How To Make Pothos Climb? (3 Best Methods)
Pothos plants are climbing vines, but they don’t climb naturally when indoors. Read this article to learn how to make pothos climb indoors.
Pothos is one of the easiest plants to care for that is widely used as an indoor or outdoor plant in the world. They are considered to be climbing vines.
These plants won’t climb on their own. But, you can train them to climb inside or outside the home.
So, you may ask, how to make pothos climb, or how to train pothos to climb? Well, that’s what this article is for.
I will be covering everything you need to know before trying to make your pothos climb. The topics include,
- How to make pothos climb?
- When to start training your pothos to climb?
- Materials needed to train pothos to climb
- How to train pothos to climb? (Step By Step)
- How to make a moss pole?
- Lot’s more.
There’s a lot to cover. So, without any more fluff, let’s get started.
How to make Pothos Climb?
The Pothos Plants won’t climb on their own. You must attach them to an anchoring system such as a moss pole or a bamboo cane. They naturally grow towards the direction of light. Usually, they climb towards the bright light above the plant.
As a beginner, you might not know when to start training your plant. Don’t worry. We are here to tell you all about how to make pothos climb.
When to start training your Pothos to Climb?
Choose long-haired Pothos plants because they are easier to train to climb. It’ll take almost a year or two if you start cutting in water, so wait until it grows appropriately.
Check your plant if it has enough growth to wrap around any anchoring system. This is the right time to train them.
Make sure your plant stems are strong enough to bear the weight of more giant leaves. Start training them to climb then.
Another thing you’ve to check is when they are growing new leaves at the end of vines is also the right time to start training.
Materials that help Pothos to climb
As a parent of plants, it’s glorious to see stacking up your plant and allowing them to climb.
If you want to make your plant climb, you need two things—one to use as a stake, and the other to wrap the plant on a stake.
Generally, people use four materials for climbing their Pothos plants.
- Moss pole
- Trellis
- Bamboo pole
- Metal pole
These materials help your python to climb. When Pothos reach the top of Moss pole, trellis, or bamboo cane, now you’ll decide what you have to do with the extra growth.
The materials mentioned above are readily available on Amazon, Etsy, etc. If you don’t find them online, you can buy them from the nearest garden.
Let’s discuss in detail material that helps pothos to climb.
1. Moss pole
Moss pole support stimulates Pothos to climb. The pole is a vertically standing object with moss or a natural cocoa fiber coating.
Moss poles are the best way to motivate plants like Pothos to climb and grow in the right direction.
The purpose of these poles is to provide an anchoring system so the plant can cling to them.
Moreover, Moss poles help imitate the natural environment of Pothos and provide micronutrients and water through aerial roots.
You can make a Moss pole at home, which we will discuss at the end of this article. But if you don’t have to make it, you can buy one.
You need to buy gardening tubes or velcro strips with a moss pole and climbing plant. Your plant should touch the moss pole.
Velcro strips help your plant to “bind” your plant to moss poles in a pleasant way.
2. Trellis
Trellis is another material that helps Pothos plants to latch on. The summer season is the right time your plant needs trellis when it is sagging.
Trellis gives your plant a support system during the winter months they need. It helps plants to grow upward.
They are native to tropical forests, where some plants try to climb to get enough light to survive.
So when we keep them inside the home, they need vertical support like a trellis to wrap around to survive like their natural habitats.
Now it’s come to choosing the suitable trellis for your plant. These are made of different materials, and you have to decide which one you like.
But we suggest buying a trellis with long prongs and bottom support to sink in the soil appropriately would help.
The next step is introducing your plant to the trellis. Start with the potted plant and place the lattice into the pot.
3. Bamboo pole
A bamboo pole is an alternative to a Moss pole. Bamboo is naturally pest-resistant. Generally, it is used as a Moss pole alternative.
Bamboo poles provide support to your pothos plant to keep them vertical.
When using a bamboo pole, you need to be more careful while potting it into the soil.
Because it can pierce your plant roots beneath the soil. When you use a bamboo pole.
It would help if you watered your play more often. Because the moss pole can stay wet for a long time, but a bamboo pole cannot.
Don’t forget to water your plant more frequently to give it a moist environment.
4. Metal pole
Metal poles are another material that people use to make a pothos climb. It’s a long steel pipe used to support your plant so it can stay vertical.
People claim to use a metal pole for 50 years, so it means this pole is very long-lasting.
You need to be careful while using any chemical in the water because it may damage your metal pole.
It easily endures the pressure of plant vines. Some people may find it overpriced.
How to train Pothos to Climb?
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) plants are native to tropical regions. They can climb naturally but not indoors because it is against their natural habitat.
But you can efficiently train them to climb indoors. Before training, you should have an idea about how they grow in the wild so you can create adequate environmental conditions.
Keep in mind that Pothos do not climb whenever you want them to. They only climb when they need to.
Like if you place them on a table or the top of your kitchen cupboard, there is no need for their vines to climb.
For training, they need light above them and an anchoring system for support.
Now let’s discuss the steps by step how to train Pothos to climb:
1. Pole Training
As a beginner, the pole training technique is a good fit for you. A pole supports your pothos plant, so when they grow taller, they don’t lean.
It would be best if you had a pole that should be 10 feet long and 1 inch in diameter.
The next step is to peel off leaves from the vine’s stem, and gently roll a knot around the pole.
Now anchor the pole into the soil. Use a gardening wire and wrap your plant to the pole. It would help if you tie only a few points on the stem.
