how to insert it correctly » Online Plant Sale

The guardian, defined by certain sources as the «devil’s stake», can be the love and hate of every plant lover.

Very useful for our sarmentose friends who can’t wait to have a solid base to use for climbing, it can become a problem for us who instead have to make sure we put it in the best wayso that it does not damage the plant nor does it come off at the first breath of air.

Not to mention when the brace doesn’t just need to be inserted, but actually replaced, which involves having to remove the old one, in short, real torture!

But don’t worry, today I’m talking to you about this.

So make yourself comfortable, tighten your brace tightly and may the force be with you!

Musk guardian, what is it for?

First of all, let’s try to understand when we need the help of a musky guardian. Usually it becomes useful when we are dealing with a plant with a climbing habitthose that in nature develop by climbing onto larger plants, wrapping themselves around trunks and pushing upwards to seek better lighting. The brace therefore serves to give them a foothold that reflects the characteristics found in nature in our domestic environment.

An example of a plant that benefits greatly from this support is our beloved Monstera (both adansonii, minima and deliciosa), which once grown tends to fall on itself if not fixed to a support.

It is not mandatory to use the brace, as in the case of Photos which are often used hanging, it is only an aesthetic question, depending on everyone’s taste.

Fasten the brace to the plants

There are several practices that allow you to correctly insert a mossy guardian inside a vase, the ones we use most often are:

• Plastic stars (equipped with loops through which it is possible to pass the shoots of the plant);
• soft iron wire.

On our site it is possible to find different sizes of moss brace, there is always a lower end made of plastic material which will then be inserted into the ground. The rest of the brace is instead covered with coconut fiber or sphagnum peat held together with plastic thread.

How to choose the new musky guardian?

Before we can proceed with replacing the old brace or in any case inserting it from scratch, we must first understand which size is right for us.

Of course there is no universal answer, very much so It depends on your plant and how much you want it to grow. In fact, if your goal is to make it grow and develop, it is a good idea to choose a longer stake, so as not to have to replace it soon and, at the same time, offer the plant valid support for its development. In this case, don’t worry if the upper part of the brace seems a little bare when the work is finished, it’s normal. As the plant grows, it will position itself correctly in order to give a harmonious appearance in all places!

Otherwise, just choose a size that allows you to support the dimensions it has reached and then keep the plant pruned so that it remains stable.

Replacing an old brace

Very well, our beloved plant has grown and the old guardian has now become useless. What to do? Of course replace it!

It may seem like a complex practice, but armed with patience and delicacy you will see that this will not be the case.

So let’s see the steps to follow to make sure you proceed in the most correct way possible:

1. we identify the side where the plant is less vegetated so that we can remove the brace more easily;
2. remove the attachment systems of the plant to the support;
3. support the plant gradually, so that it does not fall excessively when it is released from its support;
4. once the plant is totally freed from the support extract it delicately,
5. take the longest shoots and fix them from bottom to top on the new stake.
   To be able to carry out this operation I use soft iron wire, folded to form a U which will create some forks which will then be inserted into the organic part, preferably obliquely, of the brace. You can help by giving the fork a little tip when cutting. It is not necessary to go too deep, the plant will not put too much pressure on the pins.
6. while you are arranging the shoots you can help yourself by already positioning some forks in order to create fixed points, helping us to support the plant. The ideal way to support these heavier branches is to block them just before a node, where the structure is thickened.
7. Then proceed by arranging the other shoots, taking care to cover the most bare parts, in order to give a homogeneous appearance;
8. give the plant something to drink;
9. administer fertilizer or phytostimulant.

It’s possible trim the upper part of the plantthe one that has fewer leaves, in this way the creation of new vegetation will be encouraged at the same time as not limiting the upward growth of the plant.

Replacement of a brace

In this case your little plant has grown, becoming a thriving adult. So lush that the leaves have become heavy and push down, making us understand that it is necessary to give it additional support.

What to do then?

1. We prepare the plant by eliminating the dry matter and cleaning it from any residues of old leaves;
2. let’s try to understand if it is appropriate to proceed with repotting, in this way we will be able to carry out the two operations at the same time;
3. insert the brace into the earth, if you have just repotted the plant try to place it in a clod of old earth, so that it can fit in optimally;
4. locate a main branch and begin attaching it to the brace. Being a load-bearing branch, it will tend to carry the whole plant with it, immediately giving it a more composed appearance;
5. then proceed with the rest of the shoots;
6. give the plant something to drink;
7. administer fertilizer or phytostimulant.

That’s it! Now your plant is set up. If at the beginning you encounter some problems in doing this operation, don’t worry, you just need to get used to it a little, but you won’t risk killing the plant even if you haven’t arranged it as best as possible because our green friend will be able to find a way to make itself comfortable.

The important thing is to give her the right setting to make her understand where she needs to go!

Sphagnum moss guardian

Sometimes building a sphagnum support pole yourself is a bit complicated, you need to find materials and, as we have seen in this video, you also need a good amount of manual skill.

To try to make things simpler, together with a guy who uses 3D printing, I designed a brace pole that could be more practical to use even for those who prefer to have a ready-to-use product.

Use and characteristics of the 3D printed brace pole

To test this new stake, as you can see in the video, I chose my Monstera adansonii “Mint”, I brought it to my office from the greenhouse a few weeks ago and it started to suffer a bit from the change in light, causing problems on the last leaves. However, the plants must always be given some time to recalibrate to the new conditions, so I recommend always tolerating this type of behavior.

While we’re at it, let’s use a self-watering pot, I already told you about it in this article and if there is still someone who doesn’t know these super pots, what are you waiting for? 👀

The 3D modular pole is essentially made up of 3 parts:

1. base: it is the part that should be buried, it serves to give more stability but it is not mandatory to use it;
2. modules: the 3D pole is made up of 3 modular sections that allow the height of the pole to be adjusted depending on the size of the pot. The sections must be filled with sphagnum moss and, if more height is needed, it is always possible to purchase additional modules when the plant rises;
3. upper funnel: allows us to hydrate the sphagnum easily.

Is it necessary to use a sphagnum support pole?

Let’s start by saying that no, it is not essential to use a sphagnum support pole to make tropical sarmentosas such as Monstere, Philodendron, Pothos, etc. climb, even if there is a great debate on the matter.

The old coconut fiber pole is still fine, even in the video you can see my Monstera dubia climbing on a simple wooden plank, so nothing forces us to resort to sophisticated systems, but, of course, there are pros in relying on slightly more elaborate systems.

When it is possible to choose, we usually prefer to give our plants some more comfort. By using a sphagnum support pole, the aerial roots are able to free themselves in a more hydrated medium and having conditions more similar to those that nature offers them in their native places.

I am also happy to tell you that I have finally found the sphagnum moss I was looking for, Chilean, it costs a little but it is the best that the market offers to professionals, in fact it is the product that growers use 😉