When grown indoors without support, Monsteras often become leggy, unstable, and may lean or sprawl under their own weight.
Providing support helps your Monstera replicate this natural climbing behavior. Supported plants often develop larger leaves with more pronounced fenestrations, the iconic splits and holes characteristic of mature Monstera foliage. The support also helps the plant grow upright, improving its stability and overall appearance. Aerial roots can also attach to the support, absorbing moisture and nutrients.
The ideal time to introduce support is when your Monstera is young and has just begun to produce aerial roots, or when you notice it starting to lean or spread outwards. Signs that your Monstera needs support include the plant leaning to one side, sprawling growth, or new stems growing outwards instead of upwards.
Choosing the Right Support
Selecting the appropriate support for your Monstera depends on its variety, size, and your aesthetic preferences. Various options are available, each offering distinct advantages for encouraging vertical growth and providing stability.
Moss Poles
Moss poles are a popular choice as they closely mimic a Monstera’s natural climbing surface. They are typically made from sphagnum moss or coco coir wrapped around a central pole. Sphagnum moss poles are particularly beneficial because they retain moisture, which encourages aerial roots to attach and absorb additional water and micronutrients.
Coco coir poles offer a similar function to moss poles but use coconut fiber, which can hold moisture effectively. Both types of poles are extendable, allowing you to add height as your Monstera grows, which is a practical feature for long-term support.
Trellises
Trellises provide a framework for your Monstera to climb, offering multiple points of attachment and allowing for good air circulation. They come in various materials, including wood, metal, and plastic, and can be freestanding or wall-mounted. Trellises are especially suitable for vining Monstera varieties, such as Monstera adansonii or Monstera siltepecana, which benefit from broader support for their spreading growth.
While trellises do not provide the moisture benefits of moss poles, they offer strong structural support. For larger, heavier Monsteras like Monstera deliciosa, a sturdy and expandable trellis can provide the necessary stability.
Other Support Options
Support options include bamboo stakes, wall hooks or clips, and wooden planks. Bamboo stakes are an economical and natural-looking choice, suitable for younger Monsteras or as a temporary solution.
Wall hooks and clips offer a way to guide vining Monsteras along walls, windows, or doorways. Wooden planks or slabs can also mimic the natural tree trunks Monsteras climb, and they can encourage aerial root attachment.
Installing Plant Support
Proper installation of plant support is important for its effectiveness and your Monstera’s well-being. The goal is to provide stable assistance without causing damage to the plant’s roots or stem.
When installing a moss pole or coir pole, position it close to the main stem of your Monstera. The support should be inserted deeply into the soil, ideally to the bottom of the pot, to ensure maximum stability. For optimal stability, it is often easier to install the support during repotting.
If repotting, place the support in the new pot before adding much soil, then position your Monstera and fill the pot with potting mix, firming it around the base of the support. This method helps anchor the pole securely and minimizes disturbance to the plant’s root system. For trellises or stakes, ensure they are also firmly planted in the soil, deep enough to prevent wobbling or sagging.
Always take care to avoid damaging the plant’s roots during installation. If the plant is already large, gently working the support into the soil near the plant’s base is important. Once the support is in place, you can begin to gently secure the Monstera’s stems to it, ensuring the plant is upright and supported.
Training Your Monstera
Training your Monstera to climb its support is an ongoing process that encourages proper growth and maximizes the benefits of the chosen structure. This involves gently guiding the plant and securing its stems and aerial roots.
Begin by gently positioning the main stem of your Monstera against the support. Use soft plant ties, such as Velcro strips, soft string, or yarn, to loosely secure the stem to the pole or trellis. It is important not to tie the stems too tightly, as this can damage the plant or restrict its growth. The ties should hold the plant securely but allow for some natural movement and stem expansion.
As new growth emerges, continue to guide the stems upwards and attach them to the support. For moss poles, encourage aerial roots to grow into the moss by keeping the pole consistently moist through misting or watering. This provides additional moisture and nutrients to the plant. Regularly check the ties and adjust them as the stems thicken to prevent girdling.
Some Monstera varieties, particularly Monstera deliciosa, have stiffer stems that may not easily wrap around a support. In these cases, focus on attaching the main stem and training new, more flexible growth to ascend the structure. Consistent training helps the plant develop a strong, upright habit.
Avoiding Common Support Mistakes
While providing support greatly benefits your Monstera, certain common mistakes can hinder its growth or cause harm. Avoiding these errors ensures your Monstera thrives with its added structure.
One frequent mistake is using a support that is too short for the plant’s potential mature size. As Monsteras grow tall, they can quickly outgrow inadequate supports, leading to instability once again. Choosing an extendable pole or a sufficiently tall structure from the outset can prevent the need for frequent replacements, which can be disruptive to the plant.
Tying the plant too tightly to its support is another common error. Overly tight ties can cut into the stems as the plant grows, causing damage and restricting nutrient flow. Always use soft, flexible materials and ensure there is enough slack for the stem to expand. A good practice is to be able to insert a finger between the tie and the stem.
Neglecting or damaging aerial roots can also be detrimental. These roots are adapted to cling to surfaces and absorb moisture and nutrients. Forcing them into the soil when they are seeking to attach to the support, or cutting them unnecessarily, removes a vital function for the plant. Instead, guide them towards the moss pole or other textured supports to encourage their natural function.
Finally, providing unstable support can lead to the plant toppling over, especially as it gains size and weight. Ensure the support is inserted deeply and firmly into the potting mix. If the plant is in a plastic pot, a heavier outer pot can provide additional stability.