Hi everyone,
I’ve been proudly growing my pothos for 5+ years (I first got it as a single leaf cutting); it has always done well and I repotted it last spring with high quality citrus potting mix, perlite and clay pebbles.
It has always grown longer instead of thicker and I have tried without success to encourage root growth along the stem so I can reintroduce it to the soil, reducing the plant length and making it look thicker.
Recently, many leaves along the two longest stems have started to yellow (please see photos).
I have no idea what I’m doing wrong as I don’t think my watering pattern have changed drastically compared to the last 5 years. Any advice on what’s happening would be most appreciated!
by river91608474
9 Comments
They love to crawl/vine towards the light on/over stuff – actually, that’s the biological niche they put their roots in.
Are you sure, they get enough (esp parts that show lanky growth with few leaves)?
EDiTH:
That terracotta pot wicking away moisture from the soil, to then let it evaporate much faster (more surface area) might also play a part.
AND the more greenery it grows, whilst its roots staying the same size, means more nutrients used but the same old system to provide them.
To less light
Cut / water / roots and repot
I’ve seen people place the stems (still attached) into the soil using Bobby pins and roots grow from those areas
Here is what I usually do. Cut it to where it starts to be leggy and leave only the part where there are leaves. Take the leaves part and put it in water in a glass or a jar and let it root then plant it back. The other part I’ll cut it into pieces of two to three nodes And put them in water tool and let them root and sprout
Pothos grows by elongation, meaning from the vining tip. It will search for light, and sacrifice leaves at the base of the vine to stretch further and vine longer in search of light.
If you want more leaves at the base, you need to provide more nutrients (light) to support a vine that length with leaves spanning the entire vine, along with continued growth at the vine ends.
Your other option is cut and start over.
I guess the third option is live in a tropical place and plant it outside, but that’s how pothos takes over ecosystems.
I’ve had the same pothos for decades and done your 5+ year vine cycle over and over and over again.
✂️✂️✂️✂️
Best method I found is to leave the long stems intact and wrap around on the soil and pin then down. Grows much quickly because the whole stem is sending energy to root into the soil. Bigger chance of survival for each node when intact this way.
Also, something I don’t ever see anyone ever relay on these types of posts, letting the stem stretch this long without it having something to attach and climb, will eventually result in a bare long stem. Reason being is it’s too much energy for the plant to keep the stem growing and growing without rooting. If you want long vines with leaves, you actually have to constantly trim, this encourages branching and stops exhausting the plant.
Chop and prop, or do the coil & pin method.
I throw a buncha nodes into a box with moist spaghnum moss and within 1-2months each one is its own new plant. Throw a bunch into a single pot and you will have a very bushy display.
I’ve seen some gorgeous Pothos covering staircases, eg. That might be an option for you – I personally wouldn’t cut it down.
Maybe get some cuttings to prop & pop (back into the pot). The amount of time it took for that plant to get that long, its length shouldn’t be discarded. Use it. 🌱🦾
Whatever you decide, I’d change the pot to a non-terracotta combination & add a second pot somewhere along the leafless parts.
Lay those vines on top of the soil & make sure the growth nodes touch it. Secure them in place via hairpins. That should give you the additional root mass needed, think of it as a supply station.
For inspiration:
https://www.reddit.com/search/?q=Pothos+stairs&type=media