Photos plants don’t require a lot of water, unlike popular belief. My pothos plant once made the error of receiving too much water, and it was very clear that it was not happy!
How did I know I had drowned my plant in water? A white fungus was forming on the topsoil a few days after I had watered, as can be seen in the photo below. The pot was also giving off a faint rotting odor.
Fortunately, this fungus won’t kill your plant, but it is a hint that you should cut back on your watering frequency.
Simply scrape it from the surface of the soil and throw it away if you find this fungus. Then, funny, you can act like it never happened.
Like succulents, pothos plants should only be watered after the soil has become completely dry. Approximately once a week or once a week and a half, I water my houseplants.
I take my watering can and water my pothos directly into the soil, as indicated below, when the earth feels dry about an inch deep.
(TIP: Avoid misting your pothos’ leaves with water; it’s unneeded and useless.
Water the plant regularly until you notice water dripping from the drainage hole. This will serve as your proof that the roots have received enough moisture and that water has permeated the soil.
You don’t want your plant’s roots to sit in that water for an extended period of time, so make sure to remove any extra water from the saucer.
If your plant is getting the appropriate amount of moisture, it will let you know.
You’ve been overwatering your plant if you start to notice that the tips of the leaves are turning dark brown or black, as if they’ve been sunburned.
Yellow leaves, on the other hand, are a sign of underwatering. It typically signifies that you let the soil to dry out for too long.
But don’t worry; as long as you start giving your plant enough water, everything should be OK.
The wonderful thing about pothos plants, and houseplants in general, is that they will inform you of any problems so you may fix them before it’s too late!
You might believe that your home lacks adequate windows to allow enough sunshine in, but pothos can be grown there. In fact, the pothos plant does well in low-light environments.
It’s the reason why so many people enjoy planting pothos in shadowy areas of their homes, in restrooms, or on desks in work spaces.
In fact, pothos plants flourish in dimly lit areas rather than in full sunshine.
Give your pothos plants a few hours of filtered sunshine every day, if possible. If feasible, it’s ideal to be near a window.
They can thrive on less if you can’t provide them with a few hours of indirect sunshine.
Pothos plants should not be planted in temperatures below 40 degrees because they perform best at 60 to 80 degrees Farenheight. After all, it is a tropical plant.
Applying Fertilizer to Pothos Plants
A pothos plant can be fertilized to help it maintain its vibrancy, however it is typically not required.
The plant should be receiving all the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive as long as the soil it is placed in is of good quality.
I advise using a liquid fertilizer if you’re keen to discover how your plant will benefit from regular fertilizing.
Start with smaller does and fill your watering can with a mixture of water and liquid fertilizer.
Similar to fertilizing succulents, do this roughly every two weeks, once a month, or at the start of spring and fall.
The easiest plants to prune are those that are kept indoors. Pruning off any leaves that are dead or unsightly is recommended.
Just pull on the leaf until it separates from the stem. If you want to tame any overgrown vines, you can use use clippers to cut them down. It’s simple!
Pruning is a crucial component of caring for your plants since it ensures that the plant continues to develop in the direction you choose while also removing any dead leaves that can bring pests to your garden.
Although you might encounter insects like mealybugs when growing pothos plants indoors, pests won’t be a major issue.
Mealybugs are white, cotton-like mounds that, if not eradicated, can move from plant to plant.
Rubbish alcohol is the most effective pesticide to use. Simply clean the leaves with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Spraying the leaves and dirt with water and alcohol will help if the issue is more severe than a few mounds. So continue doing this till your plant is bug-free.
Read my post on how to get rid of mealybugs to learn more about them and how to get rid of them.
Can I plant pothos in succulent soil?
Pothos is a good plant to cultivate in hanging baskets because its long, luscious vines can climb over windows and trellises or trail downward. The more colorful variegated pothos want a little more light, perhaps next to a window with a sheer curtain to filter the light. The plant grows well in low to medium light. Pothos plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, just like other houseplants, making them a desirable addition to a household for both their plant health advantages and ornamental appeal.
Types of Soil for Pothos
Pothos-friendly growth mixtures include elements that make it simple for the plant’s roots to access oxygen. Pothos can be grown in many common houseplant soil mixtures, but stay away from planting it in soil meant for succulents and cacti. The moisture that pothos needs is not retained by succulent soils because they drain too quickly. Additionally, stay away from growing pothos in garden soil, which is too compact and can contain insects like gnats that might travel to other indoor plants and infest the house.
