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The relationship between epiphytes (like Monstera) and forest trees is hardwired into the plant.
Instead of growing toward the light, epiphytes grow toward the darkest shape on the horizon, hoping to find a tree to climb. Vining indoor epiphytes need stakes to help them become larger plants.
Why do Monsteras Need Stakes?
Indoor climbing plants are prone to be moved, and having a stake that is part of the plant pot or inserted into the pot allows you to move the vine without damage. This helps it grow upright and makes for a neater plant.
Ideally, when you stake a monstera, your stake should mimic the porous, natural surfaces that Monsteras climb in the wild.
Once vines have successfully attached, leaf size typically increases significantly, and fenestration improves.
How Big Do Stakes Need to Be to Support Monstera
Most monstera stakes range between 36 to 48 inches tall and generally have sphagnum moss or coir upon which to attach.
Making provisions for what is hoped for but not yet realized requires an act of vision and faith. While the plant is still tiny, a suitable structure needs to be placed in the pot as a backup plan for the plant’s development.
I advocate including a stake, such as a moss pole, when potting the plant or repotting. Adding a stake after the Monstera has significantly grown will injure the roots.
A stake provides a structure upon which your Monstera plant can climb and attach its aerial roots as it grows.
Adding support will encourage your Monstera to develop leaf splits and fenestrations and restrict horizontal and uncontrolled growth.
How to Stake a Monstera and Other Benefits of Staking a Monstera
Monsteras deliciosa can survive without a stake, but if you stake your Monstera, it makes the environment more like its native habitat.
As epiphytes, monsteras adhere to tree trunks by putting their aerial roots into the framework, allowing them to vine upward and thrive.
Stake your Monstera to provide a natural habitat indoors, helping them grow stronger, access lighter, and even reach additional moisture and nutrients.
The following advantages will result from installing a stake:
- Promote more giant, more developed leaves
- Assist the plant’s development and growth,
- Provide an additional source of nutrients and water in the coconut coir
- Improve light exposure, promoting better fenestration
- Vining improves light availability, photosynthesis, and stronger variegation for variegated plants.
Monstera Stake Selection
Although moss poles are the most famous structure to use to stake your Monstera plant to provide more support,
Other options include:
- You can use stakes made of plastic, metal, rot-resistant wood, bamboo stakes, garden pole, or driftwood.
- An alternative is to use moss strands wrapped around a rigid core made of wood or plastic to create the traditional moss pole. String, plastic, or mesh wrapping can securely attach the moss.
- A plant has a broader surface area to grow on when supported by a trellis built of various materials. The main drawback of utilizing frames to cultivate small-leafed vining plants is that they lack a material that can retain moisture, like coco or moss poles.
- A coco coir pole makes a great alternative to peat moss like a moss pole. I prefer this version as peat moss is typically water-repelling, difficult to saturate once dry, and coir readily absorbs and retains moisture.
- You may also create a slab or pole coated with jute. Start with an appropriate-sized bar or piece of wood for your Monstera plant. Jute should be wrapped around the wood to cover it completely.
Potting Your Monstera to Include a Stake
When you first repot your Monstera delisiosa, use the opportunity to stake a monstera to allow aerial roots to attach, inserting the pole deeply into the pot without causing root damage.
Storebought Monstera plants typically have circular or triangular stakes made of hardware cloth stuffed or covered with coir.
These require adjusting and tying with plant ties as the plant grows, with tapered versions allowing you to slot the next extension on top of the established ones as your plant develops.
This is usually used when staking mini Monstera.
How To Add a Monstera Stake Without Repotting
Even though providing support without repotting can work, if you stake a Monstera plant deep into the pot is usually more stable.
Choose a support stake installation technique that won’t damage the roots of the Monstera delisiosa the most.
This can be a thin pole, a trellis with a light, pointed stake at the bottom, or a bamboo stick pole.
When you stake a monstera, gently insert the support where you believe there will be the fewest roots.
Don’t forcefully insert the pole when you stake your Monstera plants to avoid damaging roots. If the stake doesn’t go in deep enough, try again at a different place.
