Pothos (aka Devil’s Ivy) is one of the most popular houseplants, due to its durability, and easy care. They are quite a healthy and beautiful addition to your living space, with their long cascading vines, make a fabulous table or hanging plant.
These plants have a range of nicknames throughout the world, which includes hunter’s robe, golden pothos, money plant, ivy arum, Solomon Islands ivy, silver vine, and taro vine.
Pothos plants are natural air purifiers and are efficient in removing harmful chemicals and toxins from the air and cleaning them.
The pothos plant care is quite easy thus making it a popular choice for beginners and established green thumbs alike. A Pothos plant can also be trained to grow on a pole or trellis.
How does the Pothos look like?
Indoors, the pothos plant usually confines itself to about 6 to 10 feet. Its leaves are heart-shaped, bright green, and waxy. Taking care of a Pothos plant indoors and outdoors is basic and easy
Different Varieties of Pothos Plant
- “Marble Queen” has exceptionally attractive white-and-green variegated leaves. It needs more light than most pothos.
- “Neon” is a bright chartreuse variety, great for darker spaces.
- “Pearls and Jade” is a white-and-green variegated form with small dots of green.
- “Silver Satin” has thick gray-green leaves with silver splotches. It is very tolerant of drought and low-light conditions.
- Golden Pothos
- Hawaiian Pothos
Pothos Plant Care: Guide and Procedure
1. Choosing the Pothos Plant Efficiently
To take good care of your money plant, you should start by buying a healthy pothos plant from the nursery for your indoor/outdoor garden.
You may plan to pick a pothos for your interior or exterior decor, but buying an already dying plant will be of no use as not much care will improve its conditions.
When buying a pothos plant from a nursery do check out;
A Healthy Pothos Plant must have;
- Broad, firm, green leaves (No leaves with white or yellow patches which may be signs of disease)
- A deep and firm root base.
- Firm but not rigid green stems.
- No mold anywhere, including the soil.
2. Select a Suitable Pot or Container
You may choose to keep the planter in which the plant came in. However, if you chose to change the container, then you should look for these points.
When purchasing a new pot, you should take a large container if you have a big plant and a small one if you have a small plant.
The Pothos plant has deep roots thus you should consider a pot that will have a sufficient deep base. Consider its size, weight, material, and breakability (will children be near it?), and so forth.
When your money plant will go bigger you have to repot it in a larger container. Make sure your container is durable and has drainage holes which will drain the excess water.
Pothos plants do best in clay or terracotta pots. However, you can also go for plastic, ceramic or self-watering planters as they will look far better than traditional pots and also give you the leverage of watering by itself.
3. How Much Light does Pothos need?
Place the Planter in the Correct Location
Your Pothos plant can thrive well in mostly all light conditions. But it thrives best in low light, but grows well in medium and higher light areas too!
The variegation will be more pronounced in higher light. They do not do well in total darkness or direct sunlight since the sun will burn the foliage.
Also, you must keep in mind that the place is well ventilated, airy, with a fair amount of light if kept indoors. We recommend bright, indirect light – no direct sunshine.
Pothos are incapable of growing in cold temperature or it will result in yellowish leaves that will soon come out from the stem.
If you are placing your pothos plant indoors, you can keep them in bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways, and offices are the perfect places for pothos.
4. Watering the Pothos Plant
Water your Pothos enough to keep the soil moist, but not wet or saturated. It’s best to water when the top inch of the soil is dry. Pothos plants do not require too much or too little water.
You have to touch the soil and feel the moisture of it. The dirt should be clinging to your fingers when you touch the soil but not water.
Be sure, that the excess water is drained out from the drainage. Excess water in the pots will result in rotten roots and drooping yellow leaves.
During the spring and summer, water well and then allow the top 50% of the soil to dry out before watering again. In the fall and winter, let the soil become drier before watering.
5. Soil and Fertilizer Requirement for Your Pothos
Pothos plants thrive in ordinary, well-draining potting soil.
Pothos plants do not require fertilization as they grow slowly and do not require much to do so. You can feed it every 6-9 months with a small amount of general-purpose indoor plant fertilizer.
6. Humidity
This plant will do well in low humidity environments but will thrive with a bit more humidity. Brown leaf tips may indicate the air is too dry.
7. Prune and Trim the Pothos Leaves
Trim out any dead, discolored, damaged, or diseased leaves and stems as they occur. Use clean, sharp scissors to avoid tearing or bruising the stems.
By separating the yellow parts from the plant, you ensure that the plant is safe from any disease.
Trimming is very necessary for the beautification of your plant. Pothos grow straight and large. But if it faces any light or temperature issue then probably it can grow in the direction of the light, creating an indecent structure.
8. Repotting the Plant If Required
To propagate Pothos from a cutting, place the cutting in water and watch the roots grow before repotting in soil!
You can actually leave the cutting in water and grow a Pothos plant exclusively in water. Or, pot Pothos cuttings directly in very moist soil.
9. Toxicity of Pothos
All parts of the pothos plant are poisonous if ingested by humans or pets. So be alert if you have dogs or cats at home. The toxicity is due to calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the lips, mouth, and tongue.
Contact your veterinarian if your pet has chewed on this plant and your doctor or poison control center if eaten by a child or adult.
10. Pothos Propogation
Pothos is easily propagated through stem cuttings. Cut stems 6 inches long just below a leaf node and place in water. Roots will develop over a month or two.
Change water every 2-3 weeks. Plant well-rooted cuttings in fresh potting soil. Grow multiple stems in the same pot for the lushest growth.
Plants can also be propagated through divisions. Gently cut the root ball into sections and repot in fresh soil, leaving 1-2 inches of space around the root ball.
Quick Tips for Pothos Plant Care
Pothos has the disease and insect problems. Here are some things to look for:
- The loss of foliage color is likely due to low light. Move to a brighter location.
- If older leaves are brown or yellow while new growth looks fine, this can be an indication of underwatering. Trim back affected stems to the base of the plant to encourage new growth and increase watering.
- Pale or brown leaves may be a sign that plants are getting too much light. Move to a location with less light.
- Blackened leaves or stems, or sudden plant collapse can be a sign of overwatering and root rot. Cut off affected branches. Allow soil to completely dry out and new roots to develop. In severe cases, plants may not recover.
- Shriveled, yellow, wilted or brown edges on leaves can be a sign of underwatering. Increase watering as needed.
- Blackened leaves and little or no growth can result from cold temperatures. Move plants to a warmer location and trim off affected growth. The roots should be fine and push out new growth.