Are moss poles beginner friendly?

They can be, but it depends on the design of the moss pole, the plants you are growing, and how much effort you want to put into plant care!

In our minds, moss poles are great for plant beginners, and we have designed ours to be easy to use and put together. Moss poles give you quicker grow results and help you feel good about your plant journey.

We support everyone "having a go" with moss poles, and have delved into this topic to reassure you about your choice, but also help you make a balanced decision on what is best for you and your plants.

Reasons why moss poles are great for beginners

1. They help encourage rapid growth in your plants. Because they mimic the wet and humid natural environments that many plants thrive in, moss poles can help your plants put out bigger and better leaves. This means that as a beginner, you can get great results from your plants with less effort.
2. They are easy to use. Even though you can build your own using wire, there are also loads of easy-to-use models on the market that are extendable and simply snap together. (Plug - like the ones we designed that are perfect for beginners and plant pros alike).
3. They help you take care of your plants. Moss poles are great for certain plants and will help you feel more accomplished. The satisfaction and excitement of finding new leaves and new roots cannot be understated!
4. They can also help you create a certain aesthetic and are great for anyone who is into propagation (growing plants from plant cuttings).
5. They are part of the joy of being a plant parent. Part of being a new plant parent is learning about plant care, buying cute plant pots, and generally getting into all things plants. For some people, moss poles are part of that exciting journey.
6. Lots of easy indoor and apartment plants love moss poles. Monsteras, philos - all these plants that are often sold to beginner plant parents are suited to moss poles.

Our snap-together Barbara moss trellis parts pictured.

Reasons why you might hesitate about getting a moss pole 

1. Do moss poles really hydrate your plant? The answer is yes, but also, moss poles can dry out fast in the hot months. You will need to commit to regularly watering and checking in on your moss pole to get the full benefit from it (but that is the same as regular plant care to be honest). And though moss poles are often touted as "self-watering" because they hold moisture well and have a watering stick (and we designed an extra drip cap for ours to help with hydration), you will need to hydrate them on the regular!
2. Cost. Once you start buying moss poles, especially good ones, the prices can ramp up, but making your own isn't necessarily cheap either! Unless you have left-over wire from a gardening project or other materials lying about, you will probably find getting the moss pole as a kit is actually more cost-efficient.
3. Smell. Moss poles are filled with wet moss (unless you are going for a dry coco coir one, which has less growth benefits), and sometimes they can emit a mossy smell. Personally, we find it very faint and it doesn't bother us, but some mosses and environments can be more pungent. One to think about if you are very smell sensitive!
4. Environment. Moss procurement is a hot topic amongst plant enthusiasts. Make sure you are buying the moss you use to fill your moss pole from reputable suppliers.