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Tropical Plants

Training a Monstera deliciosa

17 years ago

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but what the heck. I received a small "swiss cheese plant" or a M. deliciosa from a friend of mine in a plant shop. She had a larger one, and she gave me a little sucker from the base of it. It has now grown really large, and I think it's in need of repotting. But, I have seen a picture of this plant growing up a moss pole, and I thought it looked really neat. My plant always makes incredibly long airal roots, sometimes 3 feet long! So, my question is, how do you make a moss pole, and how would you train it up one?

Many thanks,

-Ben

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Comments (6)

bihai
17 years ago
I make my totems for philodendrons and other climbers in the greenhouse by taking a length of PVC pipe and wrapping it with coir fiber. I use monofilament line to tie the coir on. I have the capability to make my totems as tall as I want using "snap clamps", those nifty things they sell to use to attach poly sheeting to PVC pipe greenhouses. So I start with a totem about 4-5 ft tall, and when a plant reaches the top, I snap on a snap clamp and another 4-5 ft length and wrap that with coir. I attach them to the greenhouse walls and steel supports with aluminum wire.

To train a plant up a totem, just get some of those long (about 10-12 inches) paper covered twist ties that they sell at Home Depot, set the trunk of the plant against the totem, and attach it with the ties in a few places. The long roots you are talking about will usually fall onto the ground (or pot) and root into the soil, the newly emerging roots will start to grow into the totem
drosera36
Original Author
17 years ago
Do you have a pic of this setup? I found something similar to this on the web, it's "Mosser Lee's Totem Pole Plant Supports" which stack on top of each other and is basically what you have.

-Ben
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bihai
17 years ago
I can take one for you. I am certain that my homemade dealie is a lot cheeper than Mosser Lee's.
drosera36
Original Author
17 years ago
Really? Thanks a lot! But one thing I was wondering is, would the pvc pipe be thin, so as to have a lot of coco fiber on it? Or would it be wide? Thanks again!

-Ben
drosera36
Original Author
17 years ago
Oh, should I e-mail you my address?

-Ben
stinkybuds
13 years ago
I kind of improvised with my moss post. I went to Home Depot and bout a 1x1 board ( wider than a 2x4 but narrower) Then I bought a package of dried and pressed Spaghnum moss. You just add water to it and it fluffs up. Then, I attached the moss to the board (which I had cut in half to about 5') with wire by wrapping the wire around the moss that I was holding against the board. Its a little tricky, but it worked out pretty well (with a few curse words thrown in there).Then I replanted the Monstera, putting the moss covered board at the back of the pot and placing it all the way at the bottom. Then replant and fill in with potting soil so the moss post stays in place. I mist it often to keep the moss moist and I wrap the newer leaves around the moss stick and then just leave the rest of the climbing to the plant. You can cut off some of the aerial roots or try to wrap them around the post. Good luck! -Chris

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