It’s very easy to Care for Pothos; Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a popular houseplant with beautiful, shiny green leaves. It is always at the top of houseplant shopping lists and flower shop windows. Pothos will be a good option if you are looking for a plant that is resistant to low light and easy to maintain. Are you one of those people who are always in the habit of killing flowers? It is better to try Pothos flower this time. This plant is very suitable for beginners in flower growing and plant maintenance.
Maybe you all have seen the Pothos plant and have it at home. Here we will learn how to keep this beautiful house plant. Pothos is one of the most durable and resistant plants and an air purifier for your apartment and space. Our experts in theHplants will talk about different types of Pothos and pothos care, propagate, and strengthen the soil and species of this beautiful plant, so stay with us.
Introducing the Pothos plant
The botonical name of this plant is EPIPREMNUM AUREUM, more commonly known as Pothos or Devil’s ivy. you can choose a path for the stems and leaves to grow in that direction and adorn your space. This plant is also known by names such as golden boot or silver grape.
Since it is easy to Care for Pothos, they are kept indoor as an ornamental and houseplant. This plant is in the public’s attention due to its purifying properties and removal of toxins such as formaldehyde, toluene, xylene, and benzene. For this reason, it is very suitable for your bedrooms.
Scientific Name | Epipremnum aureum |
Common Names | Pothos, Devil’s Ivy, Money Plant, Golden Pothos |
Family | Araceae |
Temperature | 60°F to 85°F (15°C to 29°C) |
Light | Can tolerate low to bright indirect light |
Toxicity | Mildly toxic |
Origin | Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and China |
Is Pothos poisonous?
Pothos is one of the poisonous plants, so keep it away from your children and pets while having a pothos at home, because if this plant is eaten, it will cause some problem for your child or pet.
check out 23 House Plants Toxic to Cats
how to Care for Pothos ?
Pothos is a resistant plant with simple care requirements, but in short, this plant needs relatively good light for proper growth, moderate watering, soil with high drainage, and normal room temperature. It is interesting to know that this plant is also suitable for open spaces, Pothos grows even in forests, and it is also called sweet wild.
how often to water pothos
As mentioned above, this pothos needs moderate watering, and in no case should the soil of Pothos be wet all the time because it will lead to root rot. One of the reasons for the black spots of the leaves is wet soil. As a result, the pothos soil must be completely dry between waterings. But increasing the watering intervals also leads to the falling of the leaves and the drying and browning of the leaves tips.
check Watering plants while traveling
Another problem of this plant is the yellowing of the leaves, which is very common, and the main reason is overwatering or lack of proper drainage for the pot. The drooping pothos leaf indicates its thirst.
check the A to X of watering houseplants
Does Pothos need light?
Yes, in Care for Pothos, you need to provide it with the right light for better growth. We indeed said that this plant is among plants resistant to low light, but if you want it to grow better keep it in the open environment, shade and semi-shade are suitable for the plant, and also in the home environment, high and indirect light is good. Pothos does not prefer direct sunlight. Letting the light reach the Pothos from behind the curtain or glass is better. Of course, this plant can grow in different lighting conditions.
do pothos need direct sunlight?
in answer to this question, we should say yes!, if the sunlight shines on the plant indirectly, it will make your plant grow better. The better the light reaches the plant, the brighter the leaves will be.
The important thing is to rotate the plant by 45 degrees every two weeks so that the light reaches all the leaves. This work improves the photosynthesis process of the plant and has a significant effect on its better growth.
Repotting Pothos
Determining the right time to repot is very simple. You should repot whenever you see the plant roots coming out from the bottom of the pot. Be careful that pothos grows better in small pots, so choose a new pot just a little bigger than the previous one so that your plant’s growth does not decrease. Most houseplants prefer a small house to a large one; perhaps the reason for this characteristic is the higher density of the soil around the roots and, as a result, more nutrients reach it. Therefore, you should allow the growth stages of pothos to complete in the same initial small pot and move the pothos only when the roots protrude from the pot’s drainage.
proper temperature
The suitable temperature for keeping pets at home is between 60 to 85 degrees (15 to 30 degree Celsius). With the increase in temperature, the amount of watering and the humidity of the environment should also increase. At the same time, this plant cannot tolerate temperatures lower than 50 degree (10 degrees Celsius), so if you live in cold areas, move the plant indoors.
does pothos like humidity
The suitable humidity for pets is 40-60%; you can increase the humidity to spread the leaves; just note that with the increase in humidity, the ventilation of the environment must also increase; otherwise, your plant will suffer from fungal disease. You can construct an island or a cold humidifier to provide humidity.
Photos Soil
Like other houseplants, soil play a crucial role in pothos care, Devil’s ivy likes light soil with high drainage, and it will improve the plant’s growth. You can use all kinds of potting soil in the market with the right combination for this plant, such as perlite and peat moss, + some garden soil. + Vermicompost. Drainage helps so that water does not remain in the pot and the roots do not rot. Pothos is compatible with acidic soil.