Even though the majority of indoor grow mixes aren’t designated explicitly for pothos on the label, acceptable mixtures typically include one or more of the following components.
- Bark: Usually from fir or pine trees, bark helps the mixture drain well and keeps it light.
- Coconut coir is an absorbent material that absorbs water. It is made from the coconut husk, which is found between the coconut’s fruit and its tough outer shell. Pothos benefits from the progressive discharge of that water.
- Perlite is a light, airy byproduct of volcanic glass that is produced naturally. It aids in preventing compacting of the potting mix and also holds some moisture.
- Peat moss is a lightweight, extremely absorbent material that is harvested from moss bogs. This component is frequently the main base in indoor potting mixes, along with coco coir.
- Sand for gardens: Sand promotes drainage and gives the soil a little more structure, which helps anchor the roots of huge pothos.
- Hand-mixed: As an example, use a mixture that is roughly equal parts peat moss, perlite, sand, and shredded bark.
Drainage
When caring for pothos, it’s important to place it in a pot with good drainage as well as in a soil type that drains well. Choose a pot with holes on the bottom so that water can drain. The plant can be put in a sink or tub where the water can easily flow through if it is tiny enough.
If sink watering is not possible, think about using a pot with a saucer that rests below the level of the drainage holes to prevent the roots of the pothos from getting wet. Before adding the grow mix and the pothos plant, add 1 to 2 inches of gravel or tiny rocks to the bottom of the pot to improve drainage.
Moisture Retention and Aeration
Planting pothos in soil that keeps moisture while still draining properly may seem counterintuitive. Nevertheless, it offers the plant’s roots with a perfect environment that resembles their habitat in Southeastern Asia.
Peat moss and coco coir, along with well-draining elements like sand or perlite, help water to percolate through the mixture while holding back a tiny quantity so that the plant’s roots don’t dry out between waterings.
Bark and other bigger soil components keep the mixture light and generate air pockets, allowing the roots to access oxygen.
Nutrients
Although some indoor potting mixes include plant food, extra feedings are usually required from one to six months after repotting, depending on the variety. During their active growing season, pothos typically perform best when fertilized every 4 to 6 weeks (spring and summer). During the late fall and winter, fertilizing can be decreased by half.
Pothos loves soil that is somewhat acidic and has a pH between 6.1 and 6.8. Thankfully, the majority of indoor grow mixtures also fit into that range. Yellowing leaves on an unhappy plant could be a sign that the soil is too alkaline. Online and in gardening supply stores, inexpensive pH testers are readily accessible. If necessary, top dressing—adding peat moss to the soil’s surface—can aid in lowering alkalinity.
What kinds of plants are pothos?
The arum family’s (Araceae) hardy indoor foliage plant known as pothos (Epipremnum aureum), also known as golden pothos, money plant, or devil’s ivy, is a native of Southeast Asia. It resembles the common philodendron and is frequently mistaken for it.
An evergreen plant called Pothos has thick, waxy, heart-shaped leaves that are green with yellow splotches on them. It is frequently grown as a hanging plant inside. Pothos has aerial roots that allow it to climb, and other plants growing in the wild or outdoors can grow to incredible heights when supported by big trees. Furthermore, compared to indoor plants, the leaves of outdoor plants grow much larger. Popular variants include “Marble Queen,” which has more white variation than the species, and “Tricolor,” which has hues of green, deep yellow, and creamy white. The plant rarely, if ever, blooms and is easily propagated from cuttings.
Do damp leaves appeal to pothos?
Let’s imagine you happen to notice that your pothos’s leaves are dripping with water. This has you frightened out, especially because you’ve never seen your houseplant do it before. Are you losing your pothos? What can you do to support it?
There isn’t really anything that you have to do. Guttation happens naturally. As we mentioned, it can be an indication that you’re watering your pothos too much, so you might seek to reduce that.
One type of indoor plant that does not require a lot of watering is the pothos. In fact, they prefer that their soil dries out for a while. Try the soil test with your pothos plant, just like you may with many other indoor plants. You should press your fingers into the soil’s surface during the soil test to feel how moist or dry it is. You can stick your fingers at least two inches deep to feel for pothos.
