The first time I tried to train my Monstera deliciosa to climb, it was a disaster. I basically just shoved a bamboo stake into the pot and hoped for the best. The poor thing looked like it was trying to escape rather than climb. But after a few years of trial and error (and yes, some creative problem-solving), I’ve figured out what actually works.
Training a Monstera to climb isn’t just about aesthetics, though that’s a nice bonus. In their natural habitat in Central American rainforests, these plants are hemiepiphytes—they start life on the forest floor and then climb up trees to reach the canopy light. According to research from the Missouri Botanical Garden, Monsteras can grow up to 70 feet in the wild when they have proper support structures. Our indoor versions might not hit those heights, but giving them something to climb triggers their natural growth patterns and leads to those gorgeous, fenestrated leaves we all want.
So here are the tips that actually worked for me, minus the Instagram-perfect presentation.
1. Start with the Right Support Structure
Here’s where most people mess up right from the start—they grab whatever’s cheap at the garden center without thinking about what their Monstera actually needs.
Moss poles are the gold standard, and there’s a reason for that. In nature, Monsteras send out aerial roots that grip onto tree bark and absorb moisture and nutrients. A moss pole mimics this. I use coir poles (coconut fiber) because they hold moisture better than sphagnum moss poles in my dry apartment, but honestly, either works.
The key thing? Make sure it’s sturdy. I learned this the hard way when my first moss pole started leaning like the Tower of Pisa about six months in. Now I use poles that are at least 2 feet tall for younger plants, and I stake them deep into the pot—at least 4-6 inches down. For my larger Monstera, I actually have a 4-foot pole, and I’m already planning the extension because she’s growing like crazy.
Some people swear by wooden planks or trellises, and those can work, but you lose that moisture element that encourages the aerial roots to actually attach. If you go the wood route, you’ll need to be more hands-on with training.
2. Install Your Support BEFORE Your Plant Gets Massive
This is one of those “do as I say, not as I did” moments. I waited until my Monstera had like eight huge leaves going in every direction before I tried to add a pole, and let me tell you, trying to maneuver those massive leaves around a new structure without snapping any stems was genuinely stressful.
Install your support when the plant is younger and more manageable. If you’re starting with a small Monstera, put the pole in right away. The plant will naturally grow toward and around it, and you won’t have to do nearly as much corrective training later.
When you’re installing it, position the pole slightly off-center toward the back of the pot. This gives you visual space in the front and makes it easier to encourage the plant to grow upward and outward in an appealing way.
3. Keep That Pole Moist
This tip changed everything for me, and I don’t see enough people talking about it.
Those aerial roots your Monstera produces? They’re not just for show. In the wild, they help the plant absorb moisture and nutrients as it climbs. If your moss or coir pole is dry as a bone, the plant has no incentive to actually attach to it. The roots will just dangle there uselessly, and your Monstera will keep flopping around like it’s not even there.
I keep a spray bottle near my plant and mist the pole every couple of days. During summer when my plant is actively growing, I sometimes mist it daily. Some people go even further and actually water the pole from the top, letting moisture trickle down.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Botany, hemiepiphytic plants like Monsteras can absorb up to 20% of their water needs through aerial roots when conditions are humid enough. That’s not nothing. Keeping your pole moist encourages those roots to dig in, which means better attachment and, ultimately, bigger leaves.
4. Use Soft Ties
In the beginning, your Monstera isn’t going to magically know what to do. You need to guide it, which means gently tying stems to your support structure.
The operative word here is *gentle*. I use soft plant velcro ties or even strips of old t-shirts. Anything that won’t cut into the stem as the plant grows. Wire ties or tight string? Bad idea. I’ve seen too many Monsteras with scarred stems from ties that were left too tight for too long.
Here’s my method: I loosely tie each stem to the pole in one or two spots, leaving enough room for the stem to expand as it grows. I make a point to check these ties every month or so and loosen or reposition them as needed. Once the aerial roots have properly attached to the pole, I remove the ties entirely from that section.
Position your ties just below a node (where the leaf stem meets the main stem) for the most support without putting pressure on the actual growing points.
5. Train Early Growth Toward the Pole
When new leaves emerge, they’re going to unfurl in whatever direction they feel like. If you want your Monstera to actually grow up the pole instead of off to the side, you need to gently encourage new growth in the right direction.
I do this by carefully repositioning new stems when they’re still flexible—usually within a week or two of a new leaf opening. I’ll gently bend the stem toward the pole and secure it with a loose tie. The younger the growth, the easier it is to train without risking damage.
One thing I’ve noticed: Monsteras have a tendency to grow toward light, which makes sense. If your pole is on the side of the plant away from your light source, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. I rotate my plant a quarter turn every week or so to encourage even growth, but I make sure the side with the pole gets some time facing the light too. This helps the plant see the pole as a desirable direction to grow.
6. Don’t Be Afraid to Prune
This one’s tough for a lot of people because we get attached to every single leaf. But strategic pruning can actually make a huge difference in training your Monstera to climb properly.
