Summary: If you want your monstera to grow upward, you will need to provide it with a moss pole for it to climb. The moss pole will act as support for the plant, and the monstera’s aerial roots will attach to the pole and help guide it upward.

How to train a monstera to climb?

There are several ways to train a Monstera plant to climb a vertical surface. You can teach it to use its rootstalks to anchor itself while pulling itself up using its aerial roots, or you can tie it to a rope and let it swing from a height while you teach it how to climb. The following are some very useful tips on how to train your Monstera plant to climb.

Lay Bare the Roots

While tying your Monstera plant to a rope to allow it to climb is a popular method, it is not the most effective way to train it. To do so, you have to remove all the foliage from the stem of the plant, exposing the large, fleshy roots that radiate from the center like snakes. When this happens, you will see that the roots are capable of holding both small and large objects, thus giving you a better chance of keeping your prize possessions safe from climbing vines.

This process, called layering, will give you a better understanding of how roots function. You are essentially removing about an inch of the top soil around each root, exposing the white, fleshy portions of the roots. When you do this, you will see that roots will often branch out, increasing the surface area for your plant to anchor itself upon. Branches that are thicker than the remaining portion of the root will be taken into consideration when your plant is climbing, as they will provide more anchorage for your growing vine.

Tie It With String

If you are using natural materials to tie your Monstera plant to a rope, you should use thin, durable material such as cotton or hemp. Thicker materials, such as synthetic mesh, will break down over time, becoming less effective at anchoring your plant.

Even though nylon rope is the most popular material to use for climbing plants, you should avoid using it for securing your Monstera as it could become weak over time.

Hang It by the Rope

The simplest and most effective way of training your Monstera to climb is to simply hang it by the rope it is connected to. You should do this from a tall structure or another vine that is high enough to give you an advantage in suspending your plant. Hanging the plant in this manner will cause it to naturally seek out the nearest surface to climb upon, be it a wall or pole.

This is the most basic form of training, and it takes advantage of the fact that vines like to climb. You will notice that nearly all climbing plants will try to access the nearest vertical surface for support, whether it is a wall, fence, or tree.

Climb Upon the Wall

When you are training your Monstera plant to climb a wall, you will need to ensure that it is securely anchored so that it does not slip off during the process. The easiest way to do this is to use bricks or stones as anchor points along the wall. If you are using bricks as anchor points, you should line them up in the shape of a square pyramid or rectangle to provide your plant with more stability while trying to scale the wall.

Planting the pots containing your Monstera against a wall will also help it to develop a better climbing habit. When you do this, you will notice that your plant will quickly begin to weave its way between the pots and the wall, seeking handholds where it can grab on to ensure its safety as it climbs.

Teach It to Climb by Using Ropes

To provide your Monstera with more stability while training it to climb, you can tie several ropes to the vine and allow it to climb upon one rope while the other ropes serve as support. You should also secure the ends of the ropes to something strong, such as a tree or a building, so that the vine does not come down during the process.

Climbing upon ropes is also a great way to train your Monstera to climb faster, as it will force it to continually search for new handholds as it ascends. You can also use this technique to simulate real-life conditions and see how your plant fares in those situations where there are no convenient walls or other vertical structures available for it to climb upon.

When you are using ropes to teach your Monstera to climb, you should be sure to secure at least two of them to something sturdy, leaving enough slack to accommodate the vine’s growth as it matures. Hanging the second rope from the ceiling will provide your plant with a challenge that will help it to improve its climbing skills.

Use Netting To Encase the Roots

If you are using mesh netting to secure your Monstera plant to a pole or other surface, you should use thin, flexible materials that will not hinder your plant’s movement. Natural fabrics such as jute, sisal, or hemp will all be suitable for this purpose. To prevent your plant from escaping, you should make sure that the mesh netting is large enough to fit around the base of the plant without any gaps.

You should also cover the soil within the pot in which you are growing your vegetable plant with mesh netting, as this will help retain moisture as well as provide some privacy from nearby traffic.