It’s time to water your pothos if it’s dry down to two inches. Otherwise, just let things be. Additionally, be careful to avoid going too far in the opposite direction, where you don’t want to water the houseplant frequently enough. Your pothos is requesting additional water if its leaves are browning and/or withering.
Other Pothos Issues to Look out For
Not that pothos sweating is necessarily a concern, but there are several issues that could harm your pothos plant. Let’s expand on these a little bit now.
Leaf Droopiness
Your poor pothos leaves may start to droop badly and lose their firmness and structure. Why is your indoor plant so saggy? Another indication that a pothos is submerged is this. The leaves could not only be limp but also appear wilted.
The leaves should regenerate if you put your houseplant on a better watering regimen. This doesn’t mean you should drown the pothos to atone for your past transgressions because that could result in additional problems. Just provide it with the water it requires, no more.
Yellowed Leaves
The leaves on your pothos plant should be bright green and shaped like teardrops. If those distinctive leaves start to yellow, there is no connection between too much water and the issue (or a lack thereof). Instead, the pothos’ yellow leaves are an indication that it receives too much sun.
A modest amount of light is preferred by pothos. Although they can endure low light conditions for a while, it is not their preferred situation. They also enjoy some shade, but not prolonged periods of intense sunlight. Your pothos will suffer from that much brightness, and its leaves will become yellow. Please don’t let the pothos have windows that face the south.
What happens if your houseplant receives the proper kind of lighting but the leaves are still yellow? What’s next? Check the frequency and type of fertilization for your pothos. Your pothos leaves may turn yellow if you use fertilizer that is deficient in nutrients. The same holds true if you fertilize excessively frequently, say once per week.
If you think your pothos plant needs it, you can fertilize it once a month. Use only water-soluble fertilizer when you do this.
Root Rot
Your pothos is not an exception to the rule that many houseplants can get root rot. It might only take a short while before you start noticing the signs of root rot if your indoor plant is sweating as a result of overwatering.
On this blog, we’ve already discussed how a houseplant can drown if it receives too much water but not enough oxygen. Water is necessary for the roots to transmit to the plant (so that it can guttate and transpire, among other things), but if they are left in water that is too rich, they may start to die.
If you identify and address the problem at an early stage, root rot need not be the end of your pothos. For one, you need to be careful not to water your houseplant too frequently. Additionally, make sure the dirt in the pot of your pothos is well-draining. Remove any rocks from the pot if you have any. It’s a fallacy that rocks in houseplant pots are excellent for your plant, as we detailed in another piece. If anything, they obstruct drainage pores, increasing the likelihood of root rot.
We’ve already discussed how sobbing is another name for pothos sweating. Is that the only “crying” your houseplants are capable of, or are there other types as well?
The latter is the correct response, according to this Live Science article. A houseplant may emit what sounds like a distress scream if it is injured, particularly if the lesion is caused by a virus. Your indoor plants’ leaves communicate with the roots through internal chemicals. While doing this, they are requesting assistance.
The beneficial acid that contains the right kind of bacteria needed to battle infection and fend off disease can then be released by the roots of your plant. Is this the type of crying you were perhaps envisioning? No, but it’s much colder and better for the houseplant as well. A plant might even be able to save itself occasionally without any help from you.
As you are aware from reading this article, misting a houseplant helps to keep its humidity level stable. As a result, it is usually only required for plants that enjoy humid surroundings. Does the pothos meet those criteria?
It does, indeed. The pothos loves humidity, but if you can’t supply it, it may just as readily survive without it. Your pothos should be alright if you maintain your house or workplace between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mist away if you believe it needs extra humidity. But we’ve already said that misting is a waste of time. To maintain a high humidity level in your houseplant, you would need to mist it continuously. Investing in a humidifier will help you keep your home at a set temperature much better.
Your morning cup of coffee is essential to getting through the day, but what about your pothos plant?
Sure! Coffee grounds are welcome from time to time. You can also incorporate unbleached coffee filters into the soil if you have any. You might be wondering why on earth coffee grounds would be used for houseplants. Well, this component creates an excellent mulch.
Many houseplants can benefit from an occasional treat of coffee grounds because they can deter snails and slugs as well. Do Indoor Plants Like Coffee Grounds? is an essay I just recently released that addresses this very issue. Read about it here.