Pothos Care Guide
Family: Araceae
Genus: Epipremnum
Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum
Difficulty: Difficult to kill
Light
While pothos can survive in the shade, they thrive in places with bright indirect light. You’ll be happy to know that they can survive in pretty much any kind of light except direct light.
Water
Because they are a vineing plant, they do soak up a lot of water. Give them a good soak when you notice the soil is mostly dry. Unlike most plants, they do well with erratic watering schedules so don’t worry about forgetting to water them!
Climate
A great thing about pothos plants is that they thrive in regular house hold temperatures, which are usually between 65-75°F. They love humidity, so you can keep them in more humid areas of your house. Don’t worry if you can’t maintain a high humidity level,though, because they can survive in lower humidity levels too!
Soil
Keep these guys in a well-draining soil to keep them happy. They enjoy a little boost of fertilizer once a month or biweekly. They like for their soil to stay a little moist but will not be drastically affected by dry soil as long as you don’t wait too long between each watering.
Pests and Diseases
They don’t really attract bugs or have many problems, but they can become infested with mealybugs. You can easily get rid of them by tapping each bug with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Tips
When taking clippings, make sure to select a mature stem that has several leaves on it.
Wipe the leaves off every now and then with a damp cloth to keep them from losing pigment.
If you want a plant that will grow faster, choose a non-variegated pothos becausevariegated plants tend to grow slower.
Plant them in containers that are 1-2 inches wider than the root ball.
Signs your pothos is unhappy
Droopy leaves: water those guys!
Loss of leaf pattern (variegated pothos): too much sunlight
Loss of color (non-variegated pothos): too much sunlight
Yellow leaves that fall off: too little water
How to Propagate
Pothos are very easy to propagate. With a sharp, clean pair of snips, cut below the node of a stem that has a few leaves. Prune off any that may end up in water. Place the cutting in bright indirect sunlight and wait for roots to grow! They usually shoot out soon after being placed in water. Once they’ve reached 2 inches or longer, you can place them in a regular potting mix! Keep their soil slightly damp until they start to show continued growth.
Fun Facts
Pothos can be grown in soil or in water!
They are extremely easy to propagate.
They can grow without direct sunlight!
They can purify the air in your house by removing toxins like formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, and xylene.
Before you move your plant outside, be sure to check the hardiness zone to save yourself some grief and the loss of a beloved plant.
The hardiness zones for pothos are : 10-12 (usually grown as houseplants)
If you live in Tennessee, here’s a hardiness map to help you decide if your plant can survive outside!