Flexible stems loosely twist all around the pole as it develops, protecting stems with a cord or strain.
After wrapping up, leave the plant. It will climb on its own. If your plant growth is vital, make sure to use a taller pole than the plant.
They don’t need any training when you provide a pole to your Pothos. Their aerial roots climb when they have the opportunity.
2. Hoop Training
Hoop provides support for your pothos plants to grow. With the help of aerial roots located at the leaf nodes of the vine stem, Pothos will attach to a hoop. It is called directional growth.
It will help if you use more than one hoop because your plant will grow. We suggest you choose a grid trellis with an open weave.
An open weave allows sunlight and ventilation to reach out to the plant. If you choose an open framework, you can use any material so the limited sunlight can reach the plant.
Now, observe the aerial roots while attaching your Pothos to the framework formed at a leaf node.
Training your Pothos on the framework or hook is similar to training on the pole.
3. Indoor Wall Training
Many gardening lovers want to train Pothos indoors and want them to latch on a wall.
If you want to train your pothos plant to climb a wall, you need to provide a support system to your Pothos.
It’s better to start when it is still young or wait until the stems are thickened and branches out.
The things you need for indoor training are hooks, nails, a wire or twine, or any solid framework.
Now, you have to tie the pothos vine around the framework you’ve chosen. Attach your chosen anchoring system to the plant and watch its growth.
After wrapping up it’s time to select your preferred pattern on the wall. Here you can try your creativity.
After finding a perfect spot, place the nails or hooks linking them with the length of the rope.
It is better to start with the longest one and gradually move down. Tie your pothos vining all around the thread.
Use plenty of threads because the plants keep on thriving. It’s time to train your pothos stem around the string.
How to make a pothos moss pole?
As an indoor plant lover, sometimes you need to buy additional accessories to provide them with a good environment.
The Moss pole is one of those accessories you need for your Pothos plant. The moss pole is available online, but you find it overpriced or not like it.
Don’t worry. We have a solution for you. You can make a high-quality homemade moss pole that’ll be cheaper.
Let’s discuss how to make a pothos moss pole.
Step 1: Collection of necessary material
The material you require to make your moss pole is 70 to 80 cm wire mesh, A wire cutter, Rubber gloves, A big pot, soil, and a Climbing plant.
A sheet of coconut fiber, A zip tie, PVC pipe, A pole of suitable length, Warm water Scissors, and a fishing line to tie.
A container in case you use a sheet or sphagnum moss and a stake of PVC pipe or wooden dowel to support your moss pole.
The height and thickness of stacking material will be different for different plants. Smaller plants like succulents, ZZ plants, or African violet will need short stakes.
Larger plants will require taller stakes. Keep in mind that some moss poles will be inside the soil to hold it firmly.
Step 2: Cut the mesh
The second step will be cutting the mesh. You can obtain a 9 to 12cm diameter pole from an 18 to 24cm wide sheet. Use scissors or pruners for this purpose.
It should be coated with PVC to make it more durable. Wearing gloves is necessary to protect your hands if you are cutting a sharp sheet.
Now bend it into a cylinder. You can choose the size according to your requirement. But keep in mind that it is difficult to have a cylinder with a small diameter.
Step 3: Soak the moss
It takes just one or two minutes. The amount of moss that you soak depends upon the size of the required moss pole.
Rinse your moss until it is ready to use. You can soak more if you run out of soaked moss while working.
Use a plastic tray, bucket, or sink for this purpose. Take warm water, swish the moss and leave it until you are working on the next step. Make sure that moss gets thoroughly wet.
Step 4: Tie the moss with a pole
Take sphagnum moss out of the box and squeeze excess water out of it. Tie it to the wooden dowel or PVC pipe with the help of a fish line.
It will act as the primary support to secure moss into place. Now tie the fishing line with the double knot and cut any extra piece off.
Now your homemade moss pole is ready. Put a small rooted plant of your choice into it. Obtain a pot, put a plant along with a moss pole into it, and fill the pot with soil.
Ensure that the soil holds the plant and moss pole firmly in place.
How To Make Pothos Climb? Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Let me answer some of the most commonly asked questions on the internet related to the topic of how to make pothos climb so that you don’t have to search it somewhere else.
Do pothos like to hang or climb?
In nature pothos plants tend to climb and not hang. But, in indoor conditions, it’s up to the plant owner’s choice whether to hang or make it climb. In both cases, the pothos plant will stay healthy and look amazing.
If you prefer your pothos to hang, then the best way is to put them in a hanging basket on the balcony. On the other hand, if you like them to climb, then you have to train your pothos to climb using some support systems like moss or bamboo poles.
How long does it take for pothos to climb?
For your pothos plant to climb, it needs enough length. Also, the root systems must be well defined to bear the pressure from the long vines. Generally, if you are growing a cutting, it will take at least 2 years to have enough growth so that the plant can start climbing.
Why is my pothos not climbing?
If your pothos plant is not climbing, there is a high chance that you are either not providing the support it needs or the plant is not feeling a need to climb. For the support problem, try to add a moss or bamboo pole.
If your pothos plant is not feeling the need for climbing, then you have to add a grow light right above the plant so that it will start growing towards the light.
Wrapping Up
So, now you know how to make pothos climb right? It’s not necessary for your pothos to climb, but it looks good when it does.
In this article we have discussed everything related to training a pothos to climb including all the materials needed, and step by step training guide.
