What does the pothos symbolize, and what details should you pay attention to when caring for it?
Everyone is surely familiar with the pothos plant; you always see it in office or home decor. Why are people so keen on growing pothos? First, pothos is very easy to care for, and it grows well in both soil and water. Second, the leaves of the pothos grow in clusters and are very beautiful, so it can decorate any spot, especially when hung up and trailing down, swaying with the breeze. Third, pothos can purify the air, absorbing all kinds of harmful gases. As a foliage plant, we rarely see the pothos bloom, yet it is called the “flower of life.”Every plant has its own symbolic meaning. So what does the pothos symbolize? And what details should you pay attention to when caring for it?
I. What does the pothos symbolize?
1. Introduction to pothos
(1) Family and genus: Pothos belongs to the Araceae family, genus Epipremnum (Scindapsus), and has a well-developed root system.
(2) Varieties: Green-leaf pothos, whose leaves are entirely green with no patterns or variegation; Marble pothos, which refers to pothos with stripes of various colors on the leaves; Yellow-leaf pothos, whose leaves are pale golden yellow and rather thin; Silver pothos (Scindapsus pictus), whose leaves bear milky white markings and which is more robust than the original variety; Tricolor pothos, whose leaf surface bears green and creamy yellow markings; Golden pothos, whose leaves bear irregular yellow streaks.
(3) Planting methods: The common planting methods are water culture and soil culture.
(4) Growing regions: The main growing regions for pothos are Guangdong, Fujian and Shanghai. It is native to the Solomon Islands and is now widely planted in the tropical regions of Asia; it is a common foliage plant.
2. What does the pothos symbolize?
(1) Pothos symbolizes the guardian of happiness
You have probably never seen a pothos bloom, but the pothos' greatest dream is to produce beautiful flowers. It works tirelessly toward this dream, looking forward to the arrival of happiness, and so the pothos symbolizes the guardian of happiness.
(2) Pothos symbolizes kindness and resilience
Pothos is called the flower of life because of its tenacious vitality; wherever there is water, it can grow. Pothos has few requirements for growing conditions, yet it can grow emerald-green leaves for everyone to enjoy, hence kindness and resilience.
II. Notes on pothos care
1. Water appropriately
Watering pothos depends on the indoor temperature. Generally, in autumn and winter the amount of water should be reduced, cut to about half of the original amount; when the temperature gradually warms up, the frequency of watering should not be increased all at once either, but increased slowly. Remember not to water from the middle, but to irrigate slowly from the edges. Remember not to let water accumulate, to avoid root rot.
2. Fertilize at the right time
Generally, fertilizing emphasizes frequent light applications. It is now the cold winter, so fertilizing is mainly done by spraying the leaf surface; the fertilizer is absorbed through the stomata on the leaf surface, and the fertilizer effect can act directly on the leaf surface. Generally, before the onset of winter, liquid inorganic fertilizer is mainly applied by watering and spraying, about once every half a month.
3. Pay attention to the problem of yellowing pothos leaves
Generally, when a pothos bought back home enters a new environment, it very easily develops yellowing leaves. To avoid the problem of increased wounds and water loss caused by directly picking off the yellow leaves, cut them off from the middle of the leaf stalk. It is worth noting that yellowing of the bottom leaves is a normal phenomenon.
In addition, pothos should be placed in a spot with suitable light; it can neither be exposed to harsh sun nor be too dark. In summer, be sure to shade it appropriately so the whole plant does not get sunburned.
4. Prevent and control diseases
Pothos has three common diseases: leaf spot, anthracnose and root rot. Once these diseases occur, they affect the ornamental value of the whole plant's leaves, so during care you must always observe and prevent and treat them promptly.
Summary: Although pothos has no flowers, its dream is to bloom, and it strives toward this goal every day. Sometimes we people should also learn from this spirit: only with dreams does life have meaning.