I always check the top inch of the soil before watering. I have fertilized it once a month. I’ve had this plant since April. Reported in May. It sits by a window. I currently have it under the grow light shelf for the picture. But this has happened to two other pothos. All of the sudden the leaves droop so bad and after about 3 weeks the leaves go completely yellow . I’ve done the neem oil spray for pests. Doesn’t seem like there are any. All my other plants are doing just fine it’s just these dang pothos, and they’re supposed to be the easiest
by Impossible-Donut1245
28 Comments
Soil looks kinda dry, how often are you watering it?
It’s a combination of the soil and not enough water. You can see this from the evidence of the browning/blackening tips.
Re-pot and clean the roots throughly. Water every 8 days in September (when I say water either bottom water for 20 min or completely soak the plant)
Keep under the grow light for 12 hrs a day for the first month to let it begin to root.
Should fix it
I always let them completely dry out before watering them again. They hold an incredible amount of moisture in the vines. Even on humid days a week after watering they will have water drops hanging from the tips. I also had mine in a wider pot so they could drop in and root a bit better to allow them to crawl and wrap around the stand and climb or poles. Also, I only fed it twice a year. I’ve had to chop off over 20ft several times.
What kind of soil/mix of soils are you using for the pothos? It looks a bit dry, so it could be that you’re not watering it enough or often enough.
Edit: I wanted to add how I care for mine. I use a mix of fox farm ocean forest, coco coir, and perlite. I often water them to the point where the pot is heavy, and allow them to dry out fully. I know they need water if I lift the pot and it is easy to lift. I don’t water them on a schedule cause that’s how I got an infestation of gnats (and root rot).
When you repotted it, did you check to make sure that the roots aren’t trapped in a little plug?
If pothos dies under your care, you should not own plants. This is both a joke and me being serious.
Following because I’ve killed so many. 😥
I think soil is clumped up and doesn’t absorb water properly so the plant doesn’t get enough water and nutrients it needs
It’e not getting enough water, and it may be so dry that it’s not saturating when you do water it.
Try soaking the pot in a bowl of water for a few hours and break up the soil a bit so it’s not compacted (if it’s clumped up and pulling away from the pot)
That thing looks thirsty, not dead!
I have 2 Pothos, one in soil and one in a glass vase of water and clay pebbles. I mix a tiny amount of fertilizer in the water and then pour it in the vase. I top it off when I see the water level falling below the top roots. It’s several years old. The difference is that it grows slower than my potted soil plant, but It’s a lot also further away from the indirect light.
Judging from your soil and your pothos sheaths, your pothos is under watered, maybe your soil may have lot of peat moss that cause hydrophobic, so you need to do both top watering and bottom watering.
Get a bowl or container that is big and tall enough for your pot, then place your pot in the container. Water the soil from the top for a couple of times, then fill up the container with water (without removing the pot) until the water slightly cover the top soil. Leave the pot sitting in the water for a few minutes before removing the pot from the water so all the soil is evenly moist.
You will hear bubbles popping sound from the soil and from the water, which is normal and healthy sign for the soil, because when you water the soil, the water is pushing the oxygen out from the soil that causes the popping sound. Good aeration and good draining soil will have lot of oxygen in the soil especially when the soil is dry, the oxygen in the soil is using by the plant roots, roots need to breath in the soil or else they will suffocate and rot.
Peat moss will cause the soil to be hydrophobic when the soil is too dry, so just do both top watering and bottom watering every time you water your plants.
Also curious how you’re watering it (and how much) when you do. Are you pouring a bit over the top of the soil and calling it good, or soaking it until water runs out bottom of the pot, making sure the soil actually gets moist all the way through?
They’re easy plants. I think you just have to care less about it and it’ll probably thrive.
I have three different types and are easy, I’m definitely not an expert I water when 2 inches are dry, have well draining soil and pots. Fertilizer once a month or two. Trim them occasionally so they look good.
it looks dehydrated and has so much light lol
If you have a saucer under the pot, or similar, try bottom watering when you water. With most of my plants, I have trays or saucers under each pot, and I pour water in the saucer until it’s almost full. The soil will suck up all the water and then I let them dry out at least 50% before watering again. Most pothos and similar don’t want to be dry for too long. Your plant looks very dry.
Bottom watering helps to eliminate root rot and fungus gnats. (They thrive when the top of the soil is consistently damp)
My plants are all very happy with this technique!
Another vote for hydrophobic soil.
It looks pretty darn dry.
that’s how mine looked when i was underwatering it
Those leaves are curling showing sign of under watering. I had similar problem when I watered them once a week. Then I adjusted to their demand (according to the soil dryness) which is around 3 days and they grow crazily. You definitely need to up your watering schedule especially constantly under grow light, they do suck up a lot of water.
I let mine completely dry out (how yours looks) than I water. I overwatered a Pothos I loved and it got root rot 😢 They do better underwatered than over. BUT it looks like your soil is very clumped together. You need to break it up and make sure the roots are getting wet too. Then repot it. As long as the roots aren’t rotting or not getting enough water, it is very hard to kill!
Good luck!
thirsty+too much light
Bottom water
How often do you water generally?
I usually don’t water my pothos until they get droopy like this, then I give them a deep soak. They bounce back pretty well.
Just remember that over watering doesn’t mean giving them a lot of water. It means they’ve been left to sit in too much moisture for too long. A good deep soak as needed with well draining soil tends to work a lot better than watering on a schedule.
That’s not dead that’s weepy
It’s underwatered, you can tell by the way the leaves are curled up. She’s just thirty, give her some water. Also your other pothos, the satin one is super thirsty too.