Pothos Care: What to Know

Hello and welcome to Healthy Houseplants, where we teach you all about gardening in the great indoors. Today’s video is sponsored by our Amazon affiliate link, which you’ll see in the description below. You’ll also find links to any videos I mention in this video.

Today, I’m going to talk to you about pothos. The botanical name for pothos is Epipremnum aureum. This is a lovely vining houseplant, as you can see. It’s one of my favorites because of its versatility and because it’s so easy to grow indoors. It’s great for filling in areas with other plants and makes a fantastic addition to mixed planters.

Here, we have a pothos that was planted not long ago in a mixed planter with a croton. Pothos also comes in variegated forms, as you can see here, with beautiful cream colors alongside green. Many pothos varieties will naturally display a marbleizing effect in their leaves, which adds to their appeal.

Pothos plants can vary significantly in color; some are darker green, while others may have a lighter, lime green appearance. This diversity in foliage makes them quite versatile. They are very easy to grow, as they can tolerate being slightly dry before they start to protest. A schoolteacher once gave me a pothos that was a baby from her plant. She would leave it over the summer in school with very little water, and by fall, it would be quite droopy. After watering it, it would bounce back beautifully.

While I don’t recommend intentionally letting your pothos dry out regularly, it’s a testament to how rugged these plants are for indoor growing. They don’t need much fertilizer, although they respond well when they receive it. Pothos can thrive in various lighting situations, from low light to brighter conditions, making them suitable for almost any indoor environment.

As you can tell, they are great for trailing, and you can also train them to grow up a trellis. If you get a small trellising system, you can place it in the back of the pot and guide the vines to grow upwards. They also make lovely hanging basket plants.

To keep your pothos healthy and vibrant, it’s important to avoid overwatering them. Overwatering can lead to root rot, which is a common issue for many houseplants. Let them approach dryness before watering again. I recommend checking with a moisture meter; around a reading of four is generally good, as most moisture meters indicate one to three as dry (in the red zone) and four onwards as moisture.

The key to a healthy pothos is to avoid overwatering. When they need water, their leaves will start to dull and droop, which is a sign that you should check the soil. If the soil is approaching dryness, it’s time to water.

I have an upcoming video on five different ways to check if a plant needs watering, which will be helpful for pothos and other plants. When you do water, consider bottom watering. I have a video on that method, where you submerge the plant in a larger container, allowing it to soak up moisture effectively.

Pothos can recover from drought, but they may lose some foliage in the process. When they are drought-stressed, they tend to shed leaves to conserve water, which is not ideal if your pothos was once lush. If this happens, you can prune the plant back to encourage new growth. Be sure to cut just below a node, as that’s where new roots will form if planted.

Even if you’re pruning to make the plant bushier, always remember not to prune off more than one-third of the plant’s growth at once, as this can shock the plant and potentially lead to root rot if the remaining foliage is too small for the pot. I’ve discussed the best ratio for healthy houseplants: two-thirds plant to one-third pot.

As I mentioned earlier, pothos can grow in almost any lighting situation. However, they thrive best in medium light. While they can tolerate high light, avoid placing them too close to windows, especially in western or southern exposures, where they might get burned. Sunburn appears as brown spots on the leaves, so if you notice this, adjust their location accordingly.

If you have your pothos in dim conditions, they will grow more slowly but can still remain healthy if you avoid overwatering, as they absorb water more slowly in low light. Keeping your plants clean is also essential. Pothos can attract pests like mealybugs, so check your plants regularly, especially at the leaf joints and where the soil meets the base of the plant.

Pothos can go without fertilizer for long periods, but it’s a good idea to fertilize them regularly with an organic food. I recommend using Green Gourmet House Plant Food, which I’ll link to below. They really respond well to organic fertilizers, which generally have lower nitrogen levels compared to chemical fertilizers.

As a rule of thumb, fertilize every two to three months, and your pothos will remain healthy, vibrant, and continue to brighten your home. Thank you for stopping by today! Please leave any comments about indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see. Remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this video. If you’re a subscriber, check the bell to be notified when we release new videos.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pothos Care

Patreon:   / healthyhouseplants  

One-time donation: https://ko-fi.com/healthyhouseplants

Sign up for my monthly newsletter: http://eepurl.com/g1PCSH 

• Perky Plant fertilizer: https://amzn.to/3RdLA00
• Seaweed extract: https://amzn.to/3z2CsFh
• Rooting hormone: https://amzn.to/3bIXi0t
• Espoma fertilizer: https://amzn.to/3vPa9bs
• Worm compost: https://amzn.to/3HVL01u
• Full-spectrum Light Bulb-Large: https://amzn.to/3yR6VBu
• Full-spectrum Lighting: https://amzn.to/3qhhaiv
• Light meter: https://amzn.to/4dpmp3s
• Moisture meter: https://amzn.to/3TEUu5N
• Hygrometer: https://amzn.to/3Cf6h2F
• Pruning shears: https://amzn.to/3X6oOcg
• ProMix Potting Soil: https://amzn.to/3iVIrjE
• My Organic Green Gourmet Houseplant Fertilizer: healthyhouseplants.storenvy.com
• My Perfect Pumice: Healthy Houseplants Store
• My Organic Green Gourmet Houseplant Fertilizer: Healthy Houseplants Store