How to secure tall moss poles: Moss pole stability

Tall moss poles are fantastic for supporting lush, fast-growing climbers, but as they get taller, they can quickly become unstable. Stability is not just about keeping your plant upright: it’s also about protecting delicate aerial roots and stems from stress and breakage (And protecting your home from swaying moss poles!).

Here are some moss pole stability tips to prevent tips:

Why moss poles tip over

Sphagnum moss, the most commonly used substrate in moss poles, has the amazing quality of being able to hold many times it's own weight in water: this means that your moss pole can cycle between being very light weight and dry, to weighing buckets! Added to the inherent weight of the moss pole, you will of course have the weight of the plant, ever increasing in one or more directions.

 Here are the top culprits for leaning moss poles:

1. Wet moss adds weight: A pole may feel light when dry, but after watering, it can become significantly heavier.
2. Top-heavy plants: As vines grow upward and outward, the plant’s centre of gravity shifts, increasing tipping risks.
3. Long petioles: Monstera Deliciosa as an example will have huge heavy leaves at the end of long petioles, which can cause serious imbalance to the whole structure.
4. Loose and lightweight planters: If your pot is too light or too wide for your plant, it won’t anchor the pole securely enough.

The risks of unsupported poles

These might seem obvious, and unnecessary to go through, but there are some hidden effects of leaving your moss pole unsupported that are well worth preventing. Aside from the obvious damage to pole and plant, you also have the risk of damage to the surroundings, to pets and children, and to fragile home décor and the like.

There is also the concern of longevity: plastic moss poles are designed to hold a lot of weight, but usually only in the direction of gravity (down). A forward or side leaning pole will place a lot of bending stress near the base of the pole, which will eventually snap the plastic, as it is not designed to bend that way.

Moss pole stability fixes

There are a few different ways to secure your moss pole as it grows, depending on the location and environment. Here are some stability tips, applying one or more of these will help ensure there are no accidents:

• Best and most effective method of support, a wall mounted bracket: prevent leaning, tipping, and any unnecessary bending stress to the pole by simply strapping it to a nearby surface.

• Support rod: Place a rigid rod, such as those for growing tomatoes on a trellis, inside the pot and attach the moss pole with zip ties. 
• Bamboo reinforcement: as above, use bamboo stakes zip-tied to the moss pole for extra rigidity.
• Heavy planter: A snug, weighty planter prevents wobbling and tipping. If in doubt, size up your pot before adding a tall pole.
• Pot attachment: Secure the moss pole directly to the nursery pot base with zip ties. This keeps everything in place in the early stages of planting, before the root ball has grown around the anchor to lock it into place.

• We have moss pole anchor planters which do help with stability, as the built in connection will ensure the pole is kept perfectly perpendicular, but the poles will still need extra support if the plants grow very tall.

Safe moss pole attachment

How to build your moss poles in the first place so that they are as stable as possible? Here is the process I go through to ensure that my moss pole plant is future-proofed against all eventual growth:

1. Consider the location: if my plant is of a larger variety, with the potential to reach unstable heights, I make sure it will eventually be near a wall or other supporting surface.
   
2. Fix the base of the moss pole to the nursery pot, as seen above. This can be done with zip ties, though a properly buried anchor type base may be sufficient. 
3. Strap the stem firmly to the pole. Training the stem to grow up the pole may be difficult at first, if you have a thick stemmed cutting, but it is well worth the effort as any future growth will then be properly set up to climb close to the pole, keeping the centre of gravity narrow. NOTE: Only strap the stem, leaving petioles free so that the plant can move its leaves to follow the light source.
   
4. Don’t be stingy with ties: securing the plant in multiple places spreads out the weight and prevents strain. I use a soft plant tape that doesn't damage the stem, and which can be easily removed and reused (some kind of velcro).
   
5. Add a bracket before it becomes necessary. I have a ferocious jungle cat, who loves jumping around through the leaves, and more than one of my unsupported poles has come down thanks to her antics.
6. A little push of the pole can help you identify if it is time for external support. Your precious plant should not be treated like a house of cards, where a stiff breeze can overcome a delicate balance.
7. Remember, your moss pole is practically a tree replacement, make it just as sturdy!

👉 Pro Tip: Always plan for the “wet weight” of your moss pole. If it feels stable when dry but wobbly after watering, reinforce immediately.