If there is one houseplant that is easy to live with, it must be the pothos! Also known as devil’s ivy, it is easy to maintain and plant, even for a beginner. The pothos is the ideal houseplant for all of those who don’t have a green thumb! Easy to thrive, it grows without requiring too much care, and its cutting is simple. What more could you ask for? In this article, we explain everything you need to know about pothos plant care.
As you read this, you can learn the following:
* An “Ivy” For Indoors
* Planting Pothos
* Care and Maintenance
* Pothos Multiplication
* Diseases and Pests
An “ivy” For Indoors
The pothos (epipremnum aureum) bears the name of “indoor ivy,” although it has nothing to do with ivy. Native to the Solomon Islands, this vigorous climber belongs to the araceae family. In its natural environment, it attacks tree trunks and can quickly reach a height of 10 meters, clinging to its aerial roots; whereas in our apartments, it rarely exceeds two meters. We appreciate the pothos for its bright heart-shaped foliage and its rapid growth.
The leaves are beautiful shiny green often spotted with yellow and change shape over time. The small oval leaves of 15 cm in length can transform into large sheets of nearly 25 cm deeply lobed on adult subjects. There are many cultivars on the market, including a variety that is almost entirely yellow (‘golden queen’), or another wide variety whose foliage is almost entirely mottled white (‘marble white’).
Without traveling, you can see beautiful specimens in tropical greenhouses. In the shop, you can find the pothos wrapped around a coconut fiber trunk.
The plant is depolluting against carbon monoxide but also toluene, benzene, hexane, and formaldehyde. However, the plant is toxic. Make sure to keep it away from children and animals! The pothos was often used in the past to decorate a handrail in our grandmothers’ apartments. Why not take inspiration from it to do the same, to create plant partitions to divide a room, or create a small intimate corner?
Planting Pothos
The pothos is originally a tropical plant and appreciates particularly humid and warm environments. You should mainly cultivate it in pots in a particular potting soil for house plants. This type of plant does not like direct sunlight; so make sure your pothos is placed in a bright spot without too much direct exposure and away from heat sources such as radiators, which tend to dry out the air. Also, pothos is not grown outdoors, except in areas where the climate is warm in winter.
The pothos or scindapsus is mainly grown in pots and the ground if a heated greenhouse protects it in winter. The scindapsus likes to be cramped; therefore, it doesn’t need a big pot. We advise you to plant the pothos in potting soil. Repotting takes place from February to October.
Pothos outdoors: The culture of the pothos on the outside is only possible in a tropical environment. Mix your garden soil with potting soil and choose a partially sunny but not hot spot. Be careful, growing pothos outdoors is only possible where the climate is relatively warm in winter.
Care and Maintenance
Pothos is very easy to grow. It requires very little maintenance and is quite resistant to various diseases. Although an organic fertilizer can restore the plant’s tonus, it is not essential. This shrub grows very well indoors throughout the year and can be taken outdoors from May to September as soon as the weather permits. The pothos remains a plant susceptible to rot. As for the majority of house plants, it is, advisable to let the soil dry between each watering. In winter, one watering per week should be necessary if the humidity in the growing area is not too low. The ground is light and should also be exceptionally draining (sphagnum moss seems to be ideal) to eliminate any risk of rotting.
We recommend a temperature of 18 to 25° Celsius for proper growth. When the soil becomes dry on the surface, we advise applying a moderate watering for the plant. On the other hand, you should avoid excess water as not to damage the roots and cause them to rot. Even in winter, the pothos has a minimal need for water. Watering should, therefore, be punctual.
To blossom, try regular cleaning of the leaves with a cloth soaked in water can give more brilliance to the bright foliage of the pothos: do not hesitate! Organic fertilizer can be beneficial to stimulate its growth and give it a little tonicity but is not essential.
Pothos Multiplication
Cutting pothos is the simplest and quickest technique to multiply the plant. Cuttings take place in the spring.
* Take cuttings of about 10-15 cm, not bearing flowers.
* Remove the lower leaves to keep only the last pair of leaves.
* Soak the base of the stem in cuttings hormone (optional but recommended).
* Plant the cutting(s) in a particular cutting soil.
* Create a transparent bell to keep the humidity.
* Place your cuttings in a slightly warm, bright place without direct sunlight.
* Keep the soil moist.
You can also divide the pothos by removing the shoots growing at the base, and replant them in a light and humid substrate.
Diseases and Pests
Good news for gardeners who don’t have a green thumb: pothos is a very hardy houseplant with no known diseases or enemies! The only things this plant fears and when it can be harmed are changes in temperature, inappropriate exposure, draughts, and excessive watering, which can result in the appearance of brown spots on the leaves of the pothos. Red spider mites are fearful as well as excess water (black spots), lack of light (all green leaves), or direct sunlight (pale leaves with brown spots). Regarding the ideal location, the plant enjoys hanging or climbing on a support such as a foam stick.
From the family araceae, the pothos is a tropical ornamental plant that grows in the hot and humid areas of India and Southeast Asia. Also known as epipremnum or scindapus, the pothos bears a striking resemblance to the philodendron, another ornamental plant with which it is often confused. This is mainly due to the dense, bushy, heart-shaped evergreen foliage, which ranges in color from light green to yellow and white. When cultivated as a houseplant, the pothos hardly ever blossoms, which is the case in its natural habitat.
The pothos is a plant known for its climbing qualities: it is, therefore, ideal in a hanging pot or against an indoor fence. You can place it in a container where its falling habit can still be very aesthetic! In addition to its beautiful qualities, the pothos is also known for its depolluting properties. Ideal for beginners in gardening who do not always have a green thumb; the pothos multiplies and requires little maintenance.