How To Care For and Propagate Indoor Pothos Plants
How to care for and propagate indoor Pothos house plants using proper care methods like single node cuttings and ensuring adequate light for healthy growth. Set in an area with non-direct sunlight. Water only when top soil is dry.
I am so excited to have teamed up with some of my gal pals over on Instagram to share all about plants! Yes, you read that right…PLANTS!! I know this is something that I haven’t shared about since my flourishing container garden in 2012 {whoa, I’m a dinosaur in the blogging world!} and that I usually prefer artificial plants for household decor…but hey, who says someone can’t change?
My Introduction to Pothos Plants
Let me take you on a little journey of my lovin’ on plant days…one cold, November, wintry day in Wisconsin, during the middle of Covid, we ventured to Home Depot and I stumbled upon the saddest looking clearance household plant there ever was. This green leafy plant hung there on the shelf in its plastic hanging basket with the bright yellow clearance sticker. It literally pulled at my heart strings and whispered “buy me, take me home, I promise I won’t die like all of the other houseplants you’ve bought”.
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So…like the good Samaritan I am, I bought that dang $3 clearance pothos plant and we’ve been BFFs ever since!
I have to admit, I am a sucker for dying, tossed aside, no one else wants things! I love a good revival story and turning something completely around!
I hate the saying “if I can do it, so can you”….ugh! That’s always so pathetic sounding! Haha …. However, if you are like me or not, I promise you that raising a Pothos plant in your home is actually not that hard! It literally just sits there, and gets watered when you remember…and somehow, keeps growing! It’s like a magic plant!
Now, six months later, the saddest little Pothos plant has babies, that have also flourished and moved far far away to Illinois! ? So I guess, congratulations are in order for me…I’m a plant grandma!
Alright, let’s get a little more serious! Let’s dive into how to care for a Pothos plant and how to propagate one (and what propagate means for that matter!)
What is a Pothos Plant?
Pothos are actually tropical plants, known scientifically as Epipremnum aureum, is often referred to as Devil’s Ivy due to its resilience and adaptability in various environments. A Pothos plant is an evergreen plant that is commonly grown indoors, although it can survive outdoors in warmer climates. The Pothos has large, waxy-green leaves that are heart shaped.
Most of us recognize Pothos plants as popular hanging plants with long, trailing vines. Typically, Pothos are grown in hanging baskets, and add that perfect touch of greenery to any space.
Golden Pothos is one of the most popular varieties due to its striped variegation and ability to thrive in low-light conditions.
How To Care For A Pothos Plant Indoors
The great thing is, pothos plants don’t need a whole lot of care or attention.
- Placing your Pothos in areas with indirect sunlight and using a well-draining soil mixture can prevent common issues like root rot
- They are loner plants and are totally fine just sitting there by themselves soaking up minimal sunlight and water…and thriving! Literally, these plants are so low maintenance and pretty hard to kill! Yay for all of us who don’t have green thumbs!!
- Ensure the pot has drainage holes and monitor the soil surface to water only when dry
Where To Put Pothos Plants in Your Home
Where To Place
Many people ask, “where should i put my pothos?” and “can pothos be in direct sunlight?”. Pothos plants thrive in lower, non-direct sunlight areas indoors! These plants are a great way to bring life to low-light conditions, such as bathrooms or basements that don’t get a ton of sunlight!
Where Not To Place
Pothos plants, however, do not thrive very well in direct sunlight. I keep one of my Pothos plants in my kitchen on a window shelf above my sink, while the others are scattered throughout our library and dining room.
What is Propagation?
Propagation is starting/breeding a plant from another plant. For Pothos, propagation often involves stem cuttings, which can develop tiny roots in water or soil under the right conditions.
How To Propagate Pothos Plants
Propagate Pothos in Water or Soil?
Pothos are very interesting plants as they can be grown fully immersed in water or potted in soil! Clippings can be taken from the mother plant and be put into water or soil. However, it is harder to grow a baby plant in an environment in which it was not “birthed” in. Therefore, if you have Pothos plant in soil, it’s best to put the baby clippings into soil to root. Alternatively, if you have a Pothos plant in water, it’s best to put those baby clippings into a container with water!
