How to Prune Pothos for Bushier Growth and How to Grow Pothos

As the economy and living standards improve, people's quality of life has also improved as never before, and many households have started growing pothos. Among all plants, pothos is probably one of the easier ones to grow. So many homes keep some pothos, and pothos also helps purify the air. Today I will teach you how to grow pothos and how to prune its branches and leaves.

How to Prune Pothos for Bushier Growth

1. Pothos basically does not need pruning in normal times; if you do prune it, it is for shaping. This kind of pruning is usually done in spring. When the stems and vines have covered the moss pole and the tips extend about 15 cm beyond the moss pole, cut off 30 cm of the stem tips of 2 to 3 of the plants. After the cutback sprouts new buds and new leaves, we then cut off the stem tips of the remaining plants.

2. After a winter passes, pothos may show whole-plant or lower-half leaf drop in a pot. At this point you can cut back half of the plant's stems and vines by 1/2, and the other half of the stems and vines by 2/3 or 3/4, so that the cut points are staggered at different heights. In this way, the new leaves that grow below the cut points can quickly cover the moss pole.

3. If conditions allow, we can use a small dragon jar, a large flower saucer or an oil basin filled with soil, with a wooden stick or bamboo pole about 1 m tall and 5 to 6 cm in diameter standing in the middle. Tie palm fiber or palm bark around the pole. Around the pole, plant 4 to 5 pothos plants of similar size with sturdy stems and leaves, preferably plants that have already been propagated by cuttings, rooted and are ready to be transplanted into the pot. This way the shape forms faster.

How to Grow Pothos

1. Pothos is an indoor plant that is very easy to grow, and it does not need much sunlight. But in the north in autumn and winter, to make up for the lack of temperature and photosynthesis, the light duration should be increased. At the same time, when the temperature is low, open windows as little as possible, because in a very short time the leaves may be frostbitten, and after frostbite the leaves will immediately turn yellow.

2. Pothos likes moisture; it likes to grow in a relatively humid environment, so indoor humidity can be maintained. You can use a humidifier to increase air humidity, or cover the plant with a transparent plastic bag to create a mini-greenhouse effect, but it should not exceed two hours.

3. Temperature is very key to growing pothos. The temperature must not be too low, otherwise the pothos will be frostbitten. A room temperature of 15 to 25 degrees is best. If heating equipment is on, the pothos leaves must not be too close to it. Keeping the indoor temperature above 10 degrees is enough for it to pass through winter safely.

4. Because pothos is generally grown indoors, over time the nutrients in the soil decrease. If conditions allow, it is best to fertilize once a month. The fertilizer for pothos can be bought at a flower shop or online.

5. When watering pothos, it is not suitable to water just a little each time, as this easily causes root rot. It is best to water thoroughly each time.

What to Do If Pothos Has Root Rot

1. Soil-cultured root rot: Root rot in soil-cultured pothos is generally caused by water accumulation. The best thing to do at this time is to replace it with some dry soil. In addition, you can add some large-particle soil such as peat, then cut off the rotted roots of the pothos, wash them clean, and move it to the new soil.

2. Water-cultured root rot: Root rot in water-cultured pothos is generally caused by not changing the water for too long. When this happens, the water will usually have a very unpleasant smell. The method is the same as for soil-cultured pothos: cut off the rotted roots, change to a basin of clean water, and put it back in, and it is usually fine.

What to Do If Pothos Grows Too Tall

1. The simplest way to stop pothos from growing taller and taller is to find something to secure its outermost nodes and direct them downward. Generally after about a week, it will grow in the direction you fixed it.

2. If you can bear to cut off the overly long branches and leaves, that can also stop pothos from growing upward all the time, but this way the pothos will not look good for a short time.

3. There is another way: cut off the branches and leaves that have grown too tall, and you can take them to another pot for cutting propagation. This way you get one more pot of pothos.

Today I taught you how to prune pothos. Have you all learned it? Actually, pothos is also very cheap to buy; online it only costs more than ten yuan per pot. So if your home has just finished renovation, you can buy some pothos to put at home to purify the air.