Hi all! I’m looking for some advice. This pothos (in the pot it’s always been in) was passed down to me from my grandma when she passed in 2020. It’s been doing well overall, but this year it seems to be slowly declining. There are a lot of bald spots now, and the new leaves are starting to yellow and develop brown spots.
I usually water it pretty infrequently since it tends to go a long while before needing a drink. I repotted it in spring 2024, and the pot has good drainage.
Does anyone have suggestions on what might be going on, things I could try, and whether I should clip a vine now just in case I need to propagate? I really don’t want to lose this plant since it makes me feel connected to my grandma.
by Ashlinjune
4 Comments
The dirt could be bad and be causing root rot. I had this happen to mine after repotting. I used Miracle Gro potting mix and it went down hill. I ended up chopping and sticking it in water, but parts got mushy. I cut those parts off and sprayed with 70% rubbing alcohol and they are now rooting in water fine. So if you do decide to chop and prop, make sure to spray it down with 70% rubbing alcohol and let it dry, then stick it into water. Good luck.
The heartleaf philo I got from my grandma had similar issues… We unpotted it and discovered she had wrapped the roots in burlap and it was restricting its root growth. 2 years later and she is a monster, but that’s a different story. Have you looked at its roots?
*Also you could always clip a vine and replant it in there to help her bush up and out or to keep as a backup. Won’t hurt.
The curled leaves and wrinkled stems are a sign of lack of water. I’d pull and check out the roots. Remove any black or mushy roots. Spray the roots with peroxide if there is rot. Repot in a chunky mix, add orchid bark and perlite to your soil in equal parts.
In some of the pictures it looks like the soil is pulling away from the edges of the pot. This with the curled and yellowing leaves seems like maybe the plant isn’t getting watered as well as you think it is.