Growing Monstera on a Moss Pole

Monstera deliciosa loves to climb. In the wild, they use their aerial roots to attach to trees and reach the sunlight. Replicating that in a regular apartment, especially with limited light, requires a bit of help.

If you want those iconic, large leaves with fenestrations (the holes), you need to give the plant some support. Without it, a Monstera will eventually just droop over the edge of the pot, and the leaves will stay relatively small.

My Current Setup: The Coconut Fiber Pole

Right now, my plants are on classic coconut fiber (coir) poles. It simulates the texture of tree bark and gives the plant something physical to lean against.

I regularly mist the coir pole to encourage the aerial roots to seek the moisture and attach to it. However, the water evaporates quite fast in a normal indoor climate. Because of this, I am planning to upgrade to a real sphagnum moss pole eventually.

A real moss pole holds moisture much better, allowing the roots to actually grow inside the moss. It does require more maintenance to keep it damp without overwatering the soil, but it should provide better support for larger leaves. For now, though, the coir pole is doing its job, and I am starting to see more fenestrations on the new leaves despite the cold and gray weather outside.

Propagation: June to July 2025

If you want to start over or just share a plant, water propagation is very straightforward. I took a cutting back in June 2025 to see how it would develop.

I placed the cutting in a vase of water, making sure the node was submerged, and left it in a spot with bright, indirect light. It's a slow process, but seeing the roots develop over those few weeks is always a good feeling.

The vase I put it in is now filled with roots. The plant also managed to push out a new leaf, but growth has been really slow since then. I'm considering buying some hydroponic fertilizer to help it along, but that will be an update for another post.