Wondering why you’re pothos growing so slowly or why your Pothos aren’t growing? The main reasons Are poor light, underwatering, poor soil, and nutrient deficiencies.
If you properly care for pothos, they can grow very quickly, with long shoots and leaves that gradually become larger and more variegated.
But what happens if the growth of your pothos stops? Or why doesn’t the pothos grow at all? This is a very big problem, causing despair for us.
Well, in this piece, I have chosen the 5 main reasons why pothos are slow in growth, and they can be fixed within a few months and grow faster and stronger again.
5 Reasons Why pothos growing so slowly
Lack of light is the major cause of pothos’ inability to develop. It is mistreated as though it were a shade plant.
This false myth pushes us to place it in dimly lit places, which limits the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and grow.
However, the factor that limits the growth of pothos is not always light. Sometimes, the light is ideal, or at least sufficient, but the plant still struggles to grow.
In this case, it is necessary to investigate other elements, both cultural and environmental.
Like how often you fertilize or water your land. The room’s temperature or the vase’s dimensions.
Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these elements to learn more about them and identify the “bottleneck” that is preventing our pothos from growing as quickly.
Little Light Makes Pothos Grow Slowly.
Pothos needs plenty of direct light to grow. It’s true that it resists (or survives) even in the shade or positioned far from a window, but this will drastically slow down its metabolism and consequently also its development.
I’m not just talking about speed but also about quality.
If pothos does not receive enough light, in addition to growing little, it will create the following:
- Long, spaced internodes
- Small leaves
- Leaves are entirely green rather than variegated.
Overall, the plant will have an empty and poor appearance.
The lack of light can be due to the incorrect positioning of the plant or the season.
For instance, pothos may grow rather well in the spring or summer, but in the winter, it may slow down to almost nothing.
The fact that there isn’t much sunshine during this time of year makes it a quite typical situation.
Too Large Or Too Small A Pot
The size of a pot or a planter influences the growth of plants, including pothos. This indicates how plants perform and receive nutrition.
The size of the pot has a big impact on the growth of pothos. In fact, this plant develops best when the roots have colonized the pot.
If the container is very large, it retains too much water, preventing air from circulating inside it.
When the pot is too small, however, the roots remain trapped inside it and are no longer able to develop.
In this instance, the pothos not only don’t grow, but the older leaves may also drop and turn yellow.
repot the pothos every 1-2 years in a pot 2-3 cm bigger than the previous one. To obtain the proper balance.
Since I made mention of repotting the pothos plant into another pot, it will be best if you have more information on how to repot it by yourself, so click here now to learn how to do it if you are interested.
Summary: It is better to know how to pick a pot or a planter and to know what to consider when buying one for yourself.
But that is a story for another day. To learn more about choosing a planter for your plant, click here.
Too Much Or Too Little Water Makes Pothos Not Grow.
Watering the pothos too often without ever letting the soil dry leads to root asphyxiation, which slows down growth and increases the risk of root rot.
The spaces between the soil particles remain constantly saturated with water, preventing oxygen from circulating within them.
Roots need oxygen to grow and carry out their metabolic processes. If this is lacking (or absent), they are unable to operate, and so the plant slowly stops growing; the leaves turn yellow, become brown, and then fall.
For more information on why Pothos leaves Brown, click here.
At the same time, water stagnation stimulates the spread of harmful fungi, which can cause the roots to rot.
And, as you could expect, a pothos without roots does not grow. Unless they are cuttings, then that’s another story.
The opposite situation can also interrupt the development of the plant.
If the pothos is not watered and the soil remains dry for too long, it has no way to absorb and transport water. Without water, photosynthesis cannot occur.
The right way to water abundantly is when the soil is completely dry but before the pothos leaves become limp.
For more information on why Pothos leaves become limp, click here [link].
In order to guarantee the right dry/wet cycle and allow the plant to absorb both water and oxygen,.
Lack Of Nutrition Or Fertilizer Shortage
When the pothos is well-lit and watered correctly, its metabolism begins to run at maximum levels.
Growth is rapid and abundant until it consumes all the nutrients contained within the soil.
At this point, the factor that limits growth is the lack of nutritional elements.
As often happens when growing pothos in water. But the same is true on Earth.
To learn how to grow pothos in water, click here for more information.
It is a question of consumption and the quantity of salts available. If the plant grows too early or too late, you will inevitably need to fertilize.
By using a fertilizer suitable for pothos, it will start growing again.
For more information on how to administer fertilizer to your pothos plant and the best fertilizer needed, click here.
Temperature Too Low
Pothos plants may have limited development. The development of pothos slows down significantly when the room temperature is low, such as 13–15 °C.
Temperature is a factor that governs the metabolism of the plant, regulating both photosynthesis and transpiration, respiration, and other metabolic activities.
The further it falls below the optimal threshold, the lower the growth rate. Furthermore, below 13 °C, the pothos risks suffering damage from the cold, which gives rise to visible necrosis on the leaves.
Keep the temperature above 18°C to exclude this factor from the list.
How To Make Pothos Grow Faster
Pothos is a plant capable of growing a lot and quickly as long as it is guaranteed the right environmental and cultural conditions.
First of all, we find light, which can be seen as the fuel for plant growth.
If you have a pothos that isn’t growing fast, 9 times out of 10 it may be your plant is in a shaded place.
Slow growth continues even though the plant is watered and fertilized properly Move it to a brighter place to see it grow faster. Without light, all other factors become less relevant.
Once you have filled up with light, the plant’s metabolism begins to move quickly. It begins to require more water, nutrients, humidity, and temperature to grow.
Below are the things you need to do to make pothos grow faster.
[1] Place the pothos in a bright place with bright but diffused light.
Full sun is also allowed for a few hours a day, as long as it is not the hot and intense sun of spring or summer afternoons.
2] Fertilize the plant when it is in vegetative growth so that the substances it needs are always present in the soil. The ideal is a fertilizer for green plants.
[3] Let the soil dry between waterings; this way, the roots have time to absorb the oxygen they need before being watered again.
[4] Use a slightly narrow pot.
Pothos grows much faster when it has colonized the entire patch of land.
[5] Keep the pothos at a temperature of 20–26 °C to stimulate and keep the plant’s metabolism “buzzing.”.
In this temperature range, there is maximum growth without the shoots starting to spin.
[6] Bring the environmental humidity to around 60–80%.
Pothos resists well even at much lower humidity levels, but if you want to make it grow a lot and quickly, make sure that the surrounding air is always full of water.
Plants can benefit from misting their leaves often in the morning or early afternoon, or you can use a humidifier.
Once the ideal cultivation conditions have been recreated, if you want to get the most out of your Epipremnum, you can have it climb a trunk or a mossy pole.
This technique aims to recreate its natural shape and leads to increasingly larger and more majestic leaves.
To know how to use a moss pole I have written an article on how to use a moss pole. Click here to read it.
Obviously, the choice between growing climbing or cascading pothos also depends on the space you have available and the corner of the house you want to furnish.
But promoting vertical growth is absolutely the best way to allow it to express its qualities best and obtain large variegated leaves.
Initially, it is necessary to secure the shoots with cable ties or soft wire. Still, over time, the plant will cling to the support on its thanks to its aerial roots.
Conclusion
Now you know why pothos are not growing. It is important to avoid keeping your pothos plant in a shaded area.
Provide good potting soil, fertilize constantly if needed, and avoid causing your plants to suffer from dehydration due to a lack of water.
Remember, excess fertiliser is also harmful to your pothos plan, and too much large or small pot can also affect the rate of its growth.
If you are interested in propagating a pothos plant, click here. [Link]
