How Often to Water Golden Pothos

  • A Golden Pothos plant is easy to care for because it tolerates lower light conditions, doesn’t require much water, is good with average temperature, and you can train it to grow as you wish. So keep an eye on this delicious, green indoor plant gentleman. It sounds like a perfect household company for everyone.
  • Learn how to make the Pothos plant do well discovering Pothos needs in our guide. Below, we reveal some essential tips regarding Pothos needs for watering, humidity, and light requirements. Pothos prefer moderate indirect light (but will also tolerate low light) and a humid environment. Yet, they thrive in a wide range of water and light conditions.
  • Learn to recognize signs like yellow leaves caused by excess water, get to know what drainage holes are and how to prepare a potting mix, watch out for overwatering, and set the watering schedule to keep your houseplants in their best condition. 

Introduction to Golden Pothos

Golden Pothos is the arum family’s hardy, oblong, green indoor foliage plant (Araceae). 

Golden Pothos is the most common name for the plant in the United States.

However, it has a handful of other names and varieties that refer to the same plant, such as

  • Pothos, 
  • Golden Pothos,
  • Epipremnum Aureum,
  • Marble Queen,
  • Money plant, 
  • Neon Pothos, 
  • Jade Pothos, 
  • Ivy Arum, 
  • Taro Vine
  • Devil’s Ivy, and so on!

Important: The genus name comes from the Greek ‘epi’, meaning ‘upon,’ and ‘premnon’ meaning a ‘trunk.’ Thus, this name refers to the fact that these plants grow on tree trunks.

The Golden Pothos leaves are heart-shaped, which makes them oh-so-adorable. 

They can:

  • drape from shelves, 
  • hang out of baskets, or 
  • be trimmed as tabletop pots;

Pothos plant is native to southeastern Asia, French Polynesia. 

We commonly confuse this plant with a more popular philodendron.

Important: Pothos is a Category II invasive exotic in Florida. It means that we shouldn’t plant it in outdoor landscapes. We call Pothos Devils Ivy because they are hard to control in nature once they get a foothold. That’s why it’s best to grow this plant in containers outside.

Pothos plant care

A lot has been said about how we can indulge in Pothos plant care.

We prepared this guide to ensure the healthy growth of your houseplants. 

In the paragraphs below, we’re tackling the factors worth getting to know to provide these indoor plants with the best service. 

Tip: Rotate your Pothos plant periodically to ensure even growth on all sides. Often dust the Pothos plant leaves so that it can photosynthesize efficiently. Be attentive to pests.

Light 

A Pothos thrives in bright but indirect light.

Brighter indirect light is also better for your interior looks as it enhances the color variations in the Marble Queen plant leaves.

This plant can quickly adapt to low and medium light spaces if it’s needed. 

Pothos will tolerate low light (but not no light) indefinitely. However, growth may be a little slower in the conditions of lower light.

Remember that Pothos (also known as Marble Queen and Devil’s Ivy) will not tolerate hot direct sun on their leaves as it can make them burn. 

Tip: Avoid placing your Pothos trailers in a window with intense direct light. Window sheers or blinds can offset some high direct light conditions. Also, windows that open provide cooling breezes. These breezes will offset intense, high heat transfer through window glass.

Mind that Pothos can even adapt to fluorescent lights!

These plants are amenable to almost any lighting conditions.

Mist & Humidity

Frequent misting helps the Pothos vines attach to a stake or trellis by promoting aerial root growth. 

Important: Brown or yellow leaves may be a sign that the air is too dry. 

These indoor plants will do well with standard indoor levels of humidity.

As for the average humidity, we understand about 40% – 60%. 

For the best plant care, try to provide it with even higher humidity levels.

Also, increased humidity keeps the foliage looking wonderful.

Tip: Increasing humidity in the room and cooling mists will also help Pothos plants tolerate higher heat for short periods.

Soil & Potting

Golden Pothos plant is easy to please when it comes to soil.

To make this houseplant root happy, you can go for general potting soil. 

If you tend to overwater, prepare a potting mix, an intelligent soil mix: add perlite to let the soil increase its lightness at 40% volume.

You can grow your Pothos plants in a relatively small pot size for their long vines.

The plant will thrive in the provided pot for up to a year. 

Change pots every second year or when roots come out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. 

If your Pothos is ready to be repotted, you’ll notice the soil become loose, or the roots have become overgrown. 

Arrange a new pot using rich, well-draining soil. 

Tip: You can grow Pothos in a variety of kinds of pots like hanging baskets, tabletop displays, vases of water hydroponically, or even fish tanks.

Temperature

Golden Pothos are native to tropical climates. 

Marble Queen Pothos prefers warm temperatures, i.e., between 65°F – 85°F. 

Avoid cold temperatures.

These plants enjoy a drop in temperature in the evening but not lower than 60 degrees F.

Important: Brown or yellow leaves may be a sign that the plant is too cold.

Watering

How much water does your Pothos houseplant require?

Let’s review a few helpful tips regarding watering your Pothos.

The Marble Queen prefers her soil to be on the dry side. 

Water Pothos when the top several inches of soil has dried out. 

It’s crucial to judge by the soil, not by the leaves. 

When watering your Pothos, water the plant with fresh water lightly and slowly from above.

Allow water to soak through to the roots.

Tip out any excess water. 

Water moderately and infrequently.

Before watering your plant, check the soil to estimate the current moisture level.

It may be moist right beneath the surface, even if it’s scorched on the outside. 

Tip: Consider aerating the soil of your plant before the initial watering. Producers compact the soil to avoid shifting during transit. Aerating can help the soil breathe and release moisture.

How do the watering needs change when the light variates?

  1. In bright light, preferably indirect, Pothos plants leaves appreciate watering when the soil has dried halfway through the pot. 
  1. In low light to medium light spaces, it’s best to allow the soil to dry almost all the way through the pot. Yet, don’t let the plant sit dry for long! 

What shows that your plant needs water?

When you notice that the foliage wilts, it’s a sure sign your Pothos plant needs water. 

Always be sure to feel the soil besides visually monitoring the plant.

Important: All the Pothos varieties are toxic to pets and mildly toxic to humans.

Yellow leaves or black spots on the leaves are signs of overwatering, so pay attention to the amount of water if you notice any color other than green appearing on your plant leaves. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Root rot can be caused by overwatering when roots die back because of a lack of oxygen. Another situation is when there’s a fungus living in the soil that may suddenly flourish also because of overwatering. When the soil is moist, the roots feel soggy and look brown or black, and your pothos leaves wilt and yellow ― resist the temptation to water your plant. One of the easiest and the most effective methods to deal with root rot is to throw out the plant. You can also try to reduce soil moisture. Once the soil has completely dried out, water the plant with hydrogen peroxide. It has one more oxygen than a water molecule and causes oxidation. Some bacteria and fungus cannot survive in oxidized environments, preferring anaerobic conditions.
Pothos plant grown indoor, in the quality of a houseplant, won't flower. It's not able to grow out of its juvenile phase if it lives inside the household. Nature is so symbolic, isn't it? Pothos will only grow into their adult phase outdoors in full sunlight, producing several flower stalks with a cream spathe marked with purple surrounding the spadix.
First off, wrap and weave the plant up the stake or trellis. Do it gently. Attach the vines with string but remember not to tie them too tightly. Introduce misting to the care routine of the foliage as humidity increases the production of roots along the vine. Eventually, the plant will grow upwards on its own. You can now remove the string and look at your masterpiece growing up in the sky.
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