The marble queen pothos is one of the most popular houseplants due to its ease of care lush green and white variegated leaves and vining growth habit. Typically grown in hanging baskets, the marble queen pothos has the potential to become an even more stunning showpiece plant when supported on a moss pole.
A moss pole provides the perfect structure for encouraging vigorous climbing growth in a pothos. By mimicking the natural supports these plants climb in their native jungle habitats, a moss pole can promote larger, cascading leaves and fuller plants. With the right setup and care, your marble queen pothos will transform into a gorgeous trailing display.
Why Use a Moss Pole for Pothos?
There are several key benefits to using a moss pole with a vining pothos variety like the marble queen
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Provides necessary support structure for healthy climbing growth.
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Allows larger, more dramatic split leaves to form.
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Gives aerial roots a place to cling and embed as the plant matures.
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Lets the plant climb upwards to get light exposure from the top down.
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Creates an attractive full plant with cascading foliage.
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Fun DIY project using sphagnum moss sheets.
When allowed to freely scale upwards, marble queen pothos can achieve much larger sizes and lengths compared to typical hanging basket plants. Training one to climb a moss pole shows off the beauty and potential of this easy-care houseplant.
How to Attach Your Pothos to a Moss Pole
Starting the climbing process with your marble queen pothos is simple:
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Obtain a moss pole at least 2 feet taller than the plant’s current height.
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Place the pole centered in the pot behind or amidst the trailing vines.
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Gently wrap the longest vines spiraling up the pole, securing with plant clips, velcro, or twist ties.
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Repeat with remaining vines, leaving only the shortest dangling.
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Mist the moss pole regularly to keep moist and encourage aerial root embedment.
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As the plant grows, continually train new vines back onto the pole.
Don’t worry about covering every inch of the pole right away – new growth will quickly fill it in. The key is anchoring those main vines upwards to get started.
Making Your Own Custom Moss Pole
Want to DIY your own moss pole? It’s easy with these steps:
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Gather a 1-2 inch diameter PVC pipe or wooden stake, at least 2 feet tall.
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Get sphagnum moss sheets or coconut coir liners.
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Use gardening twine and all-purpose glue.
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Apply a thick glue layer along the pole.
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Press moss sheets onto the glue, wrapping upwards in a spiral.
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Further secure the moss with twine as you overlap sheets.
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Soak the finished moss pole before inserting into the soil.
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Let your pothos vines start climbing!
Custom poles allow you to achieve the perfect thickness and height for your plant.
Caring for Your Moss Pole Grown Pothos
Aside from misting the moss pole itself, marble queen pothos needs:
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Bright, indirect light to encourage growth. Rotate occasionally.
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Watering only when the top few inches of soil become dry.
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Periodic leaf dusting to remove dust buildup.
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Balanced liquid fertilizer every 2-3 months during active growth.
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Pruning of any dead or yellowing leaves to maintain health.
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Monitoring for pests like spider mites that may hide against the pole.
Give your climbing pothos the same attentive care as your hanging plants, and its growth will take off.
Maximizing Fullness and Growth Over Time
To maximize the fullness and length of your mature moss pole pothos:
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Gently rotate the plant so all sides get proper light exposure.
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Wrap and train vines as high up the moss pole as possible.
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Use U-shaped hooks to redirect straying vines back upwards.
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Mist the moss 1-2 times per week to keep moist and encourage aerial root embedment.
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Rotate the moss pole in the pot every 6 months to prevent circular growth.
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Prune vines once they reach the top to promote bushy new growth.
With attentive training and care, your pothos will soon overflow its moss pole in a gorgeous green and white curtain.
Troubleshooting Sparse Growth or Yellowing Leaves
If your moss pole pothos develops sparse or stunted growth, or yellowing leaves, try these fixes:
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Reposition away from harsh light or hot drafts.
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Use distilled or filtered water to prevent mineral buildup.
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Flush the soil monthly by heavily watering to leach out salts.
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Increase humidity around the plant by misting, using a pebble tray, or grouping with other plants.
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Apply complete balanced fertilizer to encourage new growth.
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Check for root issues and repot in fresh soil if needed.
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Prune off heavily affected yellow leaves to improve appearance.
With a few care tweaks, your pothos should resume pushing out lush new vines and leaves.
Allowing your marble queen pothos to climb a moss pole enables this gorgeous houseplant to display its trailing variegated foliage to its full potential. Before long, you’ll have a stunning showpiece plant that becomes the focal point of any room.
The vigorous vertical growth and prominent display of leaves makes a moss pole grown pothos an addicting and rewarding houseplant project. Set yours up for success and enjoy watching your marble queen thrive on its climb upwards!
Moss poles vs trellis
It does work, to some extent, to grow a pothos on a trellis. However, the primary benefit of the moss pole is that it gives climbing plants something to dig their roots into. A moss pole is, of course, also similar to the bark and moss it would encounter in nature.
With moss poles, you can also mist your plants regularly to maintain a moisture level similar to what it would encounter in its natural habitat. A trellis simply dries off shortly after being misted.
The benefit of using moss poles for pothos
Moss poles are becoming popular in gardening communities for all the right reasons. They make great DIY projects, a variety of plants enjoy using them, they’re often attractive and good conversation starters.
The logic behind using moss poles comes from how plants that benefit from them grow naturally outdoors, specifically via aerial roots. Those strange little nubs that stretch out from a plant’s vines serve an important purpose. When growing in natural environments, these roots help vining plants scale trees to reach the light at the top of dense canopies.
Pothos’ aerial roots both anchor and increase potential for health and growth, and the plant’s leaves increase in size as it grows upward and matures.
Aerial roots also act as natural aerators for plants growing in waterlogged areas.
Sharing all my Secrets! Golden Pothos Moss Pole Tutorial Start to Finish!
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