One of the most well-liked indoor plants is the pothos, and for good reason. They are attractive, simple to maintain, and they clean the air. Here is our comprehensive guide on caring for your Pothos plant so that it can flourish for many years to come.
A Pothos Plant: What Is It?
The generic name "pothos" refers to a number of species of climbing plants with waxy, heart-shaped leaves. The leaves may be entirely green or speckled with white, yellow, or gold. Some even have leaves that are perforated like the ordinary Monstera! Pothos plants come in a wide range of kinds, including the well-known Golden Pothos, the uncommon Harlequin Pothos, the Marble Queen Pothos, and more.
Is Pothos a Healthy House Plant?
Being a very common indoor plant and being very simple to care for, pothos plants are a great option for houseplants. They are highly well-liked partly because of their variegated leaves, which add a splash of unexpected color to the otherwise bright foliage, but they are also well-liked simply because they are stunning.
They are perfect indoor houseplants for a variety of reasons, including their ease of maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and ease with which they may be easily reproduced to produce new plants. The Pothos plant is the excellent beginner plant for someone who is just beginning their journey with houseplants.
Pothos Plant Evolution
Southeast Asia, specifically, is home to pothos plants, which are native to tropical and subtropical parts of the world. For millennia, Westerners have been using pothos plants as indoor houseplants. Epipremnum Aureum is its botanical name, and it is renowned for thriving in even the most neglected conditions.
Pothos plants require little maintenance and can withstand a broad range of light and moisture conditions. Yet for them to thrive, they need some fundamental care. A thorough guide on caring for pothos is provided further down.
Is Devil's Ivy the Same as Pothos?
Certainly is! Pothos plants are often known as Devil's Ivy because of its incredible resiliency and ability to thrive even in spaces with little to no sunshine, despite the odd moniker for a popular houseplant. While Pothos is not at all an ivy, the term has endured because of the appealing name.
Purchase of a Pothos Plant
There are a few considerations you should make before purchasing a pothos plant. Make sure you buy from a trusted supplier first and foremost. There are several locations where you may buy pothos plants, but not all of them will offer you a healthy plant or stand by it if a disease kills it shortly after you get it home. To identify a reliable source, do some research.
Look at the plants they have available for purchase once you've located a reliable provider. Ensure sure the plants are pest- and disease-free and in good condition. Pay attention to the plant's size as well. Pothos vegetation can.
Don't forget to take the cost into account. Although pothos plants are fairly inexpensive, costs can still differ based on the size, rarity, and quality of the plant. You ought to be able to get a fantastic price on a pothos plant that will precisely fit your demands with a little bit of searching!
How to Take Care of a Pothos Plant
Because they are simple to care for as long as their fundamental needs are met, pothos plants are among the most well-liked indoor plants. You should be aware of a few things to maintain your Pothos plant happy and healthy, as well as some preventative measures to make sure it doesn't succumb to some of the more typical Pothos problems.
Water
Pothos plants prefer a damp, but not wet, environment. To avoid overwatering, water them when the top inch or two of soil is dry. My Pothos seems to do best when I water it from the bottom.
To achieve this, just lay your planted pothos in a sink filled with two to three inches of water, standing straight. Via the drainage holes in the soil, the water will be carried to the plant, where it will be drawn in by the plant until it is satiated. After that, just drain the water from the sink and leave it there to let any extra water drain.
Just after the top inch of soil has dried out should you water your plant again. Use a moisture meter like this one to ensure that you aren't over- or under-watering your plants.
Light
Pothos plants thrive in direct, bright light. They can withstand a certain amount of direct sunshine, but excessive exposure may burn and dry up the leaves, which might kill your plant if left for many days.
While this plant can tolerate a variety of lighting situations, it will flourish if it receives several hours of filtered or indirect sunshine.
Filter the sunlight if it is too harsh for your plant since a west-facing window will receive the harsher afternoon sun while an east-facing window would receive the softer morning sun.
Temperature
Pothos plants are hardy and adaptable, surviving in a variety of indoor temperatures. The ideal room temperature for your Pothos plant is between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Your plant won't produce a lot of new growth if the temperature is below 60 degrees for an extended length of time, and if the temperature is over 80 degrees, there's a chance that it may dry up and have to work too hard to live. In any case, it may endure either extreme of those temperature ranges for a little period of time without endangering the general wellbeing of the plant.
Fertilizer
During the growth season, pothos plants benefit from monthly treatment using a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer (spring and summer). I choose to feed my plant Pothos Plant Food instead, which is made specifically to provide indoor plants with all the nutrients they require to grow indoors.
Repotting
Ensure that you repot pothos plants into a larger pot every few years because they are prone to becoming pot-bound. Repotting is a straightforward procedure, and our in-depth repotting tutorial can help you through it from start to finish.
Pruning
To manage your pothos plant's size and form, prune it. Also, pruning promotes new growth and provides you with priceless cuttings for growing additional Pothos plants to present to friends and family!
Over time, pothos plants can become rather lanky. Use clean, sharp pruning shears to remove any brown or yellow leaves to maintain them healthy and looking their best.
How toxic are pothos plants?
Both humans and animals are poisoned by pothos plants. Any portion of the leaves or stem that is consumed may irritate the throat and tongue and upset the stomach. Keep pothos plants securely out of reach if you have pets or young children.
Pothos plants can they be multiplied?
Pothos propagation is quite simple, and it's fun to give a cutting to a close relative or friend. Even better, the method is easy. All you require is a stem with leaves, cutting-edge pruning shears, and a container filled with new, permeable soil. Read Everything You Need to Know About Pothos Pruning and Propagation for a comprehensive guide on propagating Pothos.
Basic actions are
1. Angle-cut the stem just below a leaf node.
2. Place the stem in a jar of fresh water, and swap out the water every two to three days.
3. Once the stem has a healthy set of roots, place it in your well-draining soil and give it regular waterings.
Typical Pothos Issues
Some of the more typical Pothos plant issues are simple to resolve, while others need for more involved treatment to restore your plant to health. This is a list of some of the most typical problems we see with Pothos plants.
The color yellow
Because there are so many potential causes for yellow leaves on your plant, treatment can be challenging. Root rot, inadequate lighting, excessive or inadequate irrigation are some of the causes. Employing a moisture meter will probably prevent problems like these.
Dark or Brown Spots
Knowing your plant well can assist you identify the reason of any brown or black patches by ruling out other potential explanations. Overwatering or underwatering can also result in brown spots or leaves, but it's also possible that the plant is becoming sunburned from too much direct sunshine striking the foliage.
Low temperatures, excessive watering, root rot, or an insect issue can all contribute to black spots. If you periodically check your plant, you should be able to notice problems like brown or black patches before they harm your plant.
Read our Pothos troubleshooting guide to learn how to diagnose your plant and some of the other more typical problems Pothos owners may encounter.
One of the simplest and most attractive house plants you can add to your home is a pothos plant. We adore this plant for a variety of reasons, but the fact that it's so simple to grow and give to friends and family just makes it better!
If you've been thinking about acquiring an easy-to-care-for houseplant, the Pothos is unquestionably the best initial option. Pothos plants are the ideal starter plant. Don't forget to study before selecting your new Pothos plant!
Sources for houseplants
Want to learn more about indoor plants? Our really educational Houseplants for Beginners Webinar is highly recommended. Check out our Facebook group to connect with other gardeners. Check out our book Houseplants for Millennials if you're seeking for a convenient one-stop resource for all things houseplant related.