If you have a Monstera plant, keeping it upright is important, because if it manages to flop to one side or the other, it might struggle to keep growing, and it can be hard to get it to straighten up again without damaging the leaves. Today we are going to look at how to keep your Monstera straight and growing upwards.
The most effective way to keep a Monstera growing upward in a straight line is to use a stake to hold it in place while it grows. The Monstera depends upon being able to climb. A stake will help it to do this, and it will automatically head upward in an approximately straight line.
Why Would I Want My Monstera To Grow Straight?
You might think that it doesn’t matter very much if your Monstera grows in a straight line or not. After all, plants are not neat and tidy things, and if your Monstera seems to grow a bit wiggly, does it matter?
The answer is that it doesn’t matter if it grows a little wiggly, but it does matter if it starts heavily leaning to one side, or even ends up sprawling on the floor.
There are many reasons why it is not beneficial to have a Monstera leaning to one side or sprawled all over the floor:
- Aesthetic – It does not look very good since we mostly grow house plants for aesthetic reasons, it’s very frustrating to have a Monstera that is sprawled all over the place and looking like a mess. These are usually such attractive plants, you want yours displayed to the best possible advantage.
- Space – your plant will take up a lot more space if it does not grow vertically, but instead spreads horizontally and wiggles around. As these are already large plants, you don’t want to be losing space to a poorly grown plant.
You also don’t want the risk of standing on its leaves as you move around your home, and if you have children or pets, it’s even more important to keep your Monstera upright – away from the reach of curious mouths.
- Stability – your plant may be unstable if it does not grow in a straight line. If it leans heavily to one side or the other, it is much more likely to get tipped if someone knocks the container, or even to fall of its own accord.
- Plant health – a Monstera will not grow as well if it is in a heap on the floor. The more access that the leaves have to the light, the better the plant will grow, but if they are all piled up on top of each other, they can’t photosynthesize effectively.
Less sunlight will be able to reach the leaves of the plant, and therefore they will not be able to produce energy to help the plant grow. You will find that your Monstera’s growth slows down, and you might notice other problems like fungal infections, because the foliage will be piled up.
All in all, it’s important to make sure that your Monstera grows in a reasonably upright position, so let’s move on to strategies that will help you achieve this.
How To Help A Monstera Grow Straight
Monsteras are climbing plants, so they have not evolved to support their own weight with their stems the way that most plants have. They grow huge leaves to capture as much sunlight as possible in the shady rainforest, and those leaves are heavy.
With only thin stems, the Monstera cannot support itself, but growing thicker and stronger stems takes energy – so instead, it uses the strength of other plants and pulls itself upward by latching onto any nearby surface with its aerial roots.
These roots can grow up to three feet long, and they are wiggly protrusions that come from the stems of the plant. They will grab onto any nearby surface that is strong enough to support the plant, and stick themselves to it to hold the plant upright.
That growth method means your Monstera needs a support. There won’t be any nearby trees to climb, but it must have something to help it stay upright, so think about what kind of support you can provide. Usually, people use a stake or a moss stick..
However, there are several different kinds of support structures that you can offer, with different pros and cons to each. Let’s look at a few options.
Option One) A Garden Stake
A simple garden stake is often the most straightforward and economical option. All you need to do is drive a strong stake into the soil and let your Monstera use this to climb.
Put it near the center of the pot to encourage the plant to grow straight. If you just put a stake at one edge, the plant will start to grow in that direction, because that is where it is finding support. This makes it unbalanced and leads to the problems described above.
Stakes are a good idea if your Monstera is already overgrown, because it’s easy to gently guide the stems back toward the center of the pot, and you can add more than one stake if needed. You can also move them around easily to support the plant wherever it needs support, and add or remove stakes as needed.
Unlike the more complicated support systems, stakes are extremely flexible, but they aren’t the prettiest option. If they are spoiling the aesthetic of your Monstera, you might want to consider something else.
Option Two) A Trellis
For those who have small plants that are just starting to need support, a trellis can be a neat option. These will ensure that your plant stays trained in one area, and they are very secure.
Choose a trellis that is strong enough for your Monstera. Remember, these plants can grow up to ten feet tall indoors (or even taller) and that is an enormous amount of weight for one trellis to support.
It’s best to choose a trellis that has multiple poles that will support the plant because these tend to be much stronger. They also allow the plant to spread out and grow thickly, rather than only offering it one or two points to cling to.
However, if your Monstera is already half-grown or full-grown, it will be very hard to train it onto a trellis, because of the rigid shape. A trellis is not flexible and cannot be reconfigured to suit your plant’s shape. These are only useful for young Monstera plants.
Option Three) A Moss Stick
Moss sticks have been specifically designed to provide support to Monstera plants and other climbing plants, which may make them a slightly more expensive option. However, they offer quite a few significant advantages.
The poles vary in terms of the material used, but they are wrapped in sphagnum moss to provide the Monstera with a similar surface to the one it would have in the wild.
Most trees would have moss and lichen growing on their bark, so the Monstera can root in the damp, natural material, which may help to keep your plant happy. The moss is very textured, which helps your plant to get a good grip and prevents it from falling.
Furthermore, the moss will provide the plant with micronutrients and water, which will be absorbed through the aerial roots. This boosts the health of your plant.
The next big advantage is the aesthetic. Because they are wrapped in moss, the sticks look very much in keeping with the natural feel of the plant, and they will blend nicely. Where a trellis or stakes might spoil the natural aesthetic, the moss pole extends it.
You do need to make sure that any moss stick you buy is strong enough to support your Monstera as it grows. Consider adding more than one so that your plant has multiple support points.
Some people say that using moss sticks helps a Monstera to stay healthy and promotes better leaf growth.
Option Four) A Coco Coir Pole
Very similar to the moss stick, this is also designed to help climbing plants. It has pretty much the same advantages, trapping moisture and nutrients for the plant to feed on, and providing support to keep your Monstera upright.
If you don’t like the look of a moss stick, try a coco coir pole; they will both serve the same purpose and keep your plant happy and healthy. If you prefer, you can use a combination of both!
What Else Can Monstera Plants Climb?
If you don’t provide your Monstera with support, or sometimes even if you do, it will find other things to climb if it can. Monsteras have evolved to get themselves as high up as they can to access light, and they will do this indiscriminately.
Many people find that their Monstera plants climb up desks, tables, couches, bookcases, or even walls in an effort to grow upward. Surprising things are sometimes used for support, and any tall object in your home could be roped into your plant’s attempt to climb.
This might seem fun, but it is something you should be a little careful about for a few reasons. Firstly, if the object isn’t sturdy enough, it might break or fall over, which could harm your plant.
Secondly, your Monstera might not be good for the object. Its roots will latch on, which can damage paintwork or spoil the surface of something. It might pull curtains down in its attempt to climb. Of course, it won’t always do damage, but this is something to be aware of.
Thirdly, it can make it hard to move your Monstera, because it will have grown to suit the shape of whatever it climbed. For example, if you grow your Monstera by a bookcase and you then want to get rid of the bookcase, you might struggle to find a suitable replacement support.
It also makes re-potting more difficult, because the plant is latched onto furniture or a wall, rather than depending on a support you have put into place for it.
On the whole, it is better not to let your Monstera climb anything but its dedicated supports. Keep it away from walls and tall furniture.
Monsteras should not be left to lean to one side or the other, because this spoils their aesthetic and can affect their growth. It is important to start supporting your Monstera as soon as possible, rather than waiting until the plant is falling over. Once the stems start to droop under the weight of the leaves, you definitely need to add supports to keep it upright.