A Detailed Guide to the Planting Methods and Cultivation Techniques of Pothos

Pothos is surely something everyone is familiar with. Many homeowners buy pothos to decorate their homes, and pothos also has a strong purifying ability. So, how do you grow pothos? Below, the editors at Yihao Jiaju Network introduce pothos cultivation techniques to everyone.

How do you grow pothos?

1. Soil: The soil is required to be loose, fertile and well-drained. Potted pothos should use fertile, loose, well-drained leaf mold, preferably slightly acidic.

2. Temperature: Pothos is not cold-tolerant. The suitable growing temperature is 14°C-18°C at night and 21°C-27°C during the day. In winter, protect it from the cold; the room temperature must be above 10°C for it to overwinter. When temperatures are low, open windows less to avoid frost damage to the leaves.

3. Light: Pothos is extremely shade-tolerant and can be placed in a sunny spot indoors in all four seasons. In rooms with dim light, it should be moved every half month to a brighter environment for a period of recovery, otherwise the internodes tend to lengthen and the leaves become smaller. When temperatures are low in autumn and winter, pothos should be placed in the brightest spot indoors, or moved at noon to a sealed balcony to get sunlight.

4. Water: Pothos likes plenty of water and should be watered more than ordinary flowers, but it must not become waterlogged; the saucer should be kept clean and drained of standing water. Water every 2-3 days. Promptly clean the leaf surfaces and topsoil, and spray water on the leaves every day. This is especially true in the hot summer. The potting soil should be kept moist, and the leaves should be sprayed with water frequently to raise air humidity and encourage the growth of aerial roots.

5. Fertilizing: Mainly nitrogen fertilizer, supplemented with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer; if a 0.5%-1% urea solution is sprayed on the leaves, the green leaves will be even more verdant. Apply dilute fertilizer frequently. During the vigorous growth period, apply liquid fertilizer once a month.

6. Propagation: In spring and summer, stem cuttings root easily; for making a totem pole, cuttings must be taken from the growing tips with large leaves, so that it takes shape relatively quickly. Pothos can also be grown in water, but the plants are smaller than those grown in soil.

7. Pruning: Plant 4-5 plants per pot, or insert 4-5 cuttings directly, and set up a moss pole in the middle of the pot so that the pothos can twine and grow upward. Shaping and pruning are done in spring. When the stems and vines have covered the moss pole and the tips extend about 20 cm beyond the moss pole, cut off 40 cm of the stem tips of 2-3 of the plants. After the cut-back stems sprout new buds and new leaves, cut off the stem tips of the remaining plants.

The editors remind everyone that when cultivating pothos, it is best not to choose winter for cultivation, because pothos bought back in winter generally suffers cold damage, and after cold damage yellowing of the leaves may occur, so it is better not to choose winter for cultivating pothos.