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The Pothos plant is known for being a durable and easy plant to grow and should be watered every 7 to 14 days, on average.
The pothos plant, nicknamed the pothos ivy or scientifically known as the Epipremnum, is growing in popularity, especially for beginner plant parents.
To get a better gauge on your pothos watering schedule, it’s always best to feel the moisture of the soil before giving your plant some H2O. Figuring out when to water your pothos is the difference between a brown pothos and a vibrant green plant.
Understanding Your Pothos Plants and Their Water Needs
Pothos plants are very communicative, and you’ll notice quite quickly when they haven’t received enough water or light.
It’s best to wait until the top 1-2 inches (2-5cm) of the soil is dry before watering – or until the pothos begins to look a bit droopy.
How to Care for Pothos – Correct Watering
The pothos got the nickname the Devil’s Ivy because, even when it’s neglected, it takes months before it dies.
Its durability is one of the reasons why many reach for it. But, with that said, your pothos is not a succulent and will die without water for long periods of time.
Always be sure to assess your plant’s watering needs upon receiving it. While some plant parents and experts may say the pothos needs watering once a week or twice a week, there are a number of factors to consider if you want your pothos plant to thrive and vine.
Find Your Perfect Pothos Watering Schedule
It’s best to administer the fingertip test before deciding to water your pothos. This is done by burrowing your finger into the soil about an inch or so deep to check for moisture.
If the soil is wet or moist, you don’t need to water your pothos. If the soil is bone-dry, your pothos is dehydrated and needs watering.
Once you’ve watered your pothos and the soil is moist, does this mean you can skip a week or so before watering the plant again? Not necessarily.
The pothos might be thirstier some weeks than others. So, it’s always best to do the fingertip test every few days to figure out if watering is necessary.
Here is a basic cheat code to figuring out your Pothos’ watering schedule:
- Be sure to gauge the soil moisture before watering (wet, moist or bone-dry)
- Ensure the entire root ball receives water
- Drain off any excess water to prevent standing water
Misting
Should you mist your Pothos plant? Can this be a substitute for watering your plant? In short, the answer to those frequently asked questions is: ‘No’. Pothos plants do not require misting.
Misting the plant won’t help keep it adequately watered or in the proper humidity and may even increase the risk of pest infestation on the plant.
How to Bottom Water Pothos Plants
It’s important to know how to water your pothos because overwatering it can lead to root rot.
A pothos plant can bounce back from underwatering but it’s not so easy if it has been oversaturated. For most, bottom-watering the pothos is the best way to water them.
By implementing this method, the pothos plant is getting just the right amount of water it needs. It does take longer to bottom water your plant in this way but your pothos will sip up the amount of water it needs, and it prevents wasting water.
Bottom watering is easy to do. Simply place your pothos in a tray larger than the pot of your pothos or inside your bathtub and fill it up with water to about an inch or two (2-5cm).
When the top layer of the soil of your pothos is moist, then it has absorbed all the water it needed.
Does Watering One Variegation of Pothos Differ from Another?
Fortunately, whether you own any (or all) of the variegations of pothos, how you water your pothos does not vary from one type to another.
It’s probably most likely that the variegation of your pothos is more fickle when it comes to the amount of light it gets.
Should you notice that your pothos’ once-distinct marbling or colouring has begun to fade or has disappeared entirely, that would be due to lack of light, then water.
Can I Keep my Pothos in Water Forever?
A pothos can thrive in water on the condition that you provide the right conditions for it to do so. Make sure the water is changed and swapped out for clean water every couple of weeks.
You can also give nutrients to your pothos in water by adding liquid fertilizer to them. Be sure to clean the container too. If algae starts to grow, this could hinder the growth of your pothos plant.
Does Water Quality Matter?
When calculating your pothos plant schedule, it’s important to take into account this factor- water quality.
The purer the water you use, the healthier your pothos will be. Distilled water, rainfall or filtered water are the best choices for watering your plant.
Watering Pothos: Overwatering and Underwatering
There is a thin line between underwatering and overwatering your pothos plant. But there are some issues that can occur for doing too much of either.
Here are a few things that can happen to your pothos plant if you are overwatering or underwatering.
Overwatering
Too much water can lead to root rot and can potentially kill your pothos. Bugs, slow growth and mould growth on the pothos and in the soil can be a sign of overwatering.
A visible sign to note if you’re overwatering your plant is if your pothos’ leaves begin to curl or wilt.
Underwatering
By not giving your pothos enough water, you run the risk of getting wilting foliage, desert soil, and the leaves becoming dry with browning tips.
Overwatering or underwatering your Pothos can stunt the growth in different ways. Without enough water, especially for a prolonged period, your pothos will die.
Oversaturating your pothos makes its leaves brown, mushy, and rotted. Looking after your pothos means looking after its roots. If the roots are dead, the pothos will be too.
Final Thoughts on Watering Your Pothos
In good conditions and with optimum care, the pothos plant can trail up to 10 feet long (3m). Consistently checking soil moisture and watering accordingly is a prime requirement to keep your pothos growing.
Watering according to the season you’re in is helpful too. Pothos plants tend to need more water during summer rather than in winter.
A pothos can be a great and colorful addition to your home or office. It has minimal requirements and watching a Pothos vine is the most interesting thing to witness.
Tough and versatile, the pothos plant can be encouraged or ‘trained’ to grow horizontally across a mantelpiece, climb up a trellis, or trail from a hanging basket. Either way, it adds beauty, color, and benefits any environment.
Essentially, one of the best things about being a pothos plant parent is that they’re not fussy about a watering schedule.
If you do overwater a little or if you forget to water once or twice, your pothos may lose a leaf or two but it will recover.