What to Do When a Pothos Has Root Rot and Yellowing Leaves? Grow It This Way for Lush Growth

Although pothos is famously “easy to grow”, root rot and wilting still occur frequently, so what should you do when a pothos has root rot and yellowing leaves? How do you grow it so it becomes lush and thriving?

1. What to do about pothos root rot?

1. Causes of pothos root rot

Pothos root rot generally has the following causes:

(1) Overwatering

Pothos likes water, but that does not mean it should be watered heavily. Soil culture and water culture are different. In water culture, the water is changed regularly, and it is enough to ensure there is sufficient oxygen in the water. In soil culture, watering simply provides the plant with water for growth. When watered too much, the soil becomes oxygen-deprived, the roots cannot get oxygen, and rot occurs.

(2) Temperature too low

Pothos is a heat-loving plant. The most suitable growing temperature is 15-25°C, and in winter it must not drop below 10°C for it to overwinter safely. When the temperature is too low, root growth is inhibited and root rot easily occurs.

(3) Fungal and bacterial infection

Bacterial infection is unavoidable. In a hot and humid environment, the plant is very susceptible to fungal attack.

(4) Poor water quality

Another important cause of root rot is dirty water. When there are large amounts of bacteria in the water and the plant remains in this environment for a long time, the roots cannot get enough nutrients and root rot easily occurs.

(5) Soil fertility too high

Needless to say, this means the roots have been burned.

2. How to deal with pothos root rot

(1) Root rot in soil-grown pothos

Root rot in soil-grown pothos is generally caused by waterlogging. What you need to do is give the pothos a new home. Prepare new soil with more peat and other large-particle soil, cut off the rotted roots, wash them clean, and replant. If the original plant is truly too far gone to save, you can only cut off the stems and leaves and re-propagate them from cuttings.

(2) Root rot in water-grown pothos

If a water-grown pothos has severe root rot, the owner must have been very lazy and failed to change the water. When the roots gradually turn to mush and give off a foul smell, a perfectly good potted plant is ruined. But it is not a big deal: take the pothos out and cut off the rotted parts. Also be sure to wash the bottle clean and disinfect it while you are at it. Then change the water and restart water culture.

2. What to do when pothos leaves turn yellow?

1. Lack of light

Pothos is naturally accustomed to living in shaded environments, but an environment that is too dark will also make its leaves turn yellow and look listless. This shows that it needs the nourishment of a light source. If this problem is not solved for a long time, it will also develop more yellow leaves and leaf drop.

Solution: When you know the pothos has yellow leaves because of a lack of light, give it some appropriate sun exposure, but preferably indirect light, because it still cannot tolerate direct exposure to overly strong light. Otherwise, not only will the yellowing not improve, but in serious cases it may even be sunburned to death.

2. Temperature too low

In fact, growing pothos should be relatively simple, but the environment for caring for it should also be relatively mild. Otherwise, too low a temperature will also cause yellow leaves. Too low a temperature signals that it is about to enter dormancy, which is a self-protective phenomenon.

Solution: When yellow leaves appear because the temperature is too low, see what season it is. If it is winter, move it to a relatively warmer place. After all the yellow leaves drop, it will send out new branches and shoots again in early spring. If it is not due to the influence of winter, take care to provide good protective measures and keep it warm, and the yellowing will improve somewhat.

3. Too much fertilizer

During care, this plant also needs the nourishment of fertilizer, but you cannot just apply a lot of fertilizer because you want it to grow well. That will cause excess nutrients that it cannot absorb, burn its roots, and produce yellow leaves.

Solution: When you know the yellow leaves are caused by applying too much fertilizer, first remove its roots from the potting soil and preferably replace the soil with a new pot of soil to continue growing it. Or, if it is not easy to transplant, water it more to dilute and wash away the excess fertilizer.

4. Improper watering

When people care about the question of what to do when pothos leaves turn yellow, the key point is still wanting to stop the yellowing from continuing or prevent leaf drop. In general, most causes of yellow leaves are improper watering, either too much or too little. At this time, the most direct sign from the pothos is yellow leaves.

Solution: When yellow leaves appear because of improper watering, check the condition of the potting soil. If it has already cracked and dried out, take care to water it more. If water keeps seeping out of the potting soil, that shows it is usually watered too much, and at this point you only need to remove the excess water.

5. Root rot problem

Root rot is also a cause of yellowing in pothos. Generally, root rot in pothos is caused by the potting soil and watering.

Specific signs: the color of young leaves becomes lighter, turning yellow or pale green.

Solution: Cut off the rotted roots, apply plant ash to the wounds, then replace the potting soil and put it back in the pot. Note that there must be no standing water in the pot, and it is best to spread plant ash on the bottom.

3. How do you grow pothos so it becomes lush?

1. Light

The original growing conditions of pothos are in forests shaded by towering trees, so its phototropism is not strong. But in the autumn and winter in the north, to make up for the lack of temperature and photosynthesis, its light exposure should be increased. The method is to place the pothos in the spot with the best indoor light, or move it to a sealed balcony at noon to bask in the sun. At the same time, when the temperature is low, open the windows as little as possible, because the leaves may be frostbitten in a very short time.

2. Temperature

In the north, pothos can overwinter safely at a room temperature above 10°C, and it can grow normally at a room temperature above 20°C. Generally, households have no problem reaching this temperature. What needs attention is avoiding too large a temperature difference, and also making sure the leaves do not get close to heating equipment.

3. Humidity

This refers to the water content of the air in the plant's growing environment. Under the condition of ensuring normal temperature, increasing humidity is extremely beneficial to plant growth. Humidity can be increased in the following ways. Place the plant near a humidifier, with the humidifier running for more than 5 hours a day, so the plant can enjoy the mist sprayed from the humidifier; use a sprayer adjusted to the mist setting to spray water on the plant's leaves, stems and aerial roots several times a day; keep an appropriate amount of water in the flower pot saucer, and through its evaporation increase the local temperature around the plant; gently wipe the leaf surface with a cold wet towel or toilet paper, or lightly apply it to the leaf surface for a short time (1-2 hours per day); cover the plant with transparent plastic film to create a small greenhouse effect, supplementing the plant's water through evaporation of water vapor from the soil, for no more than 2 hours a day, as too long will affect the plant's ventilation and photosynthesis.

4. Water

The amount of watering in autumn and winter should be strictly controlled according to room temperature. Before heating, when the temperature is lower, the plant's soil evaporates more slowly, so watering should be reduced, and the amount should be controlled to between 1/4-1/2 of the original. Even after heating, watering should not be too frequent. When watering, pour less into the pot, and water should seep through the coir. In addition, water should also be sprayed on the places where aerial roots grow on the coir pole, to reduce insufficient root water uptake caused by overly rapid evaporation. For winter watering, water that has been left to sit for a day is better, as water that is too cold easily damages the roots.

5. Fertilizer

In the autumn and winter in the north, most plants grow slowly or even stop growing, so fertilizing should be reduced. Before winter begins, mainly apply liquid inorganic fertilizer by watering or spraying, about once every 15 days. After winter begins, fertilization should mainly be foliar spraying, applied mainly through the stomata on the leaf surface, so that the fertilizer is absorbed through the stomata on the leaf surface and the fertilizer effect can act directly on the leaf surface. Special fertilizer should be used for foliar fertilizer; ordinary inorganic fertilizer is not easily absorbed by the leaf surface.