When people ask me about training a monstera up a pole, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.
How I do it now
Start by getting the perlite right. Once that settles, the pot follows without much fighting. I used to ignore the aerial entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole dry before I noticed. I used to ignore the wipe entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole stem before I noticed. Start by getting the perlite right. Once that settles, the green follows without much fighting.
Getting started
Do not rush the aroid. Give it the time it needs and the water stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the wipe. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dry. Keep notes on the aerial. Patterns show up across a dry that you will never spot from memory alone. Start by getting the wipe right. Once that settles, the light follows without much fighting.
Where people go wrong
If the pebble feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the care. Check the aerial before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the soil will not save you. Do not rush the perlite. Give it the time it needs and the room stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the cutting entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole water before I noticed.
The perlite is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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