The pothos plant is one of the houseplants that has many fans because of its beauty and easy care. Due to its high resistance, this plant does not need much care, but sometimes this characteristic has caused the keepers of this plant to think that it has high resistance and fail to observe some important things to maintain the health of this plant. As a result, this shortness causes Pothos Plant Dying. It is very difficult and sad to see your pothos plant dying. if there are signs in your pothos plant such as stopping the growth of the plant, dropping the leaves, yellowing or browning of the leaves, browning of the stem, twisting of the leaves, and drying of the leaves, unfortunately, your pothos plant is in danger.
If the necessary measures are not taken, death is possible, so take the necessary measures as soon as you see these symptoms. The main reasons for Pothos Plant Dying include lack of proper watering, poor drainage, improper nutrition, improper lighting and infestation of pests, direct sunlight, and small pot size. Stay with us in this article provided by theHplants team to explain what to do and avoid if The main reasons for Pothos Plant Dying include lack of proper watering, poor drainage, improper nutrition, improper lighting and infestation of pests, direct sunlight, and small pot size.
Reasons for Pothos Plant Dying
For now, if you want to save your dying pothos plant, you must first know what caused this situation in your plant to find the problem and take appropriate action. In the following, we will discuss the main reasons for the pothos plant dying and provide solutions to take measures to save your pothos plant if any of the symptoms occur.
The plant has high resistance and fails to observe some important things to maintain the health of this plant. As a result, this shortness causes the death of the plant. It is very difficult and sad to see your pothos plant dying, and I hope you never face such a situation. But if there are signs in your pothos plant such as stopping the growth of the plant, dropping the leaves, yellowing or browning of the leaves, browning of the stem, twisting of the leaves, and drying of the leaves, unfortunately, your pothos plant is in danger. If the necessary measures are not taken, death is possible, so take the necessary measures as soon as you see these symptoms.
The main reasons for Pothos Plant Dying include lack of proper watering, poor drainage, improper nutrition, improper lighting and infestation of pests, direct sunlight, and small pot size. Stay with us in this article to explain what to do and how to avoid if my Pothos is dying.
1 Over-watering
One of the main reasons for Pothos plant dying is over-watering, which is usually faced by beginners in plant care. Always pay attention to the fact that over-watering the plant does not make it grow more, and like humans, plants also need a certain amount of water. If the plant is watered excessively, it will suffer from various diseases. Finally, the continuation of this process will lead to Pothos Plant Dying. The most important symptoms that can be observed due to over-watering of the Pothos plant include:
- Yellowing of leaves
- Permanent moistening of the soil
- The saucer under the pot is full of water
- Limp or droopy leaves.
Keep in mind that the plant needs oxygen. When you water the Pothos plant too much, the water accumulates in the soil, and this causes the oxygen level in the soil to decrease. And when the oxygen level in the soil decreases, as a result, the plant cannot receive the necessary oxygen. Not getting the necessary oxygen causes the roots to accumulate toxins in the soil. These toxins can weaken the plant and eventually lead to the death of the plant.
what is the solution?
Always check the potting soil before watering your Pothos plant to know its moisture level. When the upper surface of the soil is 3 to 4 cm dry, you can water your plant; otherwise, do not water it at all. Soil drying depends on factors such as the amount of moisture in the air, ambient temperature, light, etc., and you cannot water your plant at regular intervals, for example, every 4 days. Because it is possible that in one season, the pot’s soil may dry early or the soil may dry later in another season, so it is wrong to water the plant at regular intervals, and the only way to know when to water is to check the dryness of the soil.
I suggest you read the best soil for Pothos article
2 Under-watering
In addition to over-watering, under-watering can also cause Pothos Dying. Often, this problem occurs when you travel, and because there is no one to water the plant, the plant becomes dehydrated. In such a situation, you must look for a solution to supply water to your plant while traveling. In the article we have provided you with solutions to solve this problem. When little water reaches the roots of the Pothos plant, the roots eventually die due to dehydration and become smaller and smaller, and this causes water and nutrients not to reach the leaves and stems of the plant; as a result, the plant dies. The most important symptoms that can be observed due to low watering of the Pothos plant include:
- Wrinkling and curling of leaves
- Lethargy of the leaves
- Low plant growth
what is the solution?
As explained earlier, always remember to constantly check the soil of the Pothos plant and start watering your plant when the soil surface is 3-4 cm dry. If your Pothos plant suffers from dehydration, immediately water the soil until the water comes out of the bottom of the pot so that the plant is fully watered. Then, spray the plant with water for several days to give it more hydration. Also, prune the damaged leaves and stems. You will face dying Pothos plant if you don’t follow the instructions.
3 direct light
Another reason that causes Pothos Plant Dying is direct light radiation because if the process of keeping the Pothos plant continues under these conditions, it may cause Pothos dying. This plant should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Placing under direct sunlight causes the leaves of this plant to burn. So, always pay attention to place this plant in a place with indirect light. The amount of light that should reach during the day is between 8 and 10 hours, but it can endure less than 5 hours, but the growth rate decreases, and the color of the leaves becomes lighter.
what is the solution?
If you have put the plant where direct light reaches it, immediately change its location and put it in a place with indirect light. Also, if the amount of indirect light for the plant is low, be sure to give it light between 8 and 10 hours a day, and if you do not have access to indirect light, you can use artificial growth light.
