The care tips for pothos Are giving pothos proper growing conditions, bright and indirect light, and well-draining soil.
In this I, we explain all you need to Care for Pothos plants and how to make them grow strong and vigorous at home to the best of their ability.
I promise you at the end of reading this post, you know everything you need to care for Epipremnum aureum (Pothos).
From the climate to watering, from repotting to periodic care to keep the plant in top shape. and get straight to the point.
A Brief Overview Of A Pothos
Pothos is a tropical plant that belongs to the Araceae family. We commonly know pothos as Epipremnum aureum or devil’s ivy,
Pothos plant is common in most homes today due to its resistance and availability; not only is it common but It is very forgiving from mistakes.
It survives in shady rooms, resists drought, and does not require special care.
For these reasons, we tend to neglect and underestimate it because it is a resistant plant, which makes few owners experience the joy of seeing it grow to its majesty.
It is often cultivated as a hanging houseplant. Pothos are sold in various sizes, ranging from little beginning plants to enormous hanging baskets.
They are sometimes sold growing on wood or foam poles in various container sizes.
Aerial roots allow pothos to climb, and big trees may sustain cultivated or wild plants growing outdoors to great heights.
Furthermore, compared to indoor plants, outdoor plants have several times bigger leaves.
Popular variants include “Marble Queen,” which has white variegation than the species, and “Tricolor,” which has green, deep yellow, and creamy white hues.
To learn about the various Pothos plans available, click here.
The plant seldom, if at all, blossoms and is readily reproduced from cuttings.
Suppose you want to know how to care for Pothos. In that case, you will know this plant has nothing to envy other family members, such as Monstera deliciosa or Adansonii.
How To Care For Pothos
If you have been following this site, we always call Pothos one of the easiest houseplants to care for.
Pothos gets better quickly after being stressed and doesn’t get many fungal diseases.
With filtered light, high humidity, and temperatures between 70°F and 90°F, pothos can easily live. But it can live in a number of different places.
It can live in both shade and full sun, but not too much direct sunshine.
Pothos seems to be able to handle the humidity and warmth in its home pretty well.
The two most important things to keep in mind are:
- Luce
- Water
Once these two factors have been calibrated, 90% of the work is done, and success is almost guaranteed.
Thanks to its growth in shoots, pothos can be grown both falling and climbing. Allowing us to place it on a shelf or inside a hanging vase.
As time passes, the plant tends to become very long, and by losing its older leaves, it begins to strip at the base.
You can remedy this inevitable process by potting new cuttings or wrapping bare shoots inside the pot.
Well, after this quick introduction, let’s see in more detail the care tips for the pothos plant or how to take care of pothos. Starting with the most important element, light.
Pothos Light Requirements
When we talk about Pothos light, we mean Where to place the Pothos. Pothos needs abundant, diffused light for almost all day to grow fast and vigorously.
One key point to remember is light when talking about pothos maintenance, whether indoors or out.
A few hours of direct sunlight is acceptable, provided it does not exceed the scorching summer sun, which could potentially induce leaf burns.
Place the pothos near a bright window, possibly facing southeast or southwest, so that it receives diffused light for a good part of the day.
Another care tip for pothos is to add one or two hours of direct sun in the early morning or evening, which the window light provides.
In these ideal conditions, the pothos plant grows to its maximum potential. Fast, full, with short internodes and increasingly larger and more variegated leaves.
FAQ:
What if I don’t have such a bright room? What happens if I place the pothos in the shade?
If you place pothos too far from the window or in a shady corner of the room, the following happens:
- Pothos does not grow or grows very little.
- The plant begins to spin, and the internodes lengthen.
- The leaves remain small.
- The typical variegation of Epipremnum aureum is lost. The leaves turn green again.
Fortunately, life is not black and white; in most cases, we place the pothos in a good place. Not ideal, but not terrible either.
The result is that the plant grows healthy and beautiful but does not reach its maximum splendour.
