Pothos Pole

Pothos is one of the easiest houseplants to care for and an excellent choice for beginning growers. It's a tropical vine native to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific easily trained to climb a support or trail from a pot or hanging basket. Adaptability and minimum maintenance make it a great plant for any houseplant collection.

Pothos are fast-growing plants often adding 12 to 18 inches of length in a month. Draping vines feature pointed, heart-shaped green leaves that may be variegated with white, yellow, or pale green striations. Be aware that pothos plants are toxic to pets.

Pothos Care

Pothos plants live an average five to 10 years, but with minimal consistent care can live much longer.

• Plant pothos in standard houseplant potting mix or well-draining aroid mix.
• Provide plenty of indirect light, ideally in an east- or west-facing window.
• Allow soil to dry out completely between waterings.
• Feed with balanced houseplant fertilizer monthly during spring and summer.

Light

Pothos likes sun or shade and can grow in low-light areas or those with only fluorescent lighting. Grown indoors, it prefers bright but indirect light. Too much shade causes variegated plants to lose their leaf pattern and revert to all-green foliage. Moving them to brighter conditions usually restores the variegation. Suddenly pale-looking leaves mean the plant is receiving too much direct sun.

Soil

Pothos plants thrive in ordinary, well-draining potting soil on the dry side and do just as well in coarse, chunky planting media. Neutral to slightly acidic soil is tolerated with a preferred soil pH from 6.1 to 6.8.

Water

Pothos should be watered when the top 2-inch layer of soil is dry. In ideal lighting conditions, you'll water a pothos every week or two. In winter you'll likely water less often.

The best thing about a pothos is that it will droop when it needs water. Don't wait for the leaves to shrivel or turn dry before watering. You want the leaves to be just a little bit droopy when you water.

Like any plant, when left in soggy soil for a prolonged period of time a pothos will develop root rot.3

Temperature and Humidity

Keep pothos at temperatures consistently above 50°F. and preferably between 65°F and 75°F. They grow best in high humidity, but adapt to low-humidity conditions. You can increase humidity around the plant by keeping it in a typically humid area of the home, such as a bathroom, or by grouping it with other tropical houseplants to create a humid microclimate.

Fertilizer

Pothos plants are not heavy feeders, but benefit from occasional fertilizing during the growing season. Feed with a balanced houseplant fertilizer once per month during spring and summer. Avoid fertilizing in winter when the plant goes dormant.

Pruning

Because pothos grow quickly, they can develop a sparse or leggy appearance. Pruning isn't necessary for the health of the plant, but occasional trimming can improve its shape. Use a sharp sterile cutting tool to make your cuts.

Pruning can make your pothos look bushier. To prune it, cut below a node close to the crown, always leaving at least two leaf nodes on the vine you are pruning. If your plant is leggy, cut back the growing tip to a desired length anywhere along the length of the vine.

You can prune pothos any time during the growing season, but you should avoid pruning when the plant is dormant.

Plants tend to develop a few yellow leaves every now and then, which can be removed by pinching it off at the base.

Propagating Pothos

You can buy a mature pothos from a plant shop, but it's easy to propagate using stem cuttings rooted in water. Gather together a sharp hand pruner and clear glass or vase. Once roots form you'll need a pot and houseplant mix. Follow these steps:

1. Use a sterile, sharp pruner to remove a healthy stem with at least three leaves. Cut at an angle about a half-inch or inch below the lowest leaf.
2. Remove the lowest leaf from the stem (you don't need to remove the other leaves).
3. Place the stem in a vase or jar of water, but do not let the remaining leaves touch the water.
4. New roots emerge in a week to ten days. Once roots are several inches long transplant cuttings into pots as soon as possible.
5. Place pots in a spot with bright indirect light and keep soil moist but not wet.