Pothos Watering Guide: Frequency, Amount and Method for the Flower of Life

Pothos is a green leafy plant that can be grown either hydroponically or in soil. Because of its high ornamental value and its ability to absorb harmful gases such as formaldehyde and benzene, it is deeply favored by plant lovers. But to grow pothos well, you need to water it properly. So how many days apart should pothos be watered? How much water is generally good? How should you water it?

1. How many days apart should pothos be watered?

Pothos has a relatively high demand for moisture, and it is generally best to keep the potting soil moist. Remember never to water it with rice water. Although rice water contains quite a few nutrients that can be used, it must be composted, fermented and fully rotted before use; otherwise it will not only easily breed insects, but in serious cases can also cause root rot. If the summer temperature is relatively high, pothos grows vigorously and holds a large amount of water, so it needs watering about every 2 days. In autumn and winter, the amount of watering should be controlled according to the indoor temperature. When the room temperature is below 10 degrees, the soil of the plant evaporates more slowly, so watering should be reduced to once every 4-5 days. After heating begins, watering should also not be too frequent, once every 3-4 days.

2. How should pothos be watered?

1. How should it be watered in spring and autumn?

(1) Watering frequency: water once every 4-5 days

(2) Watering method: In autumn, the amount of water given to pothos should be strictly controlled according to the indoor temperature. Before heating is provided in winter, because the temperature is relatively low, the moisture in the pothos soil evaporates relatively slowly, so we need to reduce the number of waterings, watering once every 4-5 days is enough, and the amount of water should be controlled to one-half of the original amount. Even after heating is provided, pothos should not be watered too many times; it only needs to be watered once every 3-4 days.

2. How should it be watered in summer?

(1) Watering frequency: water once every 2 days

(2) Watering method: In summer, because the indoor temperature during the day is relatively high, pothos grows relatively vigorously, and at that time it holds a large amount of water. Therefore, we only need to water pothos once every two days. Because indoor humidity in summer is relatively low, increasing humidity is beneficial to the healthy growth of pothos.

3. How should it be watered in winter?

(1) Watering frequency: water once every 3-4 days

(2) Watering method: In winter, when we water, we should try to reduce watering toward the center of the pothos pot, and instead let water seep in from beside the pothos's coir. In addition, we should also spray water mist onto the areas where the pothos's brown aerial roots grow. With this method, we can reduce the problem of insufficient water absorption by the roots caused by pothos leaves losing water too quickly through evaporation.

4. Pothos watering principle: do not water until dry

Except in summer, pothos should be watered in spring and autumn only after the potting soil has dried, generally once every 5-7 days, and spraying water on the leaf surface two or three times a day is enough.

When watering, if you can mix one-thousandth potassium dihydrogen phosphate into the water when spraying, it will make the pothos leaves thicker and more emerald green, and they will also be very pleasing to admire.

(1) First watering

For pothos that has just been bought back, it is generally recommended to water it during the daytime the next day. The amount of water should ensure the substrate is thoroughly watered, but the water storage tray must not have too much standing water.

(2) Watering after repotting

Watering should be stopped 2-3 days before repotting pothos. After repotting, follow the same approach as the first watering and water thoroughly once.

3. How can you tell whether pothos needs watering?

1. Observe the leaves

If the pothos leaves show obvious wrinkling or shriveling, it means they lack moisture and it is time to water.

2. Observe the soil

If the surface layer of the pothos soil has already dried with no moisture, that means the pothos is already severely short of water. However, at this point do not water too much, otherwise it will cause root rot. You can only water appropriately and then spray water on the leaf surface.