Fertilization and strengthening Pothos
The soil of the pot loses nutrients after a while and needs fertilizing. During the plant’s growth, early spring to late summer, once every two weeks, is a good time to fertilize. Fertilizer 20-20-20 can be a suitable fertilizer for this plant; just remember to fertilize along with watering so that the fertilizer does not burn the roots of the plant and destroy it. Also, try to dilute the fertilizer more than recommended on the package to reduce the possibility of burning the plant’s roots.
Remember that fall and winter are not the right time for fertilizing the photos plant because, during these days, the plant is on dorm stage. Also, remember not to over-fertilize the plant because it accumulates salts in the soil and burns the roots over time.
Does Pothos need pruning?
This plant does not need much pruning, but you should prune it when its leaves are old and yellow. By doing this, you will make the plant grow better and get more fresh leaves. You use long leaves for cuttings.
As the Pothos stems grow, you can prune them to have a thicker pot. Put the cut stems in water to root and replant them in the same pot to grow thick.
How to propagate Pothos
For better Care for Pothos, you can use the stem and leaf cutting method, as well as plant division, which we will teach both methods in the following. At the same time, Pothos can be propagated both in water and in soil. But once the rooting process has started, it will be very difficult to change the growing medium, so if you put the cutting in water, let the plant stay in the water until it grows, then transfer it to the soil.
Propagation of Pothos by cuttings
During the pothos care, the best way to reproduce it is by cuttings. To prepare Pothos cuttings and propagate them, select about 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches) of the stem and cut it just below the node. Ideally, this cutting should have at least 4 leaves and 2 nodes. Then transfer it into soil or water and wait for new growth.
Pothos cutting steps:
First step: prepare the tools needed for cutting
- Scissors
- Water
- Container for cuttings
- Pot for cuttings
- Pot or garden soil
The second step: cut the stems of the Pothos
Consider long and suitable branches. Each stem can be turned into several cuttings.
The third step: single leaves of the cuttings
You may have seen that most cuttings are chosen with a long stem and put in water. But in this case, rooting the stem to that length takes a lot of time. So cut the cuttings as single leaves. In this way, they take root sooner.
Two cuts are needed for each cutting. But where is it better to cut? First, select a leaf. Make two diagonal cuts at the top and bottom of the leaf and stem. The part of the stem connected to the leaf is where the root grows; this is the famous knot in cuttings. In this way, you can have several cuttings from a long stem.
Step 4: Put the cuttings in water
Consider a suitable container and place the cuttings in water so the whole cut part is in the water. Leave them in a warm and bright place to take root. Change the water in the container every few days so that it has enough oxygen.
Fifth step: preparing the cuttings for planting in the pot
Remove the roots from the water when they reach 2 cm (1 inch)in length. Do not keep rooted cuttings in water for too long. Because then they hardly become soil plants.
The sixth step: Planting the cuttings in the pot
Pour fresh soil into a small pot and place the cuttings on the edge of the pot. Pour some soil and fix their place. Put some cuttings in the middle of the pot and pour the soil. Now move the other pot to the original place.
Propagating Pothos by dividing the plant:
One of the methods that can propagate Pothos when repotting is dividing the roots by shaking the soil around the plant and then dividing it from the appropriate part of the root and planting the new plant in another pot.
What is the difference between Pothos and Philodendron?
Some people confuse this plant with Philodendron because they look very similar. But if you look carefully, you can notice their differences. Philodendron leaves are heart-shaped, and the bottom of the leaves is needle-shaped. But Pothos leaves are drawn.
Different species of Pothos
Pothos can be divided into different types according to color and light requirements.
1.Marble Pothos or Marble Queen Pothos
This type of Pothos is very beautiful and needs more light than other types of Pothos. So you must have enough light to grow well.
2. Black Pothos or new Pothos:
This type of Pothos is one of the most abundant species of Pothos, and most of you have it at home. This Pothos sample is resistant to low light and is very suitable for the apartment. It can be grown even with artificial lights and grows under the light of a fluorescent lamp.
3. Neon Pothos or Lime Pothos:
This type of Pothos, also known as Yellow Pothos, is very resistant to low light and very suitable for low-light environments. Of course, this plant is mistakenly called Golden Pothos.
4. Golden Pothos:
This type of Pothos is kept in many homes. It has green leaves and yellow streaks on the leaves. Pothos needs adequate light. Low light causes its golden streaks to disappear and diminish, although it thrives in low light.
If these golden streaks are lost, the Pothos becomes Jade or Black Pothos. So provide enough light for it to stay beautiful.
5. Silver Pothos or Silver Satin Pothos:
Silver Satin Pothos is also a beautiful species of Pothos. It has thick gray and green leaves, which is why it is known by this name. This plant needs little light and water and is resistant.
