Why Pothos Leaves Turn Black Like They Are Burnt and How to Fix It

Pothos is an extremely well-known green plant that can be grown both outdoors and indoors, and it matches almost every decorating style perfectly. But did you know? There are many things to keep in mind when growing pothos, otherwise it will also send out disease warnings, such as the symptom of pothos leaves turning black like they are burnt. So what causes this? How should it be remedied?

1. What causes pothos leaves to turn black like they are burnt?

1. Too much or too little watering

Many people think that when growing pothos, there is no need to pay too much attention to watering, because pothos is both drought-tolerant and does not need much water. In fact, this “rough care” approach is very unfavorable for the growth of pothos.

If pothos is watered too much, the soil easily becomes compacted, and in this way the soil’s air permeability is greatly reduced. The roots of the pothos will also be deprived of oxygen under the double pressure of soil compaction and water accumulation. Because the nutrient supply is insufficient, the pothos leaves will gradually turn yellow and then black.

2. Freeze damage from temperatures that are too low

Freeze damage from temperatures that are too low is the main reason pothos leaves turn black in winter, especially when the roots are frozen. If kept in a low-temperature state for a long time, pothos leaves will also turn black and dry up as if they had been burnt.

3. Not enough air humidity

This situation mostly occurs in the hot summer and in winter when air conditioning or heating is kept on indoors for long periods. Relatively speaking, pothos still prefers a humid environment. If the air humidity is not enough, pothos will dry up and turn black because it is too dry.

4. Temperatures that are too high or light that is too strong

Pothos is relatively suited to being grown in a place with partial shade and partial sun. Therefore, if the temperature is too high or the light is too strong, it will cause the transpiration of the pothos to speed up, and the plant will quickly lose water, resulting in the phenomenon of leaves turning black.

5. Too much fertilizer

Actually, pothos does not need much fertilizer. Generally, it only needs some foliar fertilizer supplement. If too much fertilizer is applied, it will instead burn the roots and seedlings of the pothos, accompanied by scorched-yellow and blackened leaves.

2. How should pothos leaves turning black be remedied?

If some leaves have already turned black, the following measures can be taken to remedy the situation and prevent the symptoms from worsening.

1. Prune off the blackened leaves

The leaves that have already turned black have already severely lost their internal water, and the plant cells have already been damaged, so it is very difficult to make them “green up” again. It is best to prune off these leaves first to avoid contagion.

2. Deep-loosen the potting soil or repot

You can first take the pothos plant out of the flowerpot, gently shake off the soil around the roots, and then deeply loosen the potting soil or directly repot it. After loosening the soil, you can apply a small amount of organic fertilizer to the soil, then transplant the pothos back into the flowerpot, and finally spread a layer of gravel on the surface of the plant to increase the permeability of the soil.

Warm tip: During the repotting process, if conditions allow, you can also disinfect the roots of the pothos. You can use a diluted potassium permanganate solution, which can also prevent pests and diseases to a certain extent.