Monstera plants naturally seek vertical surfaces to climb, and “training” them involves guiding this growth upward using a support structure. This practice influences the plant’s health and maturity, providing the stability needed to thrive indoors. As the plant gains height, it produces the significantly larger leaves and characteristic split foliage that owners desire.
Understanding the Need for Vertical Support
Monsteras are classified as hemiepiphytes, meaning they start life in the ground before seeking a host structure to ascend in their native tropical environments. In the wild, these plants climb the trunks of large trees, using specialized aerial roots to anchor themselves securely. This vertical ascent is a biological mechanism to reach higher light levels in the jungle canopy.
When a Monstera grows horizontally or unsupported, it often remains in its juvenile form, characterized by smaller, less-split leaves and an unstable, trailing stem. The plant expends energy searching for a support structure rather than focusing on leaf expansion and maturation. Providing upward support mimics the natural environment and triggers the transition to the more robust, mature leaf structure.
Choosing the Appropriate Training Structure
Several options exist for providing vertical support, including wooden stakes, metal trellises, and moss poles made from sphagnum or coir fiber. While stakes and trellises offer mechanical stability, they do not facilitate the plant’s natural anchoring process. The superior choice for Monstera species is a moss or coir pole because the material retains moisture when watered.
This damp environment encourages the plant’s aerial roots to penetrate the pole, which secures the stem and allows the plant to draw additional moisture and nutrients. Selecting the correct size is important, and the pole should stand at least a foot taller than the current highest growth point to allow for future expansion. It is easier to start with a moderately sized pole than to attempt to change a very large one later.
Step-by-Step Guide to Initial Setup
Installing the moss pole begins with securing the structure firmly within the pot, often requiring a repotting session. The pole should be inserted deeply into the soil near the center or toward the back edge of the container to ensure maximum stability. The aerial root side of the Monstera, which is the flatter side of the stem, must face directly toward the pole. This orientation ensures the plant’s anchoring mechanism is properly aligned with the support surface.
Once the pole is positioned, the main stems should be gently guided to meet the pole’s surface. Use soft, flexible material, such as garden velcro, coated wire, or soft twine, to secure the stem at several points. These attachments must be loose enough to prevent damage or restriction of the stem’s natural expansion. Secure only the main stem, avoiding the delicate leaf petioles, which are the stalks connecting the leaf blade to the stem.
Tying a petiole can restrict the leaf’s movement toward light and may ultimately damage the structure. The initial attachment should provide enough support to keep the stem vertical without forcing unnatural bends or kinks. It is helpful to secure the stem just below a node, which is the point where a new leaf or aerial root emerges. This placement provides a strong anchor point for the tie material. The plant will not immediately cling to the pole but requires time for its aerial roots to grow and integrate with the new surface.
Long-Term Maintenance and Aerial Root Management
Successful long-term training requires actively encouraging the aerial roots to integrate with the moss pole structure. This is accomplished by regularly misting the pole or by directly watering it during normal irrigation. Maintaining consistent moisture signals to the aerial roots that the surface is a viable source of moisture and stability, prompting them to grow into the moss. Once the roots penetrate the pole, they anchor the plant securely, allowing the stem to mature and produce increasingly larger leaves.
As the Monstera grows, it will eventually exceed the height of the initial support structure, requiring an extension or replacement. Most manufactured moss poles are designed to be stackable, allowing a new section to be seamlessly added to the top of the existing pole. If stacking is not possible, a new, taller pole must be installed, ensuring the established aerial roots are not damaged during the transition.
To maintain a dense, vertical structure, it may be necessary to occasionally prune stems that begin to sprawl away from the pole. Stems that have grown too far horizontally can be cut back to a node closer to the pole, and these cuttings can often be propagated to start new plants. Consistent monitoring of the soft ties is also necessary to ensure they are not becoming too tight as the main stem thickens over time.