In their natural habitat tropical plants like philodendrons grow along trunks of trees, vines, or on flat ground. However, these climbing plant needs support to grow upward.
Some of my friends and followers come up with me regarding their philodendron to be leaning down. Being a philodendron collector for a long time I suggest them, to use support to make the plant grow bigger with more leaves.
Using a moss pole can be a good support for a philodendron to make this beautiful plant grow fast and stay upright even when matured.
Here you will find more about the support a moss pole provides to make your beloved philodendron thrive for a long time. This article can also help you identify if your philodendron needs a moss pole.
Does Your Philodendron Need a Moss Pole?
Philodendrons are low-maintenance and easy-to-grow indoor plants that can enhance the appearance of the place where it is kept. These plants are available in over 500 varieties and are quite popular among gardeners.
Philodendrons are mostly climbers and creepers that need support to grow upward and stay upright. These tropical plants climb tall trees in their natural habitat to get sufficient indirect bright light.
So, when placed indoors you need to provide proper support to make this plant spread better. Moss Pole can be a good option for that epiphytic growth habit.
A philodendron will get trained naturally to grow upwards once it is introduced to a moss pole.
What Are the Benefits of Growing a Philodendron in Moss Poles?
Using a moss mole to provide that needed support to your philodendron can be beneficial for the plant in several ways. Here are some of them.
| Benefits | Description |
| Climb Higher | If you want your plant to grow upwards and not sideways then, using a moss pole can be the best option. |
| Extra Support | Some varieties of philodendrons may have heavy tops when matured. Using a pole can provide that extra support. |
| Nutrient Boost | Sometimes the required nutrients can easily reach the top part of the plant with the help of a moss pole. |
| Feeling Natural | Your plant may feel the same as being in its natural habitat with the support of a pole. |
| Bigger Leaves | Your philodendrons will have bigger and shinier leaves if grown on moss poles. |
| Provide Controlled Growth | Using a moss pole prevents uncontrollable growth of the plant and thus, keeps the area around the plant cleaner. |
Is It Necessary to Stake Your Philodendron?
Using a stake is important while growing philodendrons as they are mostly climbers and creepers and thus need support to grow upwards. Other than moss poles you can use a soft bark to provide necessary support to the plant.
A stake can make your plant stay upright and not lean down even when fully matured.
How Should You Put a Moss Pole on a Philodendron?
You need to put the moss pole at the center of the pot and plant the philodendron anywhere in the soil around the pole. You should gently pull the vines upward along the pole so, that the plant gets spread better.
To prevent the philodendron from dangling down use a rope to tie the plant gently to the moss pole. As you water your plant, and it gets bigger the ariel roots will grow along the pole and provide the needed support. You can remove the rope from matured and older plants.
Wooden Planks or Moss Poles: Which is Considered as the Best Option for Philodendrons?
A few varieties of philodendrons are epiphytes i.e. they grow along surfaces and only climb when gets mature. While reaching maturity some of these plants grow huge. So, proper support is needed to help these epiphytes grow according to their natural habitat.
People use different stakes to provide the needed support to their beloved plants. Among these using wooden planks and moss poles is very popular.
So here is the difference between a wooden plank and a moss pole. Go through them carefully to find out the benefits and drawbacks they have.
Wooden Planks for Support
Although a moss pole looks a bit more natural, some people prefer to use wooden planks to provide support to their philodendrons. You can easily get a wooden plank from any hardware store near you.
As, using wooden planks creates a natural vibe so, the aerial roots get attached to them easily. These planks also provide a higher humidity rate that the roots need, to grow fast and thrive.
However, a drawback of using wooden planks is that they get rotten easily. So, if you want to use these planks instead of a moss pole then, try to get a plank made of cedar wood. You can also try out Zella trellis if you want a durable and fancy wooden plank.
Moss Poles for Philodendrons
Using moss poles to support your epiphytes can be the best option. These poles are made from sphagnum moss and are easily available in the market and online. A moss pole raises the humidity level and thus, the ariel roots get attached to it easily.
Several bags of sphagnum moss are used to make a moss pole which makes it quite expensive. On the other hand, the sphagnum dries out within 24 hours. So, if the moss pole does not have a high humidity level, then the roots will not get attached to them and the plant won’t mature.
How to Train Your Philodendron to Climb a Moss Pole?
Training a younger plant to climb a moss pole is not very easy. Being epiphytes, philodendrons have weak stems. So, you should train a philodendron carefully.
Here are a few tips to guide you with the same.
| STEP 1 | STEP 2 |
| Use a string or U-shaped pins to attach the stems of the plant to the pole when it gets bigger. | You can warp the stems or vines around the pole for that extra support. |
| STEP 3 | STEP 4 |
| Until the plant starts growing on the pole you need to continue with the binding process. | To maintain the flow of growth of the plant you should add it to the previous pole when the plant outgrows the stake. |
| STEP 5 | STEP 6 |
| For more binding and rooting around the pole you need to mist your philodendron quite often. | Trim off the new vines that do not bind to the pole tightly. Pruning on a regular basis can boost the growth rate. |
Final Thought
Moss poles are an essential object that all plant collectors need when growing philodendrons or other epiphytes. Being a great support for your plant a moss pole helps them, to feel their natural habitat.
I hope the steps shared above will guide you to train your philodendron to climb a moss pole easily to grow fast, stay healthy, and thrive long.
Even though different other stakes are used to provide support to the epiphytes, using a moss pole can improve the overall appearance of your plants.
