What are the propagation methods for pothos? A guide to common propagation techniques

I. Cuttings

1. Selecting stems

Select mature, robust stems from the pothos that are free of pests and diseases. It is generally recommended to select them from the center of the pothos plant, as this also helps with the ventilation of the leaves and branches in the middle. The selected stems should have three or four leaves, with a length of about ten-odd centimeters.

2. Choosing a substrate

The choice of cutting substrate is very important. Choose loose, fertile, clean soil, but it must not contain fertilizer, as fertilizer will inhibit the production of new roots and is not conducive to the pothos surviving.

3. Later care

After planting, place the pothos in a cool, ventilated spot. The cuttings and young seedlings must be carefully protected from direct strong light. If the humidity in your home is relatively low and the air is too dry, you can cover the leaf surface of the cuttings with plastic film. If the number of cuttings is relatively small, you can also invert a disposable paper cup over them to help keep them warm and moist.

II. Layering

Pothos grows aerial roots at its nodes. Taking advantage of this feature, we can select relatively long pothos stems and bury them in the soil without cutting them off, making sure the soil can cover the “nodes” of the pothos so that the aerial roots can do their work. In about twenty-odd days to a month, the small nodes will produce roots. Once the roots have grown, you can cut them off from the parent plant, dig them out of the soil, and transplant them into a new flowerpot.

III. Water rooting

Place the cut stems (requirements as above) with their wounds in a cool place for about twenty minutes to let the wounds slowly dry, then add water to a clean container and put the stems in. Simply change the water about once a week, and you will gradually be able to observe new roots growing. After the new roots appear, you can choose soil culture or water culture. If you want soil culture, you can transplant once the new roots have grown to about ten-odd centimeters.