How to take care for Pothos: tips to keep the most popular climbing plant looking beautiful at home – We will give you the keys to keep your potted pothos healthy and happy, where you should put it at home and how to take care of it if it gets sick.
The Epipremnum aureum, commonly known as pothos, is a species of climbing plant belonging to the genus Araceae, native to the tropical forests of Malaysia, Indonesia, and New Guinea. The ease with which we can take care of it and make it grow quickly has made it one of the most popular plants in homes in warm areas such as the Mediterranean: with enough light, you can make it grow strong and healthy.
Where can I put pothos to make it grow well?
Pothos is a plant that needs a lot of light, even though it is resistant to any environment, it is advisable to keep it indoors in an illuminated location (for example, on a balcony or near a window that receives a lot of light).
They grow long and are climbers, so you can leave them in a high place and let them fall or tangle their leaves as they grow on a vertical surface. The leaves get wider and larger as it grows.
Related: What Is the Best Place for Pothos?
My pothos is weak, what can I do?
Pothos is a very easy plant to maintain and is also easily “recoverable” if it begins to show signs of disease or decline. If your pothos looks bad it may grow very long stems with few leaves, leaving a sparse plant: it may be that your pothos is looking for light because it does not have enough light where you have put it.
A solution can be to replant the cuttings that sprout from the long stem on the same plant (this way, you will make it much denser). When they become bare, the best thing to do is to prune the stems. If it starts to show yellowing leaves and the soil it is in never seems to dry out, the best thing to do is to repot it.
In addition, there are tips to protect your plants from possible fungi and parasites, such as cleaning your plant with vinegar, which will help keep it healthy and happy.
How often should pothos be watered?
This is not a plant that requires very specific or complicated care. Pothos is the ideal plant if you are not at home a lot or you tend to forget to water the pots regularly.
This plant needs to be watered moderately (if you “drown” it, the leaves will start to turn yellow, the leaves will fall off and it will not grow lushly) and keeping the soil moist, waiting for it to dry out between watering, will be more than enough. This routine together with the right location and lighting will be enough for your pothos to grow in a short time.
How to take care of Pothos
Down below are simple tips to achieve greater density and resistance in this climbing plant.
If there is an indoor plant par excellence, and one that never fails in any home, office, or commercial premises, that is the Pothos, also known as Pothos, Potus, or Epipremnum aureum. It is one of the most popular and easiest species to care for, although this does not mean that we should neglect it.
Pothos is a plant native to Southeast Asia, and one of its main characteristics is its hardiness. It is a climbing plant of the rainforest and its leaves are a deep green color, tinged with cream-colored patterns. In addition, it can reach a maximum height of 20 meters.
The light
Pothos is a very hardy plant that requires very bright exposures to keep all its foliage in good condition. With a lack of light, pothos loses their lower leaves and develops long, weak stems that grow in search of light. The light mustn’t be direct, that is to say, that it is screened through a curtain. Consider reading our article on how to grow pothos in a windowless bathroom if you’re interested in cultivating pothos plants in a room with minimal light.
Watering
It should be moderate because an excess of water causes yellowing of the leaves and their subsequent fall. Let the soil dry out between waterings and spray the leaves frequently with lukewarm water.
Fertilize
It is advisable to fertilize the plant every month during the growing process and every three months during the resting period.
Bare stems
When we see that the stems of our plant are losing leaves at their base and are practically naked, it is better to prune them so that it is not tarnished.
When to propagate
It is not advisable to move the specimen pot at least two years after the last propagation, as it is a plant that suffers and is quite stressed by changes in container and site.
It multiplies easily
The Pothos has the ability to multiply very quickly by cuttings through hydroponic cultivation, that is to say, only with water. A simple leaf with its stem submerged in a glass of water can be the origin of a specimen as large as the one it comes from.
The benefits of having a Pothos at home
This plant is known for its quality to purify the air, absorbing and eliminating toxic substances such as formaldehyde, which is released from many materials and common elements in the house, as well as benzene and xylene.
In addition, the Pothos is not a plant that frequently suffers the attack of pests or diseases. In any case, when it suffers from them, they are mainly caused by mealy bugs, red spiders, bacteria, or fungi. To combat them, it is advisable to use pesticides and, in the case of a serious affection, to directly eliminate the damaged parts of the plant.