A Detailed Guide to the Cultivation Methods and Precautions for GreenHang Pothos

The following are the detailed care methods for pothos:

Pothos, also known as golden pothos and hunter's robe, is a perennial evergreen climbing plant of the genus Epipremnum in the Araceae family. It originates from the tropical rainforests of the Malay Peninsula in Asia and the Brazil region of South America.

As a shade-tolerant foliage plant, pothos is very suitable for indoor cultivation and appreciation, and is a rare indoor potted foliage plant.

1. Choosing flower pots for growing pothos

 
(1) Pot material requirements: Clay pots, plastic pots, porcelain pots, or ceramic pots can be used for cultivation. If you want to grow it as a hanging plant, choose a pot with a hanging hook.

(2) Pot size: Depending on the plant's form, it can be planted in pots with a diameter of 14-34 cm.
 

2. Potting soil and potting methods for growing pothos

 
The potting soil for cultivating pothos should preferably be a growing medium mixed evenly from 3 parts leaf mold, 3 parts garden soil, 3 parts river sand, and 1 part barnyard manure. When the underground root system of pothos seedlings propagated by cuttings grows to about 5 cm, and the above-ground young shoots grow to 5-7 cm, they can be directly potted. Use a glazed pot with a diameter of 33 cm, planting 3 small seedlings per pot in a triangular arrangement, which easily forms a good plant shape.
After potting, place in a ventilated shade shed, avoiding direct sunlight; spray water 3-4 times a day to increase air humidity and keep the potting soil moist. After the seedlings resume growth, they can be transferred to normal care and management. Young plants should be repotted once a year, while mature plants can be repotted once every 1-2 years.
 

3. Watering methods for growing pothos

 
Pothos likes moisture. In spring, summer, and autumn, the potting soil should be kept moist; if the soil is too dry, the leaves tend to turn yellow. However, watering too much and causing waterlogging will lead to root rot and withered leaves. Generally, in spring and late autumn, water once every 2-3 days; in summer, water once a day, and frequently spray water on the leaf surfaces and the surrounding ground to increase air humidity and make the leaves bright green. In winter, watering should be controlled, and water only after the surface of the potting soil has dried; conversely, watering too much and keeping the soil too wet will reduce cold resistance and cause yellow leaves and root rot. In winter, you can rinse the leaves once every 3-5 days with warm water to keep them glossy and emerald green.
 

4. Fertilizing methods for growing pothos

 
Pothos grows quickly, so topdressing should be strengthened during the growing season. Topdressing should be mainly nitrogen, combined with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers. You can use 0.1% urea and 0.3%-0.5% diammonium phosphate, or apply 0.1%-0.2% urea solution and 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate liquid fertilizer. You can also apply 15%-20% decomposed cake fertilizer liquid. From spring to early summer, apply topdressing once every 10-15 days; from summer to early autumn, apply once every 20 days; in autumn, apply once every 10-15 days; in winter, do not apply fertilizer to the potting soil, only spray the leaves with 0.1%-0.2% urea solution once every 20-30 days to keep the leaves green and glossy.
 

5. Light requirements for growing pothos

 
Pothos should avoid direct sunlight and should be cared for under semi-shade or diffused light conditions. It is suitable for indoor cultivation. Generally, in spring, summer, and autumn, pothos can be placed at a north or east window, and in winter at a south window. When growing pothos outdoors, direct sunlight must be avoided, especially in summer, otherwise it will scorch the leaf edges, making new leaves smaller and the leaf color dull and lusterless. Outdoor care can be placed in a well-ventilated shade shed, with a light transmittance of about 50% being appropriate.

6. Shaping methods for growing pothos

 
In order to better enhance the ornamental effect of pothos, it should be given appropriate shaping.

(1) Column type

Stand a wooden stick or bamboo pole about 1 m high and 5-6 cm in diameter upright in the center of the flower pot as a column, and wrap the column with palm fiber; plant 3-5 pothos plants of similar size that have rooted from cuttings around the column so that they take shape faster. As the pothos grows, guide its stems and vines in time so that the new aerial roots on the stem nodes attach to the column. At the same time, make sure the pothos on the column grows full and evenly distributed, forming a green cylindrical shape.

(2) Trailing type

Plant 2-3 pothos plants in a pot, and hang or place it on a flower stand or in a high indoor position. As it grows and develops, the stems and leaves trail down along the pot rim; at this point, the branches and vines can be pruned to encourage new shoots to sprout, making the plant shape fuller.
 

7. Precautions for growing pothos

 
(1) Leaves turn yellow and fall off, and stems rot: This is mainly due to too much watering, especially in winter. Pothos requires good drainage in the potting soil and should not have waterlogging in the pot. If this situation is found, repot in time.

(2) Leaf tips curl and turn withered brown: This is mainly due to the air being too dry, so spray water on the leaf surfaces frequently.

(3) Leaf edges turn brown, and withered yellow spots appear on the leaves: This is due to insufficient watering during the growing season; water only when the potting soil does not completely dry out. For totem pole plants, note that when watering, the pole should also be moistened, because some roots grow on the pole.

(4) Leaves become smaller: When pothos is cultivated as a totem pole, the growing tip must always be kept growing upward; as soon as it bends downward, the leaves gradually become smaller. It can also be caused by insufficient fertilizer or light.

(5) Leaves become soft and curved, and stems rot: This is caused by too low a temperature; pothos is very sensitive to low temperatures below 10 degrees C.
 

8. Propagation methods for growing pothos

 
Pothos is mostly propagated by cuttings. There are two types: stem cuttings and leaf cuttings.

(1) Stem cutting method for pothos

Generally carried out in spring and autumn. Select one-year-old branches with bright leaf color, thick leaves, and robust growth, and cut stem sections about 15 cm long with 2-3 nodes as cuttings. When cutting the cuttings, do not damage the aerial roots. After cutting, insert them into plain sand in time, with a depth of 1/3 of the cutting, water thoroughly, and place in a shaded place, or shade the cutting bed. Spray water on the leaves twice a day, and keep the soil and air moist frequently. At a temperature above 25 degrees C and in a semi-shaded environment, roots and leaves can form in about 15-20 days.

(2) Leaf cutting method for pothos

The leaf cutting method means using pothos leaves for cuttings. The advantage is that it does not damage the plant shape. The method is to select robust leaves from the middle and upper parts of the branches, cut them from the base of the petiole with a small knife, and then insert them into water or a growing medium. Water rooting is fast and suitable for small-scale home propagation. When inserting, the petiole should be immersed in water to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. If too shallow, the leaves may wilt if the water evaporates and is not replenished in time; if too deep, the petiole is prone to rot. After insertion, change the water once every 5-7 days, and they can be planted in about 50 days. The cutting medium should preferably be a mixture of fine sand and cinders; before planting, disinfect the medium by sun exposure or by pouring boiling water over it. When inserting, use a bamboo stick to make a hole to avoid damaging the petiole, then water thoroughly after insertion, and pay attention to humidity and ventilation. Leaf cuttings sprout relatively slowly, requiring about 6-7 months.

Cuttings can also be propagated by the water insertion method. Insert the cuttings into water, and plant them after they have rooted.