The Minimum And Maximum Temperatures Ideal For Pothos
Plant temperature is one of the gear tips when discussing caring for pothos.
Pothos adapts very well to apartment life, with temperatures between 18 and 30°C, where the ideal is 20 and 26°C. The minimum temperature is 13–15 °C.
Once temperatures are stable above this threshold, the pothos can be moved outside with excellent benefits. Both from a growth and endurance perspective.
During very hot days (>30 °C), it is necessary to shelter the plant from the direct sun or increase the humidity in the room to prevent the leaves from softening due to excessive water dispersion.
In the cold months, you need to pay attention to cold air currents or drafts that can cause necrosis, i.e., black or brown spots on the leaves.
The more serious the cold, the more intense or prolonged. To learn about the causes of black or brown spots on pothos leaves, click here to read more.
Humidity For Pothos
humidity should be implemented during the case study of care tips for pothos. I love including humidity when discussing how to care for pothos plants.
Although Epipremnum aureum is a plant of tropical origin, it does not require particularly high humidity to grow.
In most cases, a 40–60% rate is more than enough for it to develop without exhibiting symptoms such as dry leaf tips.
However, clarification must be made. If other environmental (light and temperature) and cultural (water and fertilizer) conditions are good, increasing the humidity rate to 70–80% leads to faster and more vigorous growth.
Simply put, Pothos appreciates humid environments but copes well with drier air.
Suppose the ambient humidity drops below 30%. In that case, the tips of the leaves risk drying out and turning brown due to peripheral dehydration. The dry leaves are due to two factors:
- Dry air increases water loss from leaves.
- The plant closes its stomata to counteract dehydration. Which negatively affects the transport of water within the lymphatic channels.
Even if the damage often remains limited, try to do what you can to increase the humidity near the plant.
Spraying water on the leaves, moving them to a more humid room, or using a plant humidifier.
Watering
It is a good practice to feed pothos with water when needed because it is a good way to care for pothos among all the clear tips for pothos plants.
One wonders how often pothos should be watered. Water pothos every seven to ten days in the summer or every two weeks in the winter depending on how dry the soil is.
Pothos should be watered when the soil is completely dry to guarantee a good alternation between water and air (in particular oxygen) between the cavities in the soil.
Depending on how quickly the water is absorbed or evaporates into the air, As well as the size of the plant and the pot in which it grows.
There are two effective methods to understand when to water the pothos:
- Stick your finger 3–4 cm into the soil to feel if it is dry. In this case, no particles will remain stuck to your finger.
- Lifting the plant and watering it when the pot is light. A technique that requires a little more experience and sensitivity.
You must water the pothos well to ensure that the soil is fully soaked with water after the soil has dried.
Allow the excess to drain from the potholes and remove any water remaining in the saucer.
You give the plant a full tank of water and wait for it to dry completely.
By doing this, the roots grow strong thanks to the excellent oxygenation. At the same time, water stagnation problems, which lead to root asphyxia and cause rot, are avoided.
Click here to read The main reason why Pothos has yellow leaves and dies. [link]
Furthermore, always allowing a little water to drain from the holes in the pot provides a light rinse every time you water.
Preventing limescale from tap water from accumulating and causing further problems.
If you are interested to learn more about How to water Pothos, click here.
Soil Type For Pothos
What soil is needed for pothos? Pothos does not need a specific substrate to grow; the classic universal soil is an excellent starting point, which alone can bring good results.
It is better to select good potting soil for your pothos rich in nutrients because the soil is one of the foundations of caring for pothos.
Soil is a base for every plant to stand on and grow; good soil makes plants look healthy and lovely.
Unlike other materials, however, it requires a little more precision in watering because it tends to retain much water at the expense of air.
Peat (the material of which universal soil is made) becomes water-repellent when dry, letting water slide away rather than absorb it.
The main reason is that often when we water, the water slides away along the pot instead of crossing the soil.
