It doesn't matter where you are growing....on the porch, in the pool cage, in the house, or in a greenhouse like me....if you have a plant that wants or needs to climb to reach its full potential, totem construction is a basic skill you want to learn.
I grow a lot of climbing plants, mainly aroids, but also Hoyas, vines and other things that have a vining habit. They just don't make totems big enough for the long term growth of a lot of plants anymore. Those little bitty 2 ft totems won't cut it for me. So I learned how to make really big ones that suit my personal needs, and can be adapted to work anywhere, even in a house.
The first thing you need are the proper supplies. I use 3-4 inch diameter PVC pipe a lot. I like the kind with the holes already drilled, but the solid pipe works well too. This is a 10 ft long 4" diameter pipe
The next thing you need is covering, something that will allow the plant's roots to grip the totem and hold on. Some people like to use burlap for this purpose. I like to use coir fiber mat. I buy it by the roll, 36 ft x 3 ft, its a lot more economical that way and easier to work with. It can easily be cut to size with ordinary scissors. It is also easy to repair/replace portions that start to deteriorate. I usually underlay the mat with a layer of landscape fabric.
Then you need something to hold it on. I like to use 14gauge aluminum wire, and zip ties
First I cover the pole with landscape fabric
Then I cut to fit the coir mat and put it over the first layer in stages
until the entire length is wrapped. If you want additional wrapping, this is the time to use your indestructible cording or monofilament line to do diamond wrapping. Don;t use jute twine...it will rot very very quickly.
This is where you can get creative. If you are going to have a kind of freestanding totem, you can only cover it to where you leave maybe the last 3 feet bare, and bury that in a large planter, fill in with soil, then ballast the pipe with sand or river rock. Then plant your plants in the planter and attach them to the totem.
If you are not going to have to be totally freestanding, but have it against a wall under a skylight or out in the pool cage, you can attach the top to something to anchor it.
I usually either put mine directly against the wall in the greenhouse, or make them freestanding and anchor the tops to the steel struts and crossbars in the attic.
This totem, I anchored on the ground against the trunks of 2 dead Pemba Palms. I was already using these as totems for climbers, but, eventually they will deteriorate. So I lashed the artificial totem to these, and also anchored it to the roof struts so that it is stable. For this purpose, I use a PVC 'T' piece that I make of old pipes I have laying around.
I place the totem where it will stay and getting up on the ladder, place the long end of the T into the top of the hollow pipe, and then secure the T piece to the ceiling struts with 14 ga wire
Its secure at top and bottom, it cannot fall down.
Now its ready to go!
One totem this size can accommodate several different plants. This one will be hosting an Anthurium decipiens, which is small now at about 3 feet tall but will eventually have leaves as big as a person is tall
a Painted Lady Philodendron
A Philodendron mayoi
And a Philodendron squamiferum
But this would also make a great totem for an Epipremnum pinnate like Jade and Pearls, Marble Queen, Neon, NJoy, etc to let it climb, get big leaves and eventually split
