Those of you living with a Monstera deliciosa have probably noticed a few things about this amazing plant since bringing it home. One, it’s gorgeous – those leaves, right? Two, it’s expanding – pretty quickly, actually. And three, M. deliciosa has no understanding of healthy personal boundaries. If you’ve found yourself losing space to this charming hulk of a houseplant, we have a solution: give it a moss totem to hold onto. Here, we walk you through the steps to install one – and start containing some of your monstera’s endearing enthusiasm.
Why a Moss Totem?
In its native habitat, M. deliciosa is a natural wanderer and uses its strong aerial roots to cling to and draw moisture from the rough bark of tall rainforest trees. A moss totem is an upright pole covered in sphagnum moss that stakes directly into the pot with the plant. Its natural surface gives a monstera’s roots something to grab onto and draw moisture from – much like a surrogate tree. While a classic plant stake or wire trellis does a great job of supporting those heavy stems and leaves, a moss totem lets M. deliciosa behave more like it would in the wild.
What You’ll Need
Training a monstera to a moss pole is easy with just a few simple supplies:
- Your potted monstera
- A pre-formed moss totem
- Gentle tie material such as soft plant ties, yarn, or cotton string
- And, if repotting is needed, a new container that’s 1-2” wider than the old one, plus a good-quality potting soil for houseplants.
For a moss totem, we like Mosser Lee’s Totem Pole™ Extendable Plant Supports. These natural-looking, tube-like supports are filled with moisture-absorbing, long-fiber sphagnum moss and come in three lengths – plus an available 12” extension for when your monstera inevitably grows even larger.
Getting Started
To start, place the moss totem in a shallow container with water and let it soak until it’s thoroughly moistened.
While the moss is soaking, it’s a good idea to examine your plant to determine whether it might need to be repotted before you add the totem. If your M. deliciosa is already in a pot that’s big enough and the roots aren’t too dense, you can install the moss totem without repotting the plant. But, if your plant is ready to be repotted anyway, that’s a great time to get it started on its new totem too.
If it’s time to repot, begin by removing your monstera from its old pot and examining the roots – tease the roots a bit too if they’re tightly packed. Repot the plant into the new pot with fresh soil as you normally would, but instead of setting the plant exactly in the center, position it a little toward the front of the pot. This way, the moss totem has room to fit in behind the plant with most of the foliage facing outward.
Installing the Totem
Once the plant and pot are ready, stick the sturdy metal supports at the bottom of the moistened moss pole deep into the soil. Keep the pole upright and nestle it slightly behind the plant. Then, press the soil gently at the base to stabilize the totem.
Attaching the Plant to the Pole
Now it’s time to introduce your plant to its new totem. You may notice that a few of your monstera’s stems are longer and more robust than others. These thicker stems support several large leaves and might have a few knob-like aerial roots starting to show too. The stems may also grow in a horizontal direction and begin to wander outward from the pot like a vine. You’ll attach these stems to the totem, leaving the more slender leaf stalks and their leaves free to fill in around the bottom.
To encourage a stem to attach to the totem, bring the stem up against the moistened moss and secure it gently but firmly with a piece of soft plant tie, yarn, or cotton string. If the stem is long, tie it to the totem in a couple of places so it’s secure. Repeat this step with any of the other large stems, then step back to make sure the overall shape of the plant is how you like it. Over time, your M. deliciosa will attach itself to the moss using its aerial roots and continue growing upward on its new support.
Care Tips
Taking care of a monstera on a totem is exactly like caring for one without – but with one additional step. It’s a good idea to mist the moss occasionally to keep your monstera interested in its new support – if the plant finds moisture in the moss, the roots will continue to grow into it.
For its usual care, let the top inch or two of soil dry out a bit between waterings, make sure the container drains well, and place your plant where it gets plenty of bright, indirect light. And if your wandering plant leans one way or another as it searches for the best source of light, be sure to turn it occasionally to keep things even all around.
Some Plants Just Need a Little Guidance
Monstera isn’t the only houseplant that benefits from a little patient redirection. You’ll find a moss totem is also useful with other species of monstera – like M. adansonii – plus some philodendrons such as ‘Prince of Orange’ and ‘Pink Princess’ too. If you have questions about managing any of your “wandering” plant friends, just ask. We’re always glad to help.