To improve the physical characteristics of the universal soil, I recommend a mixture of some materials, such as:
Mixing around 20% perlite to obtain a softer and more airy mix, Which compacts less and becomes waterlogged more easily.
Alternatively, you can purchase a ready-made one containing natural fertilizer for the first 3–6 months after repotting.
Repotting
As repotting is a primary method of pothos maintenance, the issue of when and how to repot pothos still has to be answered.
Repotting pothos is usually necessary every one to two years if the plant has grown significantly or if the soil has compacted and become hard.
It is recommended to carry out transplanting during the active growing season, usually spring and summer, so the plant can immediately benefit from the extra space available.
Keep in mind that Epipremnum aureum (as well as many other Pothos varieties tends to develop better when the roots have filled the soil ball well.
So don’t repot it too early, and never move it into a pot that’s too large.
The ideal time to change the pot is when the roots have almost no room to grow, so removing the plant from the container becomes difficult.
And repot it in a pot 3-5cm larger. Not more.
The procedure for repotting the pothos is very intuitive and consists of:
- Remove the plant from the pot it is in. Squeezing the edges of the pot or tapping them can help remove the root ball more easily.
- Remove excess soil from the roots. There is no need to be particularly precise.
- Add 1-2 cm of expanded clay to the bottom of the pot you plan to use. Expanded clay will aid drainage and keep excess water from collecting in the pot.
- Place a handful of potting soil in the new container.
- Place the Pothos roots in the center of the pot at the height you wish to bury them.
- Fill the empty spaces at the edges of the pot with soil.
- Press the soil’s surface with your hands so the plant settles.
- Water the pothos thoroughly, allowing excess water to drain away freely.
- If the substrate has compacted after watering, top it up with more soil until it reaches the desired level.
For better knowledge on repotting a pothos plant, click here and read how to do it yourself.
Fertilization
Fertilizer is a fantastic option if you want to feed your pothos plant, since it is a good habit to take care of pothos.
A fertilizer intended for green plants is used to fertilize Epipremnum aureum.
Fertilized when the plant is in active growth, the shoots lengthen and develop new leaves.
Although this usually coincides with the summer, pothos should not always and only be fertilized during spring and summer.
If pothos are placed near a bright window, they will likely continue growing throughout the fall and winter. It must, therefore, also be fertilized during this period.
On the contrary, growth could stop if the pothos do not receive enough light.
And fertilizing it doesn’t make any sense because it wouldn’t be able to use the nourishment we gave it.
Long story short, fertilize your pothos when you see it creating new leaves.
Use a complete, high-nitrogen fertilizer. Whether in liquid, granular, or slow-release.
You can find more information on fertilizers for pothos and the right dosage when you click here.
Pruning
The pothos shoots can be cut to contain the length of the plant or promote the formation of denser and thicker foliage.
The pruned stems can be rooted inside the pot to thicken the mother plant.
The apex of the stems (or shoots) is called the apical meristem. It contains hormones called auxins that promote the vertical growth of the plant.
Pruning, in nature, pushes it to develop upwards in search of more light.
The pothos grow longer if the tip remains intact without creating branches from the underlying nodes. Whose gems remain dormant?
When the stem is cut, the loss of the apical meristem leads the auxins to redistribute in the underlying nodes, reactivating the dormant buds and promoting the formation of one or more
new stems.
That is, what essentially happens is that new restarts will arise from the nodes remaining on the plant.
Usually, 1 or 2 from each shoot will give the plant a thicker and more compact appearance over time.
It is advisable to occasionally prune the tips of the stem to make the pothos grow in length.
Pothos Propagation
How do you reproduce Pothos? Pothos reproduces almost exclusively by cutting.
Cut portions of the shoot along the internodes and root them individually in water or soil.
For propagation to occur successfully, it is essential that each cutting has at least one node from which future leaves will grow.