6. White Pothos or Happy Pothos:
Happy or white Pothos is a very interesting and beautiful species. The white spots on the leaves are fragmented and add to the beauty of the plant. This species needs a lot of light. So if you have enough light at home, buy white Pothos.
Keeping the Pothos plant in water
Pothos is one of the tropical plants and can take root in water and grow well. You only need an inexpensive glass pot, water, and liquid fertilizer. If you plan to keep Pothos in water, follow these steps:
To begin with, you should choose a clean and clear pot; Even jam jars are suitable for this purpose. The transparent pot helps you to easily see the root changes.
check out the best Water For indoor plants
Fill the container with clean water. For this purpose, tap water is usually suitable because most plants can grow well. But if the tap water in your area contains high amounts of chlorine, pouring it into an open container and letting it stay overnight is better. In this way, its chlorine will be removed. In addition, you should do this before watering each plant.
Add a few drops of fertilizer before placing the cutting in the water. Any type of liquid fertilizer is suitable for Pothos.
Now place your cutting in water. Just make sure the cut parts are completely covered with water. After a few weeks, you will see lovely roots on the cuttings. By this time, the roots have grown longer, and the cutting is ready to grow new Pothos.
Every 2 to 3 weeks, change the water in the plant pot because it loses its oxygen over time, and the lack of oxygen in the water can also disrupt the plant’s growth.
In the following, always check the roots of the plant so that they are not out of the water, and give fertilizer to the plant every 4 to 6 weeks. Just remember to dilute the fertilizer to a quarter of the recommended strength. For example, if you have to dissolve 2 ml of fertilizer in 1 liter of water, use 4 liters instead of 1 liter.
Finally, keep in mind that after some time, the Pothos pot may become a place for algae to grow, and you may want to use special chemicals to kill the algae, but you should keep in mind that these substances will damage your Pothos. Therefore, during the storage of Pothos in water, it is better to use an old toothbrush or a small cloth to remove the algae and remove the algae from the pot by rubbing. You can also wash the pot completely. In this case, transfer the plant to another pot filled with fresh water and clean the original pot well. Then return the plant to its pot.
Pothos pests and diseases:
This plant usually suffers very little pests that are among common houseplants problems. But they may still be affected by insects. If you see insects and pests, use special insecticides for houseplants. You can also clean the leaves with cotton and alcohol.
If the leaves are wrinkled, the problem is the cold weather; move the plant to a warmer place.
What is the cause of Pothos leaves turning yellow?
One of the reasons for yellowing Pothos leaves is fungal problems, root rot, and bacterial spots on the leaves.
Fungi are often caused by high soil moisture and improper drainage.
Another reason for the yellowing of the leaves is the rotting of the roots; the plant becomes black and soft due to the rotting of the roots. White roots are fine.
Place the plant in a place with enough light. If the roots rot due to fungus, remove the yellow leaves and disinfect the blades. If the disease spreads to the roots, it may not be treated.
Why are the stems and leaves of the plant dry or falling?
This problem is most likely due to the excessive dryness of the plant’s soil.
check the reason for drying leaves on plant
What is the sign of white sores on Pothos?
White sores on the plant mean that Pothos is infected and uses Pesticides for houseplants.
Why do brown spots appear on Pothos leaves?
Brown spots on the leaves mean that the plant has been watered too much. To solve this problem, you need to correct the plant’s watering and give it water only when the soil is dry or dry.
Why are Pothos leaves wrinkled?
If the pothos leaves are wrinkled or it’s too cold, move the plant to a warmer location to resolve the problem.
What should I do to spread the leaves of Pothos?
The better and more appropriate the amount of light you provide to the leaves of this plant, the wider its leaves will be. For example, neon broadleaf Pothos is created by growing in high light. Of course, other factors are also involved in keeping Pothos.
Why has my Pothos changed color?
You probably have a species of Pothos that needs a lot of light. In this situation, if there is not enough light, the color of the leaves will decrease, and it will look like jade pothos or green queen. This issue can be seen even in the case of green and white Pothos, whose leaves will change color if there is not enough light.
Small tips about keeping Pothos:
• Make a guardian for Pothos so that it grows upward. You can tie it with string. To keep the beauty and vigor of the plant, use mossy custards.
• If the leaves of the plant fall and the stems bend, your plant is thirsty, move it to a cooler environment and water it.
• Low light and low nutrients can cause long distances between leaves and long stems.
• If the plant’s growth is reduced and new leaves do not sprout, the plant’s environment is cold.
How to prepare moss preserver:
To make the guardian, put a tube in the pot before pouring the soil into the pot. Then pour the soil into the pot and cover the outside of the pipe with moss. To install the moss, tightly wrap the tube with knitting yarn. Tie the main stem of the Pothos to the moss.
When watering, pour water over the moss; the Pothos stem will root in the parts above the moss.
Summary of Pothos care
In this article, we tried to teach you everything you need about the Care for Pothos plant and how to keep it at home or work. If you have any questions or experience keeping this plant, please comment.