Pothos care: light, water and rooting cuttings

Light

The University of Illinois Extension places pothos in its medium-light group, about 150 foot-candles, which means directly in front of a north window or a few feet back from an east or west one. Clemson and NC State both say it tolerates less, and it does hang on for months in an office corner, but growth slows to a crawl and new leaves come in smaller and farther apart along the vine. Bright, indirect light, up to around 300 foot-candles, is where the vines lengthen fastest.

Variegation is the first thing dim light takes away. Illinois notes that leaf color tends to disappear in low light, and Clemson singles out the white-heavy cultivars, 'Marble Queen', 'Snow Queen' and 'Pearls and Jade', as needing far more light than green or golden forms; NC State recommends 'Jade' for low light and Clemson rates 'Neon' and 'Jessenia' as tolerant too. The RHS suggests an east or west window, or a south one screened by a sheer curtain, since direct summer sun scorches the leaves.

Water

Water when the mix has dried well down into the pot, then soak it so water reaches every root, as Clemson advises, and let the excess drain away. Clemson's quick guide goes as far as letting the soil dry completely; the University of Illinois Extension describes drying moderately between waterings, and the RHS says to wait until the compost is approaching dryness. All three point the same way: pothos takes a dry spell far better than wet feet.

The leaves give honest signals. A thirsty pothos goes soft and limp and usually firms up again after a thorough drink. Blackening leaf margins and rot at the roots point the other way, and NC State links both to overwatering. Growth slows in winter, when NC State treats the plant as dormant, so the same pot can take much longer to dry. Check before every watering instead of keeping summer's pace.

If you train vines up a moss pole, wet the pole whenever you water the pot; the RHS notes that the stems root into damp moss and stay firmly attached. The RHS also suggests rainwater or filtered water in hard-water areas, at room temperature, to keep the mix slightly acidic.

Soil and pH

Clemson calls for an airy, well-draining mix, and NC State lists soils high in organic matter that drain well and occasionally dry out. The RHS goes further with a recipe: three parts peat-free ericaceous compost, one part grit and one part medium orchid bark, an open, slightly acidic blend that holds some moisture without staying wet. A bagged houseplant mix with a few handfuls of bark and perlite worked in is a fair shortcut. Whatever you use, the pot needs a drainage hole; a decorative basket without one is the classic way to drown a pothos.

Humidity

Clemson gives a preferred range of 50 to 70 percent relative humidity and notes that homes typically run 30 to 60 percent, which pothos tolerates. The RHS counts this tolerance as one of its big advantages over other tropical houseplants. Very dry air does show eventually, as browned tips and scorched edges that Clemson ties to low humidity or intense light. A humidifier helps in a winter apartment, but most plants never need one.

Temperature

Clemson recommends 60 to 70°F at night and 70 to 85°F during the day; the RHS gives 65 to 86°F (18 to 30°C). That is ordinary room temperature with a floor of 60°F. Clemson's warning is about moving air rather than numbers: keep the plant away from air conditioning outlets in summer and from cold windowsills and heating vents in winter, because both hot and cold blasts dry the leaves and damage plant cells.

Fertilizer

NC State and Clemson both recommend feeding every other month through spring and summer, and NC State says to stop while the plant rests in winter. The RHS is more generous, suggesting a general houseplant fertilizer once a month from April to October. Yellowing leaves on a plant whose watering is right can mean low fertility, which Clemson corrects with exactly that every-other-month feeding. Keep the monthly pace for a plant in bright light that is visibly lengthening its vines; one in a dim spot uses far less.

Work out the dose for your watering can with the fertilizer dilution calculator →

Repotting

Pothos can stay in the same pot for several years, says the RHS, which suggests moving it every two or three years into a container one size larger; Clemson gives a general rhythm of every year or two, depending on how fast the plant grows. Repot in spring when roots show through the drainage holes or the pot is packed solid. Avoid a big jump in size, since the extra mix stays wet and invites rot. If the top of the pot has gone thin, repotting is the moment to pin a few rooted cuttings into the surface.

• Roots show through the drainage holes
• The pot is packed solid and the plant is root-bound
• Water runs straight through a pot packed with roots

Propagation

Few houseplants root as willingly. Each node along a pothos vine, the slightly swollen point where a leaf meets the stem, carries a small brown aerial root bump, and Clemson notes that a cutting needs at least one node to root properly. Cut just below a node, remove any leaf that would sit underwater, and stand the cutting in a glass of water in bright light, as the RHS suggests, or push it straight into moist mix.

Water rooting is fun to watch, but the University of Illinois Extension cautions that roots formed in water are often weaker and adapt less easily to potting mix than roots grown in a rooting medium, so pot water cuttings while the roots are still short. The RHS also describes layering: pin a trailing stem onto a pot of mix while it is still attached, and roots form at the leaf joint. Planting several rooted cuttings back into the parent pot is the quickest way to thicken a sparse plant.

Methods: Stem cuttings with at least one node, rooted in water or moist mix, Layering a trailing stem onto a pot of mix · Best season: spring or summer, though cuttings root in other months too.

Common problems

Pothos problems are few and easy to read. Rotting roots and blackened leaf edges mean the mix stays wet. Yellow leaves come from overwatering or low fertility, according to Clemson, and a finger in the pot tells you which. Brown tips and scorched patches follow dry air or harsh sun, and fading variegation means too little light. A vine with leaves only at its end is not sick: NC State explains that older leaves naturally yellow and fall, concentrating foliage at the stem tips, so prune to keep the plant bushy. Mealybugs and spider mites are the pests worth checking for.

Not sure which one it is? Try the plant problem diagnosis tool →

Is the pothos toxic to cats and dogs?

The ASPCA lists golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) as toxic to cats and dogs. The plant contains insoluble calcium oxalates, and chewing it causes oral irritation, intense burning and irritation of the mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting and difficulty swallowing. Clemson rates it mildly toxic, while NC State gives a medium poison severity and adds skin irritation and diarrhea to the list. Dangling vines are tempting toys for cats, so hang baskets well out of reach. If a pet eats some, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Check any other plant against the ASPCA lists →