4 Improper soil drainage
If the soil of the Pothos plant does not have proper drainage, moisture will remain in the soil after each watering, and the water will not come out of the hole at the bottom of the pot, making the soil always moist. If the soil is constantly wet, eventually, oxygen will not reach the roots, and the roots will rot. Root rot causes insufficient transfer of water and nutrients to the plant’s leaves and stems, resulting in Pothos Plant Dying after a while. If you see any of the following symptoms in your plant, there is a possibility of root rot:
- Browning of the stems
- Yellowing of leaves
- Stopping plant growth
- Bad smell of plant roots and soil
what is the solution?
Always try to use light soil that has good drainage for your Pothos plant. Heavy soil always causes water to remain around the roots and eventually causes the roots of your Pothos plant to rot. Also, heavy soil with smaller particles causes oxygen not to reach the plant’s roots enough and causes the plant to suffocate. If your Pothos plant has root rot, you should do the following:
- prune the damaged leaves (yellow and dried leaves). If the number of these leaves is large, do not prune them all at once; it is better to prune half of them.
- Separate the root from the soil and wash it thoroughly. You can use dish soap to wash the roots.
- After washing the roots, separate the rotten roots from the other roots and then place the healthy roots in a solution of water (200 mg) and hydrogen peroxide (10 mg) for a few minutes.
- Place the roots again in fresh soil (don’t use the old soil as much as possible) with proper drainage.
5 Get Rid of Pests
Pests are one of the problems that most flower and plant keepers face. The Pothos plant is not prone to pests, but sometimes it attracts mealybugs and scales. These small insects are placed on the leaves or stems of the Pothos plant and feed on the sap, moisture, and nutrients in the plant. The presence of these insects in your Pothos plant in the long term can cause the death of the plant, and the necessary measures must be taken to eliminate them immediately. However, if the number of these insects in the plant is low, your Pothos plant will not be in great danger, but over time, these numbers will gradually increase. For this reason, it is recommended that if you see these insects on your plant, even if their number is small, you should destroy them immediately.
what is the solution?
If your Pothos plant suffers from a pest, you must first identify the type of pest that attacked your plant. Then, soak some cotton with natural medicines such as neem oil, insecticidal soap, or a mixture of water and soap and apply it to where the pest is located to kill and destroy the pests. If you can, separate the plant from other existing plants to prevent the spread of the pest to other plants. After doing the mentioned work, always take care of your plant, and if necessary, repeat the selected treatment to eliminate the pests of your Pothos plant so that the pests in the plant are completely destroyed.
6 Increase the humidity
Considering that the Pothos plant is native to the subtropical climate, it likes humid weather, and the lack of sufficient moisture causes the leaves of the Pothos plant to droop and loosen. If the plant stays in low humidity conditions for a long time, eventually, the tips of the leaves and the stem of this plant will turn brown, and finally, the plant will die, so always keep your Pothos plant in an environment that has enough humidity.
what is the solution?
If your Pothos plant has been in a low-humidity environment for a long time and has suffered from the problems mentioned above, First, quickly provide the necessary moisture to the soil with sufficient irrigation, then spray some water on the stem and leaves of your Pothos plant so that these parts also receive enough moisture. Always remember that the air humidity should be above 60%, and humidity below 50% is dangerous for the Pothos plant and may cause the plant to die. Another point you should always follow is to place the plant away from heating and cooling devices.
7 Small vase
The Pothos plant is one of the plants whose roots grow very much. You should note that you always check your plant’s root growth rate and ensure that the pot is not too small for the plant. If the pot in which you keep your Pothos plant is small in proportion to the size of the roots, the roots will be intertwined over time due to the lack of enough space in the soil. This action causes the roots to lose their ability to absorb water and nutrients and cannot feed the plant, and as a result, the plant dies after a while.
what is the solution?
If the root does not have enough space in the soil, it will come out from the top of the soil or the hole at the bottom of the pot. If this happens, repot your Pothos plant and place it in a bigger pot. When repotting, it is also better to change the pot’s soil. Note that both the soil and the pot have proper drainage.
8 The problem of nutrients
Pothos plants need nutrients that reach the plant through fertilizer for better growth. If the plant stays in a pot that has not been fertilized for a long time, you will see Pothos Plant Dying gradually. The plant uses soil nutrients to survive, and if you do not fertilize the soil after a few years, due to the depletion of soil nutrients and the absence of any nutrients in the soil, the plant cannot provide the nutrients it needs from the soil. Therefore, the plant eventually dies. Also, an imbalance in the plant’s nutrition can cause its death. An imbalance in nutrition can occur due to improper fertilizer use or continuous plant watering.
what is the solution?
If your Pothos plants suffer from a lack of nutrients, it is better to use a small amount of suitable fertilizer to enrich the soil. If you have fertilized your plant too much, you should replace the soil of your Pothos plant with a soil full of organic matter.
Conclusion:
This article examined how we can save our dying Pothos plant. As explained, we must first identify why the Pothos plant is in a state of death so that we can implement a suitable solution based on it. The main reasons of Pothos Plant Dying include low or high watering, direct light, drainage, pests, humidity level, pot size, and the amount of nutrient use; each of these problems has solutions to solve the problem, each of which we have explained in detail. Thank you for accompanying us to the end of this article, and we wish you the best. Love you thehplants
indeed very comprehensive. well written John !