Should I swap moss poles for plant stakes?

Somewhere along the way, moss poles became mandatory for any climbing plant. In reality, most are plastic tubes wrapped in fibres that shed, go bald and drop bits all over the soil. The "living totem" promise is rarely fulfilled, especially if you aren’t misting it daily.

Swap the fake tree trunk for a proper plant stake. A simple metal or recycled plastic stake gives your climber something solid to lean on without pretending to be bark. New sculptural stakes, such as the wavy pieces from Secateur Me Baby, can transform a floppy vine into a line of green wrapped around a piece of design.

Choose a stake taller than the current plant to allow room for growth. Push it into the soil close to the main stem, taking care not to stab the roots. Weave the vines through the curves and, as new growth appears, keep guiding it along the stake’s shape. I replaced a patchy moss pole on a Monstera adansonii with a bold blue stake.

moss poles, plant stakes, climbing plants, plastic tubes, metal stake, recycled plastic, sculptural stakes, wavy stakes, monstera adansonii, misting