Houseplants

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82099195#Comment_82099195

I don't water my coir poles, which are just plastic pipe covered in coir, as water doesn't really get absorbed - it's a bit pointless. Because I use a coir pole my Monstera won't root into, I use soft garden twine to tie it to the pole to provide support to the plant. (I try to minimise the number of ties to avoid blocking the growth points. Pothos works similarly.

A proper moss pole on the other hand (usually a perforated structure you fill with sphagnum moss, and water to keep moist) allows the monstera to root into the pole with it's air roots, promoting bigger leaves and growth. Here's an example of a moss pole kit from Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4393380521/moss-pole-for-climbing-plants-honeycomb

Here is one from Amazon

https://amzn.eu/d/0hRK7KfI

You fill this type with sphagnum moss / bark chips etc (or a mix) and water it so it remains moist

As an alternative to both pole types, some people use wooden boards as climbing supports - in the wild Monsteras and pothos are climbers, so they need support to replace the trees they'd normally climb up.

serena9

I also have a small monstera that I believe is a few plants in one pot. Since I'm growing her for a specific space, I'm not looking for a large plant in the long run. I plan to support her with a fan-shaped stake. Other than MSE, can anyone suggest another plant forum that they enjoy?

MSE_ForumTeam5

@MSE_Laura_F's blog is worth a look too:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/team-blog/2020/10/how-i-turned-my-flat-into-a-jungle-on-the-cheap/

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82100318#Comment_82100318

Are you growing one monstera in the pot or more than one? It's just they tend to send up only one long stem that the leaves branch off… which won't work very well with a fan shaped support.

Potted Monsteras you buy in the supermarket, garden centres etc. are usually formed of multiple plants put together in a single pot to look bushy... So if it's multiple plants you'll need to prune it to keep it small/constrained.

As they can get quite big (even if you keep them in a small pot) I'm not sure they'd be my first choice - they also need lots of light.

I like r/monstera on Reddit for my monster advice/discussion.

serena9

Thanks for the tips; it's several plants in one, I believe. It was tiny and is now thriving. I don't want it too small; I'd like to be about 5 feet tall eventually but not 5 feet wide. I agree about the first choice part; I wouldn't buy one again now I'm a bit more informed, but I'll give it my best shot.