Best moss pole for Monstera (and every other option, honestly reviewed)

Staking a Monstera is one of those topics that’s weirdly controversial in the houseplant community.

Everyone has an opinion, everyone swears by their method, and somehow it still ends up being more complicated than it needs to be.

Here’s the deal: there is no single best moss pole for Monstera.

The right choice depends on your budget, how much maintenance you’re willing to do, and whether you care more about your plant’s root development or just getting the thing to stop flopping onto your sofa.

I promise you now: for every person growing a beautiful Monstera up a perfect, handmade moss pole, there are ten others growing just as well up a £5 coir pole. Both are fine. Here’s how to pick the right one for you.

Do Monstera need a moss pole? (And do they actually grow bigger?)

Technically, no. Monstera are more than capable of supporting themselves by rooting their aerial roots into things. Left to their own devices, they’ll do just fine.

But here’s the thing — staked Monstera genuinely do grow bigger, faster, and with more mature leaves. It’s not a myth. When a Monstera grows vertically, a hormone triggers that tells it there’s more light available, which means it can grow bigger leaves and develop fenestrations more quickly. It’s the vertical direction that does it, not just the light (though more light helps too).

The practical benefits of staking your Monstera:

• Tidier — Monstera have absolutely no sense of style when left to grow freely
• Bigger, more mature leaves
• Fenestrations develop faster
• Less likely to get top-heavy and snap the stem
• Aerial roots stay manageable rather than going rogue

When should you stake? Now, before it gets any bigger and more unruly. I’m joking, but I’m also not. The earlier you stake a Monstera, the neater it’ll grow. If you have a large, messy one, you can add a stake and do your best — but you’ll probably need to do some chopping too. Monstera seedlings are skototropic, meaning they naturally grow towards shade because they want to climb as early as possible. Work with that instinct.

For more on this: Light requirements for Monstera | How to Make Monstera Grow Faster | How to Get Splits in Monstera Leaves

Every moss pole option compared — quick reference

Right, if you’re a skimmer (I see you), here’s everything in one place:

Not a skimmer? Good. Let’s go through each one properly.

The best moss pole for Monstera — every option honestly reviewed

Kratiste pole — my top pick for most people

I have about ten of these. That’s probably all you need to know, but I’ll elaborate.

I love the idea of having my plants climb by themselves, but I genuinely cannot keep a moss pole damp to save my life.

Kratiste poles solved that problem entirely.

What they’re made from: potato peels and elephant grass.

They’re sustainable, compostable, and the aerial roots attach by themselves without any watering or maintenance.

They also come with clips included, which is a small thing that makes a big difference.

Pros:

• Zero maintenance — no watering, no spraying, nothing
• Aerial roots attach by themselves
• Extendable with connectors
• Lightweight — so light that if you accidentally hit yourself on the head when repotting, it doesn’t matter
• Sustainable and compostable
• Reasonably priced (~£8.99 for 90cm at most garden centres)

Cons:

• The root system doesn’t develop as much as it would on a proper moss pole
• Not as widely available as coir — though garden centres are stocking them more and more
• Tricky to remove roots when repotting — but they’re so light it doesn’t really matter

I have a full Kratiste pole review here if you want the deep dive.

Proper moss pole (DIY or bought) — best for aerial root development

If you want the most benefit for your plant’s root system, a proper moss pole is the answer. The aerial roots grow directly into the moss, creating multiple root systems that increase the water and nutrients your plant can access. As a bonus, because the nodes root into the moss as it grows, your Monstera essentially air layers itself — when you want to propagate, each node is already rooted. Very satisfying.

Pros:

• Best for aerial root and secondary root system development
• Budget-friendly if you DIY, especially in bulk
• Extendable — bought ones usually click together, DIY ones you can zip-tie an extension on top
• Built-in propagation — every node roots as it grows

Cons:

• Sphagnum moss isn’t great for the environment
• You have to keep them consistently moist — if they dry out they become hydrophobic and you’ll need to soak them to rehydrate
• Repotting is a faff when the aerial roots are embedded in the moss

Amazon options: plastic tubes to fill with moss are widely available — search ‘moss pole Monstera’ on Amazon for current options.

These ones are a great option.

Tips for keeping your moss pole moist

This is the bit everyone struggles with, so let’s sort it out:

• The cup trick: make your pole wide enough to sit a plastic cup in the top. Poke a few tiny holes in the bottom of the cup and just fill it with water — it drips down slowly and keeps the whole pole hydrated
• The bottle trick: if your pole isn’t wide enough for a cup, use an upside-down bottle with holes drilled in the lid
• Pressure sprayer: a small pump sprayer is the easiest low-tech option
• Water with nutrients: watering the pole with diluted liquid fertiliser can boost aerial root growth. Whether it’s the nutrients or just the extra moisture, I couldn’t honestly tell you — but people swear by it

Can you fill the pole with something other than moss? People have tried coir, LECA, and perlite. It can work but they dry out much faster than moss, so you’d need to spray them down daily. Not really worth it unless you’re very committed.

What about self-watering moss poles? Either they don’t work very well, or they saturate the substrate your plant’s in. I’ll update this if I ever find a good one, but I’m not holding my breath.