In addition, it is advisable to have at least one leaf so that the future plant can carry out photosynthesis immediately.
The rooting process usually takes place in water or soil. However, countless different substrates, such as perlite, sphagnum moss, coir, and even synthetic materials, can be used.
In this post, you can find the process of propagating pothos by cuttings click here to read.
Once the pothos cutting has rooted, it officially becomes a real plant, with all the organs necessary to grow independently.
At this point, if the cutting is in the soil, you can start treating it like an adult plant. If it is found in water, you can transfer it to soil or continue to grow pothos in water.
You can also find out how to grow pothos in water. Click here if interested.
Parasites To Pothos
Among the parasites that can infest Pothos, there are a series of insects common to many houseplants, such as:
- Aphids
- Cochineal
- tripidi
- Red spider mites (mites)
- whitefly
These insects are called phytophagous because they feed on the sap contained within the cells of the plant thanks to their sucking apparatus.
In addition to causing aesthetic damage, they reduce the epipremnum’s ability to carry out photosynthesis and severely weaken its immune system.
The bites inflicted by these parasites can introduce bacteria and viruses into the plant tissues, further worsening the situation.
An early infestation can be treated using general products such as polysect or oil-based products such as neem or white mineral oil.
If the problem is already widespread, specific products for each parasite must be used.
In the table below, you will find more information about it.
| Prevention | Specific care | |
| Aphids | neem oil / white mineral oil | Closer |
| Cochineal | white mineral oil or potassium soft soap | Closer |
| Tripidi | neem oil / white mineral oil | Spinosad or Pyrethrum |
| Mites or red spiders | neem oil / white mineral oil | acaricide |
| White fly | neem oil / white mineral oil | Closer |
Care Tips For Pothos Illnesses
Although Pothos is an extremely resistant plant to diseases of various kinds, it is still possible to suffer from fungal or bacterial infections throughout its life. Typical of humid places with poor air circulation.
These illnesses wreak visible havoc on the leaves and can gravely harm the plant’s health or even kill it.
In particular, we find Pythium and Phythophtora, two pathogenic fungi that affect the root system in water stagnation.
It also causes the roots to rot, preventing the pothos from absorbing the water and nutrients they need.
It is imperative to isolate specimens contaminated with pathogenic fungi very far away to stop the infection from spreading to other plants.
After that, a systemic fungicide treatment is necessary for them.
Other diseases that exclusively affect the leaves are easier to contain and treat than root rot by removing diseased leaves and keeping the air surrounding the plant moving.
While fungal diseases spread rapidly in cold environments, bacterial diseases prefer higher temperatures.
Bacteria and fungi must be taken seriously because they can spread quickly and infect other plants within a few days.
Common Problems
Epipremnum aureum is an extremely easy-to-care-for plant and one of the most resistant and “problem-free” found. However, problems can be encountered when growing it.
Among the most common problems in Pothos, we find:
- Yellow leaves (often due to too much water). Click here to read more. [link]
- Root rot (also due to prolonged water stagnation)
- Brown, dry, or black leaves. Click here to read more.
- Slow or no growth: Click here to read more.
- Grows too long and empty (often a symptom of poor light).
- Lumpy leaves (a symptom of dehydration, often little water or root problem). Click here to read more. [link]
Fortunately, except for Pothos recovers quickly from stress root rot once the problem has been resolved.
I have already discussed those common problems on this website, so use the useful link I provided to read more.
Conclusions
Care tips for pothos require little care to grow and thrive. You are already halfway there if you are lucky enough to have a well-exposed and bright window.
At that point, simply water when the soil is dry, fertilize during the active growth phase and repot the plant every 1 or 2 years.
As time passes, the Epipremnum will grow long, even too long, inevitably leading it to empty at the base and lose its full and compact appearance.
But with the right pruning techniques, it will be possible to shorten the foliage and use the cut parts to thicken it.
Read how to propagate spider plants.
