How to Care for Pothos Plants: A Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve ever walked through a houseplant department or shopping mall greenhouse, you’ve probably seen pothos plants. These easy-to-care-for indoor plants come in different varieties, including the common green variety that is most often used as an indoor foliage plant. Pothos (also known as devil’s vine or affable ar Ivy) is a versatile plant that can thrive in almost any lighting conditions and isn’t picky about soil type or temperature. You can keep a pothos plant pretty much anywhere—inside or outside your home. Read on to learn more about caring for pothos plants and how to propagate them for future indoor adventures.

What is a Pothos Plant?

Pothos plants can be traced back to the Victorian era. They were commonly grown as houseplants and were often referred to as “affable ivy” in various gardening and botanical literature. Pothos are hearty plants that can be grown in a variety of light and soil conditions. They’re also great for beginner gardeners because they don’t have very specific care requirements. Virtually anyone can grow a pothos plant, and they’re available in a variety of colors, including green, yellow, pink, and red. Pothos plants are upright vines that can be trained to climb or cascade down a hanging basket. They can grow up to 6 feet in height, though they often stay smaller and are kept “tame” by pruning the plant. Pothos Plant produce small green flowers, but they’re not very showy and don’t have much of a fragrance.

How to Grow Pothos Plants

Pothos Plant prefer to be kept moist but not soggy, so you’ll want to make sure to water them regularly. Use a watering can or a watering wand to avoid getting the leaves wet and accidentally shocking the plant. Pothos plants prefer indirect sunlight, so they’ll be happiest in a location that has filtered light or is shaded by a curtain or blinds. They can also be grown indoors near a south-facing window. If growing pothos plants indoors, you’ll want to mist the leaves regularly to promote the formation of healthy foliage. If you notice the leaves start to look shrivelled or droopy, it could be a sign of root rot.

Why Grow Pothos Plants?

Pothos Plant are fairly easy to care for, making them a great choice for beginners who want to learn how to grow indoor plants. They also do exceptionally well in a wide range of light conditions, so you can grow them inside or outside in your home or on a balcony in a pot. Pothos plants are great for low-light environments and can even survive in low-light conditions (such as a shaded room or a window that gets very little sun). They’re also easy to propagate, and you can grow pothos vines to cover a large portion of your wall or drape down the side of a hanging pot.

Care Requirements for Pothos Plants

Pothos Plant prefer to be kept moist but not wet, so you’ll want to water them regularly. Use a watering can or a watering wand to avoid getting the leaves wet and accidentally shocking the plant. You’ll want to keep an eye on the soil, too, since pothos plants do best in a potting mix that’s on the dry side. Pothos plants like a warm environment but are tolerant of various indoor temperatures. They grow best in temperatures between 50-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Pothos plants prefer to be kept slightly on the dry side, so you’ll want to make sure to water them regularly but avoid soggy soil.

Pothos Light Requirements

Pothos plants can handle a wide range of light conditions, making them a great choice for folks who live in shaded or indoor environments. They thrive in full sun, partial shade, and low light. They’ll grow best in low light when they’re kept in a shaded environment.

Pothos Water Requirements

Pothos plants prefer to be kept on the dry side, but they shouldn’t dry out completely. You’ll want to water them regularly, but avoid letting the soil get soggy. Pothos Plant prefer regular watering, but they don’t like to be over watered.

Pothos Soil Requirements

Pothos plants do best in a soil that’s on the dry side, so you’ll want to keep them in a well-drained potting mix. They like to be kept in a soil that contains loam, peat moss, and sand.

Propagating Pothos Plants

If you’re looking for a way to expand your pothos plant collection, you can root new plants from cuttings. Take cuttings from the pothos plant in the fall, when it’s going into its dormant period. Cut the stems and place them in a pot of moist soil. You can also put them in water to root. If you’re rooting the pothos plant in water, change the water regularly and make sure it stays moist. You could also root pothos plants in a pot of soil if you have the right temperature conditions. If you have a plant that’s dying or has yellow leaves, you might be over-watering it. Pothos plants prefer to be kept on the dry side and don’t like to be over watered.

Conclusion

Pothos plants are a classic indoor plant that can help brighten up any space. They’re easy to grow and require very little attention, so they’re a great choice for beginners who want to learn how to grow indoor plants. Pothos plants can be grown indoors, in low light, and in a wide range of temperatures. They thrive in a variety of soil conditions, from sandy loam to clay, and can be propagated from cuttings easily.

References:

1: A versatile vector system for multiple gene expression in plants

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2005.06.001