If you have stems that are growing stubbornly horizontal or in weird directions that just won’t cooperate, pruning them back encourages the plant to put energy into the growth you *do* want—the vertical stuff. Plus, you can propagate those cuttings and start new plants, so nothing goes to waste.
I’m not saying go crazy with the pruning shears. But once or twice a year, I’ll assess my plant and remove any growth that’s really fighting the upward training or making the plant look unbalanced. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, pruning Monsteras in spring or early summer—during active growth periods—results in the quickest recovery and new growth.
The cut should be made just above a node with clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears. Messy cuts can invite disease.
7. Encourage Aerial Root Attachment
Getting those aerial roots to actually grab onto the pole is the difference between a Monstera that’s just tied to a support and one that’s truly climbing. And there are tricks to encourage this.
First, moisture—I mentioned this already, but it bears repeating. Moist poles are attractive to aerial roots.
Second, you can actually guide the aerial roots toward the pole. When I see a new aerial root developing, I’ll gently position it against the moss or coir and sometimes tuck it slightly into the material. Don’t force it or you’ll snap the root, but a gentle guide goes a long way.
Third, some people (including me, after reading about it on a houseplant forum) will actually make small slits or holes in their moss poles and tuck the aerial roots into these pockets. It sounds fussy, but it works. The root gets held in place, stays in contact with moisture, and eventually starts growing into the pole structure.
Once you’ve got several aerial roots firmly attached, your Monstera basically becomes self-supporting at that section. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch.
8. Consider Extending Your Pole as Your Plant Grows
Unless you bought a ridiculously tall pole from the start (and let’s be real, most of us didn’t), you’re probably going to need to extend it at some point.
My Monstera outgrew her first pole in about a year and a half. I could have left it and let the top growth flop over, but that defeats the whole purpose of training it to climb. Instead, I added an extension.
You can buy pole extensions specifically designed to stack, or you can DIY it. I went the DIY route and basically attached a second pole to the first using sturdy wire wrapped around both. It’s not the prettiest solution, but once the leaves filled in, you couldn’t see the connection point anyway.
The trick is to install the extension *before* your plant reaches the top of the current pole. If you wait until your Monstera is already flopping over the top, you’re back to wrestling with large, unwieldy growth. I try to add extensions when there’s still about 6 inches of pole left.
9. Give It the Right Conditions to Want to Grow Upward
Training alone isn’t enough if your Monstera isn’t healthy and actively growing. You need to give it the conditions that make it want to put out new growth.
Bright, indirect light is non-negotiable. In my experience, Monsteras in lower light situations tend to grow more slowly and produce smaller, less fenestrated leaves. They also seem less motivated to climb. I keep mine about 6 feet from an east-facing window, where it gets nice morning light but no harsh afternoon sun.
Water consistently but don’t overdo it. I wait until the top 2 inches of soil are dry before watering thoroughly. Overwatered Monsteras with root rot aren’t going to be training enthusiastically, trust me.
Humidity helps too, especially for aerial root development. I don’t run a humidifier specifically for my Monstera, but I do keep her in a room that tends to be more humid (the bathroom would be ideal if I had space, but I don’t). If you’re in a really dry climate, a humidifier might be worth it. Data from the University of Florida suggests that Monsteras thrive in humidity levels between 60-80%, though they’ll tolerate lower levels.
10. Be Patient
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: there’s going to be an awkward phase. Maybe several awkward phases.
When you first start training, your Monstera is going to look a bit weird. There will be ties visible, stems going in slightly wrong directions, maybe some leaves you wish were positioned differently. That’s all normal.
My Monstera looked genuinely awkward for probably the first six months of training. The bottom growth was mature and bushy, while the top growth was just starting to reach up the pole and looked sparse by comparison. It wasn’t Instagram-worthy, that’s for sure.
But plants grow, and if you’re consistent with the training, things start to come together. New leaves fill in the gaps. Aerial roots attach and start pulling the plant tighter to the support. The overall shape begins to look intentional rather than chaotic.
I’ve been training mine for about three years now, and she’s finally at that point where she looks like she actually knows what she’s doing. The new growth automatically reaches for the pole, aerial roots attach without my intervention, and the whole thing just looks… right.
It took time, though. And repeated adjustments. And probably more fussing than the plant actually needed, if I’m being honest.
But that’s the deal with Monsteras—they’re worth it. When you see those huge, split leaves unfurling up a moss pole instead of flopping on the floor, it feels like a real accomplishment. Like you and your plant figured something out together.
So yeah, training a Monstera to climb takes some work and definitely some patience. But it’s completely doable, even if you’ve never done it before. Start with a solid support structure, keep that thing moist, guide your plant gently but consistently, and give it time to figure things out.
And if your first attempt looks a little rough? Join the club. Mine definitely did. But that’s part of the process, and honestly, it makes the eventual success that much better.