🌿 Pothos - The Complete Guide to the Houseplant That's Almost Impossible to Kill
המוצר מהמדריך זמין באתר
Perennial potted plant for the home
25.00 ₪
📋 Quick Summary - Everything you need to know at a glance
Suitable for all light conditions!
Indirect light to almost full shade
When the soil dries out
Once every 1-2 weeks
Home / Office / Bathroom
Perfect for hanging!
Very easy!
Ideal for beginners
18-29°C
Not below 15°C
🌱 Getting to know the Pothos
Names and Identification
- Common name: Pothos
- Scientific name: Epipremnum aureum
- Common names: Devil's Ivy, Golden Pothos
- Family: Araceae
Origin and Climate
Pothos originates from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific and French Polynesia. In its natural jungle habitat, it climbs trees and can develop massive leaves! At home, it remains more modest and spreads with beautiful stems.
Why does everyone love Pothos?
- 💪 Almost impossible to kill: Forgiving of neglect and mistakes
- 🌑 Survives in shade: Grows even in dark corners
- ✂️ Easy to propagate: Cuttings in water in just days!
- 🎨 Variety: Different colors and variegations
- 💚 Fast-growing: Long, beautiful stems
Special Characteristics
- Growth habit: Climbing/Trailing
- Stem length: Up to several meters!
- Leaves: Heart-shaped, 10-20 cm, glossy
- Flowering: Does not flower indoors (and that's okay!)
🌤️ Growth Conditions - The Key to Success
☀️ Light
The great advantage of Pothos: It adapts to almost any light condition - from bright light to dark corners!
Ideal light: Moderate to bright indirect light. Near a window with a curtain or 1-2 meters away from a window.
Steady growth, healthy leaves, preserved variegation
Slow growth, small leaves, loss of variegation (becomes solid green)
💡 Tip: Pothos can also grow in artificial light! Perfect for offices without windows or bathrooms.
⚠️ Note: Strong direct sun can burn the leaves. In a south-facing window - move it further away or provide shade.
💧 Watering
Guiding principle: Pothos prefers to dry out slightly between waterings. It forgives being forgotten, but doesn't like "wet feet"!
Frequency by season:
- 🌞 Summer: Once a week (depending on heat and light)
- 🍂 Spring/Autumn: Every 7-10 days
- ❄️ Winter: Every 1-2 weeks
How to check if it needs watering?
Stick a finger in the soil - if it's dry 2-3 cm deep, it's time to water. You can also lift the pot - if it's light, it needs water!
Yellow leaves, root rot, bad smell from the soil
Wilting and wrinkled leaves (they will recover after watering!)
💡 Tip: Pothos "tells" you when it's thirsty - the leaves become slightly limp. Water it, and they will recover within hours!
🌡️ Temperature and Humidity
Ideal range: 18-29°C (65-85°F)
Minimum: Not below 15°C - Pothos doesn't like the cold!
- Humidity: 50-70% is ideal, but it manages in low humidity too
- Air conditioning: Do not place in a direct draft!
- Heating: Keep away from radiators
💡 Great location: Bathroom! The high humidity is perfect for Pothos, and it will add green to the space.
🪴 Soil and Drainage
Recommended substrate: Light and airy soil, well-draining. Pothos isn't picky!
Simple recipe:
- 70% standard potting soil
- 30% perlite (for drainage)
Drainage: Important to prevent rot!
- ✅ Pot with a drainage hole
- ✅ Do not leave water in the saucer
- ✅ Can also be grown only in water! (hydroponic)
🏺 Pot and Repotting
When to repot?
- Every 1-2 years, or when roots come out of the drainage
- When growth has stalled despite proper care
- Best done in spring or summer
💡 Tip: Pothos actually likes to be a bit "crowded" in the pot - don't be in a rush to repot!
Recommended pot types:
- 🪴 Hanging basket - perfect for trailing stems!
- 🪴 Pot on a high shelf
- 🪴 Pot with a climbing pole (for larger leaves)
- 🪴 Glass bottle with water (hydroponic)
🧪 Fertilizing
Pothos is not particularly hungry, but moderate fertilizing will encourage faster growth and larger, healthier leaves.
When to fertilize?
- 🌸 Spring-Summer: Once a month to every two weeks
- 🍂 Autumn: Once every month or two
- ❄️ Winter: No need to fertilize
What fertilizer is suitable?
- Balanced liquid fertilizer: 20-20-20, diluted to half-strength
- Fertilizer for foliage plants: Nitrogen-rich
- For water growth: Highly diluted hydroponic fertilizer
- Over-fertilizing - brown tips, "burning" roots
- Fertilizing dry soil - always water first!
✂️ Pruning and Shaping
Guiding principle: Pruning Pothos encourages denser growth and prevents a "sparse" or "leggy" look.
When to prune?
- When stems become too long
- When the plant looks sparse at the top
- To remove yellow or brown leaves
- To create cuttings!
How to prune correctly?
- Cut above a node (the point where a leaf emerges)
- Use clean scissors
- Plant the pruned parts as cuttings!
🔄 Propagating - Easiest thing ever!
Pothos is one of the easiest plants to propagate. Just cut it and put it in water - that's it!
💧 Method 1: Water propagation (easiest!)
- Cut: A 10-20 cm piece with 2-4 leaves
- Cut location: Below a node (the point where a leaf emerges)
- Remove: Lower leaves that will be underwater
- Place: In a glass vessel with clean water
- Change: Water once a week
- Wait: Roots will appear within 1-2 weeks!
- Optional: Plant in soil when roots are 5-7 cm, or leave in water permanently!
💡 Tip: If there is an aerial root (a brown bump on the stem) - cut below it for faster rooting!
