Growing climbing plants on planks rather than poles (faster mature leaves, less runners)

Join me as I share my experience of growing more and more climbing houseplants and aroids specifically up planks (I use Cork planks thanks to a suggestion from Sarah at Eastern tropicals)

Since growing my climbing plants on planks I have seen faster growth and my plants shoeing more mature leaves faster.

This kinda makes sense as it emulates how these aroids grow in nature.

In this example I show the principle of my amydrium medium blue and an added benefit is I have seen no runners using this method. Even on plants like the amydrium medium which tends to want to run.

This method I also found to be much less time consuming as you kinda set it and forget it, unlike miss poles where many times you need to remember to spray down the moss pole.

I also discuss pros and cons of growing this way so you can decide if you want to try it

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[BaileyBlurbs]

I’ve just picked up some cedar planks from Lowe’s about 10 to cover the wall. I’ve used cork before in my greenhouse but the roots tend to grow through the holes, making it harder to remove. This is an awesome video with incredible knowledge

[idlando]

Great and inspiring video!

Novice at this myself, but currently going for this approach:

1) using pine planks, where i treat them with linseed oil (the part that goes into soil)

2) when the plant is reaching closer to the top, I'll screw on a thin sheet of plywood. Beneath the plywood, I'll do an air layering.
3) when ready, I snip beneath the air layering, unscrew the plywood and reattach to a new plank. The plant should then in theory continue climbing and maturing (equivalent to chop & extend for moss poles)

Remains to see if it works..

[edisongu]

Cork board... this is probably the most brilliant thing I've heard! I literally have a few spare ones next to me and was looking for cedar board for climbing plants ... now this not only makes more sense, plus I could just imagine how easy it is to set up and potentially extend in the future. Great video, fantastic idea!!

[anitajones]

I never thought of Cork as an alternative to wood. Gives me an idea of what to do with all the saved corks I have from bottles of wine ;-) a nice DIY project.

[steffd]

Soooo, I ordered a set of cork planks/boards - 15" length/height (after I watched this video last week), I will be cutting them up in 3's, since it's quite wide. I like the idea of this, thanks for sharing. I'm just looking forward to not having to deal with the mess of the spaghnum moss, for one, and hopefully, bigger leaves, as a bonus. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[bpapso]

Wow! Your plank idea is fantastic! Thank you!

[BrendaRWyatt]

Just found your channel . Watched 3 videos, so far. Subscribed 😍 I love the way you make everything so easy to understand . Louisiana USA

[theproppist]

Hey Memo, wonderful video once again, you inspired me to finally give the plank thing a try with some of my climbers.

One suggestion for future videos - could you insert some b-roll of the plants you’re referring to when you point off-screen/off camera? Would make for a great interlude with a close-up of the larger plants you’re discussing but that aren’t normally shown while you speak over it!

Thank you for these useful and informative videos, and happy holidays! 🎄

[Congiary]

You're very knowledgeable, handsome, and your setting is gorgeous. I've been looking for a solution for ages, knowing cedar would be too hard for my plant's aerial roots and I won't be able to maintain moss. This is absolutely perfect for me and I'm excited to give it a go.

[BPlantyPNW]

How do you add height to the cork plank?

[DionneRoxanne]

I have been trying to find more videos using cork after seeing Plant Life in the Tropics with Caitlin Louise who used it in her plant room. Thank you for doing this video and showing your plant adapt to the cork.

[stephanielapointelap]

Very very interresting Memo ! Thx for sharing, . I'll sure try that 🌿

[fullmoon_]

Thanks for another amazing video 🌿🌿 Thinking of trying this for my plants, moss poles are definitely too much effort for me!! Does anyone have any ideas on how to make a taller one? how would you fix/tie them together?

[julianpoh]

Cork board. That’s a fantastic alternative. This got my imagination churning !

[plantylittlewoman]

Hi Memo. Nice video, still I got some questions since I try to grow philodendren up natural drift wood branches I stick straight into the soil within the pot. Haven't been able to share any experiences yet since most plants are fairly juvenille still. But it seems to me like it's essentially the same idea. Aerial roots are supposed to stick to natural wood instead of growing into moss. Now, about my questions: If moss poles aren't kept moist all the time, aerial roots do still grow into the moss. Wouldn't it be the same thing for your cork plank? I got the idea that you wont spray them down with water (as you wouldn't with moss poles) but you will let it just be as it is. I assume the wet part of your plank seems to me is just from soaking up the moisture from the substrate. Plants that feel that they can support themselves with their aerial roots sticking onto anything can afford to grow larger leaves. Does it matter what those aerials stick to, moss or wood, wet or dry? I've seen pictures of Scindapsus on the internet, climbing up walls, which I am pretty sure are not frequently moistured by their owners, or philodendron scandens runnig up the wall next to peoples' windows indoors. So I've been assuming that once the plant gets the hang of it, it wouldn matter for it if the surface was wood, wall or moss, even if it was moist or dry, as long as it was a flat surface...
I'm sorry, it's not so much asking rather than sharing my thoughts. So maby I should specify: My question was if you will wet your plank as the plant grows? You said in your video that moss poles need to be kept moist (05:00), but soon after that you explain that aerial roots do not need to be kept moist all the time (05:10)... I guess that is where my confusion comes from :D Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. I hope I'll soon see some rhaphidophora hayii roots sticking on my drift wood branch, so it confirms my assumtions :D Regards from planty_little_woman =)

[HelloJungleRoom]

Completely agree with the melano! Mine has even been actually attached and climbing a pole I have filled with dirty spagh and it’s just stayed the same size. Maybe I should try a plank 🤔

[kristinbing]

I did a search but couldn't find the answer.... how do you extend the plank? For instance I have a runner that I acquired and I want to get it climbing. However, it's a TINY plant and obviously I can't put it in a huge pot with a plank just yet. But at the same time, I don't want to have to worry about pulling the plant off of the plank when the plant starts to grow.

[keeleycheney]

I love the cork tile idea instead of the plank of wood, im always worried it'll fall over and rip my plant out the pot, much lighter too 👌

[hollybeck]

I've just started experimenting with this as well but stapling coco coir to the front of the wood. Might try some bare wood though. My problem is I feel like I need to WAY oversize the wood because I dont want to replace it anytime soon. And then i feel like less and less i can use plastic pots because I need the weight of a ceramic pot. But it's fun to experiment!

[toddbigeasy]

what if I need to make it taller? How do you do that? thanks! I have a monstera adonsonii I want to train up a plank.