If your Monstera plant is too rootbound to insert a stake, you might be better off repotting it.
Training Monstera to Grow on a Stake
It’s time to stake your beloved Monstera plants and secure them using plant ties. Put the leaves and stems where you want them by gently gathering and placing them there.
Put the stems where the aerial roots develop and touch the moss or coco fiber.
These tropical plants will eventually cling to the pole when their aerial roots extend, making the need for ties obsolete.
Fixing your Monstera to a Stake
As Monstera owners, you can use any fastener, such as string, twine, twisty ties, zip ties, or velcro, to bind your Monstera plant to the stake – I prefer using Velcro garden ties.
They are soft and wide to avoid damaging the stem, and their green color mixes perfectly with the surrounding vegetation.
They may be put on with one hand, cut to any desired length, undone whenever needed, and reused.
Keeping Your Monstera Moss-Covered Stake Moist
If the moss is kept moist, aerial roots will adhere to it, eventually spread into the pole, and grow into everyday roots that absorb nutrients and water.
Because epiphytes are non-parasitical, Monstera plant aerial roots will only do this on dead material.
With this additional nutrient and moisture supply, your Monstera plant will be able to develop more swiftly and produce more significant, mature leaves.
Soak Stakes Before Use
If you’re using moss support, soak it before inserting it, as moss is notoriously resistant to water absorption. coir, on the other hand, readily takes up and retains water.
The pole should be sprayed with water every few days to maintain moisture. Avoid swelling the leaves, as this can spread pathogens. A super absorbent coco pole will retain the water on a vertical surface.
Some people water moss poles by pouring water on them, but I haven’t had much success. Water usually runs down into the soil and will likely eventually lead to root rot.
Additionally, a self-watering moss pole can be built or bought. Some contain cotton wicks that you insert into the pots to draw moisture from the soil up the bar, while others have hollow centers that can be filled with water to soak into the moss.
Are all Monstera Staked The Same Way?
Monstera Minima, or the mini monstera, although not a monstera, is staked precisely the same way. the mini monstera will eventually grow as tall as a deliciosa, but the leaves will not get as big even after climbing a moss pole.
Like the Monstera deliciosa most monsteras will climb. Some growth develops horizontally while the plant is looking for support to climb.
Monstera Deliciosa can grow without support, but the plant sprawls and gets very wide. It is much better to support Monstera Deliciosa.
Do all Monstera Have Aerial Roots?
Most epiphytes, like the regular Monstera Delisiosa, have aerial roots used to climb trees and other supports. Unknown to most, these plants have three different sets of roots. These are
Aerial roots
Aerial-subterranean roots
Lateral-subterranean roots
These roots support the plant in the soil and the plant vines upward; they push the heaviest stems straight toward the light, and the aerial roots cling to the rough bark of the trees.
They are natural climbers and continue to grow vertically until they receive enough light; this is the epiphytic behavior. At home, you will see roots coming through the moss pole. this is nothing to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions on Monstera
Why does my Monstera not have aerial roots?
Monstera does not produce aerial roots when they are young; It takes time for the plants to age as Aerial roots are not required for a small plant. However, mature cuttings will develop them almost immediately.
How do you encourage aerial roots on a Monstera?
To encourage Aerial Roots on a Monstera, getting the plant to mature is essential. Provide good light, nutrients, free-draining soil, a temperature of 65-85℉, and a moss pole to climb.
Why doesn’t my Monstera have split leaves?
Only mature monstera have split leaves. They produce fenestration (Split Leaves) to deal with high winds and allow light to pass through to the leaves below. Provide a pole to enable the plant to climb, and it will produce them.
What happens if you cut a Monstera aerial root?
You can cut Monstera aerial roots if you do not like them. It will not harm the Monstera and will eventually grow back. Some people push them into the pot, allowing a more extensive root system to support the plant.
In Closing
Once the roots are firmly attached, removing a moss pole or support structure can be pretty challenging, and you risk damaging the roots or pole.
I suggest air layering the aerial roots in these regions rather than letting them attach to the pole if you intend to take cuttings from your plant soon. The roots can also be left within the moss pole by cutting it when you take the cutting.