🌱 Method 2: Direct soil propagation
- Cut a piece with 2-4 leaves (as in the previous method)
- Remove lower leaves
- Plant directly into moist soil
- Keep consistently moist (not too wet!)
- Roots will develop within 2-4 weeks
🌊 Hydroponic growing (water only!)
Yes, Pothos can grow in water only for very long periods!
- Use a nice glass vessel
- Change water every week
- Add diluted hydroponic fertilizer once a month
- Make sure only roots are in the water, not the leaves!
⚠️ Mosquito prevention: Change water regularly or cover the bottle opening with a sponge around the stem.
🐛 Pests and Diseases
Pothos is very resistant to pests, but can sometimes be attacked - especially in non-optimal conditions.
🐜 Aphids
Signs: Small green/black insects on leaf undersides, sticky residue
Treatment: Spray with a strong jet of water, use potassium soap or neem oil
🕷️ Spider Mites
Signs: Tiny yellow dots, fine webbing, mottled leaves
Treatment: Increase humidity, wash leaves, spray with neem or soap
🐛 Mealybugs
Signs: White "cotton" at nodes and leaf bases
Treatment: Remove with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, spray with neem
🍄 Root Rot
Signs: Yellow leaves, soft and black roots, bad smell
Treatment: Remove from soil, cut off rotten roots, repot, reduce watering!
🔧 Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow leaves | Overwatering (most common!) | Reduce watering, ensure drainage, check roots |
| Brown tips | Low humidity / salts in water / over-fertilizing | Mist with water, use filtered water |
| Wilting leaves | Thirsty! (usually) | Water - it will recover within hours! |
| Loss of variegation (turning green) | Lack of light | Move to a brighter spot |
| Slow growth | Lack of light / lack of fertilizer / winter | Move to a bright spot, fertilize |
| Long and sparse stems | Lack of light, needs pruning | Prune and replant in the pot, move to light |
| Small leaves | Lack of light / lack of fertilizer | More light, fertilize, consider a climbing pole |
❓ FAQ
Yes! Pothos can grow in water for very long periods. Just change the water weekly and add diluted hydroponic fertilizer.
Lack of light! Variegated varieties need good light to maintain their colors. Move to a brighter spot and the variegation will return on new leaves.
Every 1-2 years, or when the roots come out of the drainage hole. Pothos actually likes being a bit crowded!
Yes! A NASA study found that Pothos filters pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene from the air.
Let it climb! Use a coco pole or support. When Pothos climbs, the leaves grow significantly!
Yes, but only in nature. In indoor conditions, Pothos almost never blooms—and that's okay, the leaves are the star!
They look similar but are different species! Pothos has thicker leaves with a waxy texture, while Philodendron has softer leaves with a more prominent heart shape.
🌟 Secrets and pro tips
🧽 Rice-rinsing water
Water you've used to wash or cook rice contains starch and minerals—excellent for watering Pothos!
🪵 Climbing pole = giant leaves
Want larger leaves? Let the Pothos climb a coco pole or wall. It mimics nature and the leaves will grow!
✂️ Pruning = fuller plant
Trim the ends of the stems regularly. It encourages branching and creates a denser, fuller plant!
💧 The "lift" trick
Not sure if it needs water? Lift the pot—if it's light, the Pothos is thirsty. If it's heavy, there is still water in the soil!
📚 Fun facts
- Pothos is called "Devil's Ivy" because it's almost impossible to kill!
- In nature, Pothos climbs trees and can develop leaves up to 90 cm!
- NASA included Pothos on its list of air-purifying plants
- Pothos can live for decades with proper care
🇮🇱 Adaptation to the Israeli climate
☀️ Israeli Summer
- Watering: Once a week, more in extreme heat
- Location: Keep away from direct sunlight!
- AC: Not in a direct draft
- Humidity: Mist occasionally, or keep in the bathroom
❄️ Israeli Winter
- Watering: Less! Every week or two
- Cold: Pothos doesn't like temperatures below 15°C
- Bring inside: If it's cold on the balcony
- Fertilizing: Stop or keep to a minimum
📍 Recommended spots in the Israeli home
- 🛁 Bathroom: Perfect! High humidity and even low light is fine
- 🍳 Kitchen: Great over cabinets or on a shelf
- 📚 Living room: On a high shelf or as a hanging plant
- 💼 Office: Even in artificial light!
- 🪜 Stairwell: Spreads beautifully downwards
🛒 Purchase and recommended products
How to choose a healthy Pothos?
- ✅ Green and shiny leaves, no brown or yellow spots
- ✅ Strong and firm stems
- ✅ No signs of pests (check the underside of the leaves!)
- ✅ Soil not overly saturated
- ✅ In variegated varieties—clear and beautiful variegation
🛍️ Recommended products from Deco Garden
Hanging pot
Perfect for trailing stems
Coco pole
For climbing and big leaves
Glass vessel
For propagation and hydroponics
Foliage plant fertilizer
For healthy growth
Water sprayer
To increase humidity
Pruning shears
For pruning and propagation
📊 Summary table - all information in one place
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| ☀️ Light | Suitable for almost any light condition! Bright indirect to shade |
| 💧 Watering | When soil dries out. Once every 1-2 weeks |
| 🌡️ Temperature | 18-29°C. Minimum: 15°C |
| 💨 Humidity | 50-70% ideal, but manages in low humidity too |
| 🪴 Growing medium | Light and well-draining. Potting soil + perlite, or water! |
| 🧪 Fertilizing | Once a month in spring-summer |
| 🔄 Repotting | Every 1-2 years |
| 🌱 Propagation | Very easy! Cuttings in water or soil |
| 📏 Size | Stems up to several meters! |
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This guide was written by the Deco Garden expert team
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