The Latest Hydroponic Pothos Growing Methods and Precautions

Hydroponic pothos is one of the very best hydroponic plants for indoor decoration, a climbing vine grown for its foliage. The vines are slender and supple, the leaves delicate and elegant. Place a nested pot high on top of a piece of furniture and let its trailing stems hang down gracefully, or, once the trailing stems grow too long, loop and hang them into rings, like emerald reliefs. Hydroponic pothos likes warm, humid conditions and requires loose, fertile, well-drained soil. Hydroponic pothos is extremely shade-tolerant and can be displayed in a bright spot indoors in all four seasons; in a dimly lit room, it should be moved every half month to a brighter environment for a period of recovery, otherwise the internodes tend to elongate and the leaves to shrink.

Propagation Methods for Hydroponic Pothos

Hydroponic pothos is mainly propagated by cuttings. In late spring and early summer, cut 15 cm to 30 cm stems, remove the leaves from the basal 1 to 2 nodes, and pot them directly in growing medium, 3 to 5 stems per pot; water thoroughly and place in a cool, ventilated spot, keeping the potting soil moist. Roots and shoots will appear in about one month, and within the same year the plant will grow into a specimen with ornamental value.

Cuttings taken from stems in spring and summer root easily; for a totem-pole display, tip cuttings with large leaves must be used, as this shapes up faster. Hydroponic pothos can also be grown in water, but the plants are smaller than soil-grown ones. A freshly cut hydroponic pothos grown in water generally takes within about a week to grow roots.

Growing Environment for Hydroponic Pothos

1. Temperature conditions: In northern regions in autumn and winter, to make up for the lack of temperature and photosynthesis, its light exposure should be increased. The method is to place the hydroponic pothos in the brightest spot indoors, or move it onto a sealed balcony to sunbathe at noon. At the same time, when temperatures are low, open windows as little as possible, because the leaves may be frostbitten within a very short time. At a room temperature above 10°C, hydroponic pothos can overwinter safely; at a room temperature above 20°C, hydroponic pothos can grow normally. Most households have no problem reaching this temperature; note that large temperature differences should be avoided, and also be careful not to let the leaves come close to heating equipment.

2. Water volume and room temperature: In autumn and winter, the amount of watering should be strictly controlled according to room temperature. Before heating begins, when temperatures are lower, reduce watering, keeping the amount between 1/4 and 1/2 of the original. Even after heating begins, watering should not be too frequent; water less into the pot and let water seep through the coir. In addition, water should be sprayed at 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 stand for a day is better; water that is too cold easily damages the roots.

3. In autumn and winter, most plants grow slowly or even stop growing, so fertilizing should be reduced. Before winter sets in, mainly use liquid inorganic fertilizer, about once every 15 days. After winter sets in, fertilizing should mainly be foliar spraying, applied mainly through the stomata on the leaf surface; the fertilizer is absorbed through the stomata on the leaf surface, so its effect acts directly on the leaves. Special-purpose fertilizer should be used for foliar feeding; ordinary inorganic fertilizers are not easily absorbed by the leaves.

Growing Methods for Hydroponic Pothos

Hydroponic pothos grows fairly quickly and its cultivation and management are simple. The specific growing methods for hydroponic pothos are as follows:

1. Choose good pothos stems: healthy, strong stems with aerial roots are the best candidates for hydroponics; after cutting, such stems with aerial roots placed in clean water quickly adapt to the hydroponic environment, and within 15 to 20 days they grow water roots.

2. Put the aerial roots into the water as well; aerial roots can also serve as nutrient roots, absorbing water and nutrients.

3. During the growing period, dilute special hydroponic fertilizer and spray it on the leaf surface to make the leaves even more colorful.

4. Pothos vines are soft and graceful, with mottled leaf colors; small plants can also be grown in wall-mounted containers, letting them lean and trail down like a green curtain, fresh and elegant.

5. Like potted pothos, hydroponic pothos also needs regular pruning; cut away overlong and tangled stems to keep an orderly, well-spaced appearance.

Precautions for Hydroponic Pothos

1. In the growing methods for hydroponic pothos, temperature deserves special attention, because pothos originates from the Indonesian archipelago and likes warmth, so it is easier to grow in a milder-temperature environment.

2. Choose clean tap water or purified water to grow pothos, because it contains a large amount of minerals.

3. For hydroponic pothos, frequent water changes are very necessary, generally once every two to three days; the reason is that pothos has extremely high requirements for water quality. Adding nutrient solution is also a must, so that the pothos can shine with vitality.