Hey everyone! I'm on the hunt for the best types of moss poles to use with my philodendron and pothos plants. I see a ton of options when I look online, and I'm a bit lost as to which ones are worth it. I'd love to hear what models you all prefer. Also, if you have any favorite brands of plant food that have worked well for you, please share your thoughts!
2 Answers
I prefer using 40" coated wire mesh rolled into a cylinder and filled with sphagnum moss. I’ve found that the plastic ones can be pretty flimsy. With my homemade ones, I can even lift the whole pot by the pole, which makes moving plants much easier!
A few things to consider:
- Be cautious with the coconut coir poles you find online; they are more for support than for root growth because they fail to hold moisture long enough for plants to actually grab on.
- Instead, try using a plastic holder filled with sphagnum moss. Sphagnum is awesome because it can retain up to 200 times its weight in water! Just be aware that it can sometimes have fungus gnat eggs in it. My tip? Soak the moss with some mosquito bits or dunks for a day before setting it up. They’re safe and do a good job of handling any pests.
The coconut coir poles are exactly what I was dubious of! They seemed too good to be true. Thank you for this, you've settled my debate of which style to get.
These definitely look the best too, IMO. Harder to keep moist than the plastic D-shaped ones. But much more stable and attractive. Plus adding height and taking apart is easier than the plastic ones.