Believe it or not, moss pole is not the only thing that your plants can climb on.
I just picked up some broken branches from the forest, removed the tree bark and went over it with sandpaper. Put some duct tape over the part that goes into soil and that’s it! No upkeep, no need to keep it moist.
My pothos cutting absolutely loves it. It has rooted onto the wood already and the leaves just keep sizing up.
by vynuoge
26 Comments
A moss pole isn’t just for the plant to stick to, you are supposed to water it and the moss holds onto some of the moisture so the roots on the climbing part of the plant can take water directly. It’s not strictly needed, it will still pull water from the pot, so if you prefer the look then go for it. It does look good btw.
you definitely dont. Also most spaghnum moss is not sustainably poached which is another argument against it, plus it can be a breeding ground for fungus gnats
Say it louder! I see ppl telling straight beginners to get a moss pole, and that can be daunting/ frustrating for total novices. Not to mention expensive on limited resources. You only need a stick!
It really depends, tbh. I’m all for using branches and stakes, unless I find a moss pole necessary, since I also don’t care about fast upsizing for all my plants equally.
I tested this theory with my (bunch of) M. Adansonii and it matures faster once established on a moss pole, compared to trellises and branches. Pothos, though, it sizes up on walls, so that’s that.
While true, climbing is not the main reason for a moss pole. The main reason to use a moss pole is for nutrients and water to make the plant grow bigger. Those aerial roots will mature into a full root system in a moss pole and give the plant access to way more nutrients. Even a pothos will size up considerably if given a moss pole
Definitely do not need one. I did this as an experiment to see if I can keep it going in one (sphagnum lined/mostly coco coir) it is hard to keep continually adding to it. Might have to go find a few stick candidates once this one outgrows my room and heads outside. Yours look fantastic!
https://preview.redd.it/o92u9jkep81g1.png?width=1988&format=png&auto=webp&s=afafaade71a2b759bf8bd89f39cea665ad6d48fb
Ye. I don’t really like moss poles from the maintenance to the increased mold risk (especially with someone with asthma in the house). I have a few coco poles though and I don’t water them but I have a few plants who grew their aerial roots on and through them without a problem
A moss pole is as much a vertical container as it is support. It’s certainly not a requirement for most plants, but a trellis really isn’t an equivalent substitute.
Ohhhhh that’s what those brown bits are for!
Can you share what you’re using in the photo?
My only worry is on how the duck tape is going to hold against moisture 😭 i know i dont want a moss pole but i also cant find the right stick lmao
National Geographic Society interview.late night with me , batman .
Me : welcome back to ur fav so plants with batman . Today we have a climber .. mr.pothos, . Welcome to the show .
Pothos: thank you ,
Me: Sir, do you like climbing?
Pothos: Like? Bro, that’s my entire personality.
Me: What’s your preference,,,… moss poles or dead tree branches?
Pothos: Anything vertical. I see height…… I go up. That’s the rule.
Me: Anything else you’d climb?
Pothos: Your curtains…… your charger cable…… your cat if it stays still long enough.
Me: Bold of you.
Pothos: Bold? I’m a pothos. We invade forests. Your living room is nothing.
Me: Any message for plant parents?
Pothos: Yes. Stop buying me siblings. I grow to 20 feet alone. Invest in a pole, not in more pothos.
Me: Fair point.
Pothos: Thank you. Now angle me toward the window. I have ambitions.
What about unfinished, wood dowels available from Home Depot/Lowes? I need two thick ones to support my monstera.
My dad threw out his pothos because it had gotten through the paint on the wall into the paper on the drywall. He was so pissed. It had climbed from the hanging planter, up the chain, and then along the wall.
Now he just has his ancient thaumatophyllum and schefflera.
I pick up sticks on my street in nyc! Lysol, soap and water, rinse. They’re so cool looking, and it’s so green!
I have a plant growing across the ceiling. It’s held up with hooks on the wall but once it hit the ceiling it started to attach itself
My plants support system are “extra” wood pieces for furniture I figured I didn’t need 🤷🏽♀️😅.
I’ve never seen the lil brown nubs for grabbing omg
I have a plant that is currently climbing a wall in my lr. No support, it just decided to randomly climb. I know it’s bad for the wall but I love the way it looks.
This looks great, did you peel the bark? I hate my moss poles. I started potting monsteras with a pvc vertically in the center so I can change out the support, I’m going to try this ty!
For my small plants, I use old chopsticks and some twine lol
They can climb anything that is porous, my neighbor has one climbing concrete wall, it’s outdoor under direct sunlight by the wall. And pothos climb trees in the wild, so definitely yours like the sticks you gave it.
Woah never considered this
Why did you process the branch? Genuinely curious.
You definitely dont _need_ one if you’re just using it for support. But a moss pole provides a handful of benefits by allowing the plant to root into it, such as allowing you to easily propagate the plant as it will have a developed root system throughout the pole.
Not at all, you don’t need it at all for them.