Propagating Pothos In Water
If you are planning to grow a baby Pothos clipping in water, tall skinny necked bottles work best. Be sure to change out the water every couple of days as the oxygen in the water dissipates … and plants need oxygen to grow!
Where To Cut Pothos Plant for Propagation
Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut the Pothos clipping right before and after the stem of a new leaf, like shown in this picture. This is called a “node”.
Pothos Root Growth Through Water Propagation
Can you root pothos in water?
Yes! You absolutely can! Below is my rooted Pothos in water!
How long for pothos to root in water?
Every time I have propagated Photos in water, the roots start to appear usually within two weeks.
Happy, Healthy & Thriving Pothos Plants
When Pothos plants are happy and healthy they have large, beautiful leaves. Some with variegation (different colored leaves/sections) and some with none. On my particular rescue Pothos plant, I have a lot of variegation at on the newer growth leaves – which leads me to believe it is a Golden Pothos or Devil’s Ivy. The leaves that are longer down the vine tend to be solid green.
Pothos plants can grow very long vines. Clipping them back and rooting the clippings in the same pot can help create beautiful and bushy Pothos plants!
p.s. Pothos plants thrive even more when they are placed next to pictures with people who love them! …true story! ?
Now that you are a Pothos expert, go out and rescue the poor clearance Pothos plant and give it a second chance at life! It will thank you in the long run!
Signing off for now…
xoxo, the happy plant grandma!
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Stephanie—home cook, DIY addict, seasonal decor fanatic, and proud chicken wrangler living in a Victorian house that’s always a project. Whether I’m cooking with garden-fresh ingredients, herding mischievous chickens, or tackling another DIY, I’m here to share the fun (and chaos).
I love my pothos plants! Great post on propogation. Going to try it! ~Missy
I loved reading your post…my mother had this plant…I never knew the name but she had it for YEARS! It was nice to snip off a cutting and share with neighbors as she often did. Great post!
Enjoyed your post. I have a pothos that my now 36 year old son gave me as a Mother’s Day gift when he was in 5th grade. I replant it every year in fresh soil so it has the nutrients it needs to keep producing. I keep it in the same sized pot for ease of care and to minimize its growth. When I place it in new soil I propagate it by cutting off the longer tendrils and cutting those yet again as you’ve stated. I put the fresh cuts in water and voila! Within two weeks I have a root system going. I generally do not keep the clippings but this year I did. Otherwise I’d be knee deep in ivy! Once the root system is established in the water I move it to its own planter and now I’ve got a second container filled with a beautiful ivy. Thanks for saving a neglected plant and giving it a bee life!
How awesome is that! I love that you still have the gift from your son!! Thank you so much for the tips! I’ve since cut this pathos several times over the past 9 months…and now it’s growing crazy! The vines are half way down my dining room china cabinet!
I have one that my then boyfriend (now husband of 43 years!) found left behind in my dorm when he was helping me move out after my freshman year of college. Since we dated for four years before marrying, the plant is now 47 — yes, 47! — years old! I have given away cuttings, rooted it many, many times, and kept it going. Just like us!
Oh my gosh! This is so amazing! 47 years old!!! Wowza! Now I really have plant goals to try and live up to!!!
What is the difference between a pothos and a philodendron
Here’s a great article explaining the difference between the two… https://www.thespruce.com/pothos-vs-philodendron-differences-5069402
Hi! This is probably the only plant that could survive in my condo. I haven’t bought one in years because I have two cats and one who likes to nibble. Are these poisonous to cats?
Hi LouAnn, yay that a pathos would survive in your apartment…but bummer, because yes, I do believe it is poisonous to cats. However, I will say, I have 3 cats and they have never touched my pothos. I do keep it up high on my china hutch (because then it has space to “crawl down” as it grows. Maybe that is something you could try?? Good luck!