Coir pole — best for beginners and easy repotting

Coir poles get a lot of bad press and I don’t think they deserve it. Are they the most exciting option? No. Do they work perfectly fine? Yes.

Pros:

• Cheap and available everywhere — Amazon, garden centres, supermarkets
• No maintenance — you don’t need to keep them wet (they dry out too fast anyway)
• Easy repotting — the aerial roots rarely attach, so you can just pull the pole out and pop it back in

Cons:

• Aerial roots won’t attach unless you have very high humidity or an unusually clingy Monstera
• Can be heavy and fall over if your Monstera doesn’t have a strong root system yet
• Not usually extendable — though extendable versions do exist now
• I think they look fine, but loads of people hate them. That’s a you decision.

Buy them here.

Wooden plank — best for a certain aesthetic

Loads of people swear by wooden planks for Monstera. I use them for my Dubia but find them too heavy for deliciosa — that said, plenty of people have great results with them.

Pros:

• Cheap and easy to source in whatever size you need
• Aerial roots attach pretty easily
• Sustainable
• Fits a certain botanical / natural aesthetic really well

Cons:

• Can rot if you don’t treat the wood
• Not very sturdy — can fall over
• The plank bisects the pot, so you need a bigger pot than you’d expect. You can pack the space behind with LECA, but it can look a bit odd
• Repotting is a pain when roots are attached — you’ll need a knife to slide between the roots and the plank
• Not extendable

Bamboo cane — best for trellis setups and multiple plants

Bamboo canes are not really a moss pole alternative for a single Monstera — you’d need a lot of them to provide adequate support. But for a trellis setup with multiple plants, or for training a Monstera along a wall, they’re brilliant.

Pros:

• Cheap and available everywhere
• Really long — great if you need height
• Can be combined into a trellis
• Easy to remove when repotting

Cons:

• You’ll need several to support a single large Monstera
• Can look messy
• Roots won’t attach — you’ll need garden ties to secure stems
• Quite slick, so things slide around

Buy them here.

Just use the aerial roots — the free option

This is actually my preferred method when it works. It’s free, it’s natural, and a Monstera that’s rooting its own aerial roots into things is a happy Monstera.

Pros:

• Completely free
• The aerial roots form secondary root systems, which means faster and bigger growth
• No maintenance

Cons:

• You have to repot more often because the root system grows faster
• If the aerial roots don’t grow long enough, you simply can’t do it
• Plants can grow lopsided without any guidance

Everything you need to know about aerial roots:

Quick note on jute poles: same pros and cons as coir, but aerial roots are more likely to attach. The downside is that jute can go mouldy — which is why I don’t personally use it, but some people love them.

How to stake a Monstera step by step

For young Monstera (the easy version)

1. Take the plant and soil out of the pot
2. Fill the pot about a quarter of the way with your potting mix
3. Add your pole, making sure it’s centred and stable
4. Add a bit more soil around the base of the pole
5. Add your plant, filling in around the roots
6. That’s it. Over time the aerial roots will face the pole and the leaves will face out. If needed, secure the stem (not the petioles) with greening pins or garden ties.

For mature Monstera (the less easy version)

If you have a large, established Monstera, it gets a bit more involved. A few things that help:

• If you have several plants in one pot, separate them first — it’ll make it much easier to see what you’re working with
• You want the aerial roots facing the pole, not the leaves. The leaves will sort themselves out eventually — the aerial roots are what actually attach
• Put the pole on the inside of the stem if possible. It looks less weird and the aerial roots will find it more easily
• If the stems are bendy, use soft garden ties to gently guide them towards the pole — don’t force it

One thing I’ve learned the hard way: a Monstera that’s been growing freestyle for years is not going to look perfect on a stake immediately. Be patient, do some judicious pruning if needed, and accept that it might take a growing season to tidy up.

Moss pole maintenance tips

Whichever option you go with, a few things apply across the board:

• Stake early: the younger your Monstera when you stake it, the neater it’ll grow. A young plant will adapt its growth direction naturally. An older plant will need more guidance.
• Check the pole is stable: a wobbly pole is worse than no pole. Make sure it’s deep enough in the soil or pot to support the weight of the plant.
• Don’t tie petioles: always tie the stem, not the petiole (leaf stalk). Tying petioles can damage them and create weird growth angles.
• Plan for repotting: if you’re using a moss pole or wooden plank where roots will attach, think ahead about how you’ll manage repotting. It’s not impossible, just worth planning for.

Final verdict

If I had to pick one option for most people, it’s the Kratiste pole. Zero maintenance, aerial roots attach by themselves, sustainable, and reasonably priced. The fact that I have ten of them probably says enough.

If you want the maximum benefit for your plant’s root development and don’t mind the maintenance, go for a proper moss pole. If you just want something cheap that works and makes repotting easy, a coir pole is genuinely fine and anyone who tells you otherwise is a snob.

Got a staking method I haven’t covered? Tell me in the comments. And if you’ve found a self-watering moss pole that actually works, please tell me immediately.

While you’re here:

• The Ultimate Guide to Monstera Deliciosa
• How to Care For Monstera Deliciosa
• How to propagate Monstera Deliciosa