You may have seen our coir poles from time to time and wondered what they were for. To boil it down, a coir pole is designed to support your indoor climbing and vining house plants.
They look similar to moss poles with the exception of being thinner and more flexible. But the question is, does your plant really need a coir pole? If so, what kind of coir pole does it need? And what’s the difference between a coir pole and a moss pole?
There are different types of coir that can be used including coco coir and manilla coir. Sometimes a coir pole can be called a coir stick, coir totum or a plant support.
Today we are going to discuss the details of coir poles and their purpose in our climbing and vining houseplants.
Let’s get started!
What is a coir pole?
Mossify coir poles are designed to support your plants natural growing patterns. They bend and curve like vines would in your tropical plant’s natural growing environment.
Most coir poles support your plant and allow it to climb vertically. Mossify coir poles are designed to bend to the plant, not the other way around. This allows for tonnes of creativity in the re-potting process.
They also provide a super creative backdrop for your plant shelf. Have fun with your coir pole and get creative! The best part is bending the pole into fun shapes like hearts, spirals and zig zags!
Photo Credit: @plantsbytanner
Is Coir sustainable?
Mossify poles are made of steel that is both durable and safe for your plants, then wrapped in sustainably farmed manilla coir rope.
Here at Mossify, we use sustainably sourced manilla coir for our bendable coir poles and encourage you to source yours sustainably as well. Our environment is very important to us and we take pride in knowing that we source with sustainability at our forefront.
Our coir is completely natural with no added chemicals or dyes so you can be sure that your plant is in good hands! No need to worry about anything “extra”, we keep it simple here.
What is manilla coir?
Manilla is derived from a type of banana tree from the Philippines called an abacá. Its fibers are durable, flexible and resistant to water damage. It makes a great support for your climbing and vining plants and gives them a supportive medium for aerial roots to wrap around.
What is the difference between a coir pole and moss pole?
Unlike the coir poles, moss poles are thicker and filled with sphagnum moss. They are best for larger plants with aerial roots that dig in. The moss poles do bend but are not nearly as flexible as coir poles.
The flexibility in the coir poles allow for more creative expression. However, plants with aerial roots will have a difficult time digging into the coir pole. This is because the manilla rope is tightly wrapped around the steel pole to ensure maximum durability.
This makes room for lots of creative freedom, but don’t worry about those aerial roots! Even though they don’t dig into the coir pole, they do wrap around the pole and grow amazing with their sustainable plant support!
Photo Credit: @Urban_hungle
Will my plant enjoy a coir pole?
Depends what kind of plant you’re thinking of!
Plants that climb, vine and thrive enjoy supportive poles! The best plants for coir poles include ones like the Heartleaf philodendron, various Pothos, English ivy and Hoyas. This list goes on!
Any climbing plant that would normally thrive in the jungle will love a coir pole. So, think about your plants' growing patterns. Does your plant naturally grow in vine environments? If yes, it will certainly thank you for its new climbing buddy!
If you are thinking about a Monstera or Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, a moss pole might be a better choice. These plants can dig their aerial roots into the moss and collect stored nutrients that could help contribute to larger leaves and stronger development.
The choice is yours, you know your plants best!
In summary
Besides the support coir poles provide your indoor tropical houseplants, the creativity is limitless.
You can bend the poles in whatever way you would like and can change the design to fit your space and style.
We would love to see what you create with your new coir pole and if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us on instagram @shop_mossify !
Talk soon and have fun creating! :)
Mary @ Mossify
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