How to Grow Pothos? Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions
How to grow pothos? Pothos belongs to the Araceae family and is a large evergreen climbing vine that grows in tropical regions, often climbing on rocks and tree trunks in rainforests. It has strong twining ability and well-developed aerial roots, and can be grown hydroponically. Below, the editor will introduce how to grow pothos!
How to Propagate Pothos?
Pothos is usually propagated by cuttings. In late spring and early summer, select healthy pothos vines and cut 15 cm to 30 cm segments, remove the leaves from the basal 1 to 2 nodes, being careful not to damage the aerial roots, then insert them into plain sand or coal cinders at a depth of 1/3 of the cutting length. Water thoroughly and place in a shaded area, misting the leaves daily or covering with plastic film to retain moisture. As long as the environment is maintained at no less than 20°C, the survival rate is above 90%. The specific cutting method is as follows:
1. Cutting selection and processing: Select healthy, pest-free, semi-lignified branches for cuttings, cut them into 10-13 cm lengths, make the bottom cut at an angle, keep 2-3 leaves at the top, and cut the leaves in half to reduce water evaporation and help the cuttings survive.
2. Cutting substrate: The cutting substrate should be loose, breathable, well-draining loam or sandy soil rich in humus. Vermiculite is best, as it promotes fast rooting and a high survival rate. Before inserting, sterilize the soil with 2% formalin or 5% potassium permanganate.
3. Cutting method: Quickly dip the bottom end of the prepared cuttings in ABT rooting powder or indolebutyric acid, then insert them into the pre-prepared substrate to a depth of 1/2, water thoroughly so the cuttings make close contact with the substrate, then cover with plastic film.
4. Post-cutting management
① After cutting, keep the soil moist and the air temperature relatively high. Soil moisture should be around 50%, and air humidity is best at 80%-90%.
② In the early cutting stage, keep the shade shed at about 80% shading. This prevents direct strong sunlight while ensuring sufficient diffused light for the leafy cuttings to photosynthesize, which promotes rooting.
③ With the above treatment, roots generally form after about 20 days. The film can then be removed and light increased. On sunny summer days, still pay attention to misting the leaves and providing shade. In winter, protect against cold. About 10 days after rooting, the plants can be moved into pots for normal management.
How to Grow Pothos?
1. Light
① Pothos originally grows in forests shaded by towering trees, so its heliotropism is not strong. However, in the autumn and winter of northern regions, to compensate for the lack of temperature and photosynthesis, its light exposure should be increased. Pothos can be placed in the brightest indoor spot, or moved to a sealed balcony at noon to sunbathe. At the same time, when temperatures are low, open windows as little as possible, because leaves can be frostbitten in a very short time.
② For indoor cultivation, it can be placed near a window, but avoid direct sunlight. Too much sunlight will scorch pothos leaves, while too little light will cause the beautiful markings on the leaves to disappear. Generally, receiving four hours of diffused light gives the best growth and development. Therefore, pothos can be placed year-round in a bright indoor spot. In dim indoor environments, it should be moved to a brighter environment every half month to recover for a period, otherwise internodes tend to elongate and leaves become smaller.
③ In spring, summer, and autumn, pothos can be placed near east- or north-facing windowsills, and in winter it can be placed at a south-facing window. If kept in too dark an environment for a long time, not only will the trailing stems become leggy, with elongated internodes and a sparse plant shape, but the yellow-white streaks on the leaves will become smaller and paler, and may even disappear completely, fading to green. If grown outdoors, pay attention to shading, especially in summer, to prevent direct strong light, otherwise new leaves will become smaller, leaf color will dull, and leaf edges may easily be scorched.
2. Temperature: In northern regions, pothos can safely overwinter at room temperatures above 10°C, and can grow normally at room temperatures above 20°C. Generally, households can reach this temperature without much trouble. Note that large temperature differences should be avoided, and also make sure the leaves do not come close to heating equipment.
3. Humidity: Humidity refers to the water content in the air of the plant's growing environment. While ensuring normal temperature, increasing humidity is extremely beneficial to plant growth. The following methods can be used to increase humidity. Place the plant near a humidifier, running the humidifier for more than 5 hours a day so the plant can enjoy the mist it sprays; use a sprayer set to the mist setting to spray the plant's leaves, stems, and aerial roots several times a day; keep an appropriate amount of water in the saucer under the flowerpot, using its evaporation to increase the local humidity around the plant; gently wipe the leaf surface with a cool damp 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 mini-greenhouse effect, supplementing the plant's moisture through evaporation of water vapor from the soil, for no more than 2 hours per day, as too long will affect the plant's ventilation and photosynthesis.
4. Water: In autumn and winter, the amount of watering should be strictly controlled according to room temperature. Before heating begins, temperatures are lower and the soil of the plant evaporates more slowly, so watering should be reduced, controlling the amount to between 1/4 and 1/2 of the original. Even after heating begins, watering should not be too frequent. When watering, pour less into the pot and rely on seepage through the coir. In addition, spray water on the aerial root growth areas of the coir pole to reduce insufficient root water uptake caused by overly rapid evaporation. In winter, water that has been left to sit for a day is better, as water that is too cold can easily damage the roots. When growing hydroponically, the water amount should not be too much; just enough to submerge the roots. Too much water can easily rot the stems and leaves.
5. Soil: In winter, it grows well under bright diffused indoor light, with sturdy stem nodes and vivid leaf color. During the growing period, it has relatively high water requirements. In addition to normally replenishing water to the potting soil, also mist the leaves frequently. For column-and-vine cultivation, spray more water on the coir column so the coir fully absorbs water for the aerial roots twining around the stem to absorb. Apply a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer once every 2 weeks, or spray a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution weekly, to make the leaves emerald green and the markings more vivid. Pothos likes moisture. During the growing season, watering should keep the potting soil moist at all times. Never let the potting soil dry out, otherwise it can easily cause yellow leaves and a poor plant shape. If too much water causes waterlogging in the potting soil, it can easily cause root rot and withered leaves. Especially when winter room temperatures are low, even more attention should be paid to controlling watering. In summer, while watering adequately, also pay attention to frequently misting the leaf surface. In winter, when the climate is dry, also mist and wash the leaves with warm water once every 4-5 days to wash away dust on the leaf surface, helping keep the leaves glossy and emerald green.
6. Fertilizing: In the autumn and winter of northern regions, 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, 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 the effect can act directly on the leaves. Foliar fertilizer should be a specialized fertilizer; ordinary inorganic fertilizers are not easily absorbed by the leaf surface. Beida Huhuashen series and Japan-made Hua Yifan, among others, can all be used as foliar fertilizers.
7. Shaping: Plant 4-5 plants per pot or insert cuttings directly, and set up a coir pole in the middle of the pot to make it easier for pothos to twine upward. Shaping and pruning are carried out in spring. When the stems and vines have covered the coir pole and the tips extend about 20 cm beyond the coir pole, cut off 40 cm of the stem tips of 2-3 of the plants. After the short pruning sprouts new buds and new leaves, then cut off the stem tips of the remaining plants. For potted plants that have lost leaves on the whole plant or the lower half due to winter cold damage or other reasons, shorten half of the stems by 1/2 and the other half by 2/3 or 3/4, so that the cut heights are staggered. In this way, the new leaves growing below the cuts can quickly cover the coir pole.