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Where Should I Put My Pothos? Answered

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Pothos is very undemanding plants and is therefore great for beginner gardeners. They can be placed at some of your favorite spots because they can tolerate different conditions.

However, you should never ignore their needs as it could harm them. Correct placement is crucial to the survival of your Pothos.

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You can put your Pothos near windows, bathrooms, offices, or even in your bedroom! They do well in central parts of the home, but they will do well in conditions with moderate light conditions but will struggle in direct sunlight. You can plant them either in water or soil.

Factors That Will Determine Where You Should Place Your Pothos

Before you can determine the ideal place for your Pothos, you will need to look at some of the factors that can impact it all!

There are a few significant factors that need to be kept in mind. Let’s take a look:

Light

Although you can grow your Pothos either outdoors or indoors, you have to make sure they still get correct lighting conditions.

Your Pothos will thrive in lower light conditions, but if you want elevated growth, you need to expose them to bright light conditions.

Avoid places that get direct sunlight, as it could compromise their health. You can keep your pothos plant in any corner, on any shelf, near windows, or even beside a lamp, making sure there is a bright light that has low intensity.

You can reduce a light’s intensity by covering near windows with curtains, or you can keep your Pothos a few feet away from any direct sources of light, saving your Pothos from any possible damages.

If you choose to keep your Pothos outdoors, you can keep it over a covering, ensuring it gets no direct sunlight. In simple terms, shielding your Pothos away from any direct scorching sun rays is the main thing you need to do for your Pothos to ensure it stays healthy.

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However, your Pothos will need enough light in order to retain their variegation and leaf pattern. If you notice any pale leaves, brown spots, or sunburn symptoms, you will need to move your Pothos away from the intense light.

Temperature

Pothos will tolerate various temperatures but will grow to their fullest potential in temperatures of 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. If kept at these temperature levels, you are unlikely to experience any temperature-related issues.

When placing your Pothos in their new area or location, check and take note of the temperature levels surrounding them. If your climate is colder, and it usually drops below 30 degrees Fahrenheit, your Pothos will suffer.

You will need to move them near a heater or even a stove to enhance the temperature levels. However, it is crucial that you keep them at a safe distance so their leaves won’t burn because of the heat.

If you expose your Pothos to low temperates for long periods, it will immediately show signs of distress. If this happens, you can change the pothos’ position according to your climate and temperatures in order to maintain the ideal temperature levels.

The best way to maintain a high temperature would be partial exposure to sunlight.

Humidity

Pothos plants are very fond of humidity. They will do exceptionally well in high-level moisture areas. It would be best to keep the humidity levels between 60% and 99% in the areas you want to place your Pothos.

Although your Pothos is a hardy plant and will survive areas with low humidity levels, you don’t have to be too concerned if you’re struggling to maintain high humidity in the air. Your Pothos will still look healthy and grow!

If you’re looking for an effective way to maintain humidity, you can place your Pothos on top of an aquarium and allow them to grow their roots down into the water.

You can also purchase a humidifier to support the humidity levels, or you can mist your Pothos every few days.

If you’re a big fan of plants, you can group Pothos with a few other high moisture plants, and they will do the job for you!

Soil

Your pothos plant will grow efficiently in ordinary potting soil that drains well. They are very tolerant of any soil’s pH, and they will thrive in a wide variety of conditions, from acidic to neutral.

Water

Usually, a pothos plant will like to have its soil dry out entirely between waterings. Their roots will rot if you leave your Pothos in damp soil for long periods.

If your Pothos has black spots on their leaves, or if it suddenly collapses, it is a clear indication that its soil has been kept too wet for too long.

Your Pothos will tell you when it needs to be watered. When it starts to become droopy, it needs water.

However, do not wait for your pothos’ leaves to fall or shrivel up to water them. If it has brown or dry edges, it means that it was watered too long ago.

Pothos Growth Rate

Fertilizer

Your pothos plant isn’t a heavy feeder.

However, you should keep in mind that there are usually no nutrients in the most readily available potting soils, so you can feed your Pothos monthly or every other month with any type of houseplant fertilizer to increase their nutrition intake.

Putting Your Pothos Near Windows

If you want to place your Pothos near windows, you have a few options. By placing your Pothos correctly in windows or near windows will help it get the light conditions it needs to thrive.

Below is a list of north, east, south, and west-facing windows and what these windows mean for the survival of your Pothos:

Placing A Pothos In North-Facing Windows

If you place your Pothos near north-facing windows or doors, it won’t receive a lot of light.

You can safely hang your Pothos on or very close to north-facing windows without having to worry about the risk of sunburn issues.

Placing A Pothos In East-Facing Windows

Placing your Pothos in a spot near an east-facing window would be the closest to an ideal spot.

Your Pothos will receive direct sunlight in the mornings. This is fine for your Pothos, as the morning sun is usually gentle and will not scorch your plant.

This will make sure that your Pothos gets indirect but bright sunlight most of the day.

Placing A Pothos In South-Facing Windows

Generally, south-facing windows get consistent sunlight. If you want to place your Pothos in or close to a south-facing window, the direct scorching sunlight during the day will do much more harm than it will do good.

As an alternative, you can place your Pothos a couple of feet away from the window to make sure your Pothos will not be getting any direct and consistent light. Your Pothos will still get bright light, which will make it thrive!

Placing A Pothos In West-Facing Windows

West-facing windows receive the strongest sun rays during the afternoons. Because of this, you should not place your Pothos in west-facing windows. You can, of course, place your Pothos a bit away from these windows.

Putting Your Pothos In Your Bedroom

With pothos’ long, deep, heart-shaped leaves and pure white blooms, it would be a winner even without discussing its excellent air purifying capabilities.

A pothos plant would make a great addition to your bedroom because it can tolerate low light.

It is also an indoor favorite, thanks to its low-maintenance requirements. You can place your Pothos in your bedroom with diffused light and water it only when it’s necessary. You can also use fertilizer on your Pothos while still keeping it in your bedroom, as it won’t leave any unpleasant smells.

Because your Pothos will tolerate low light, they will appreciate some filtered sun through a window that doesn’t get too cold.

Only give your Pothos a drink when its soil feels completely dry to your touch, and never let it get soggy or waterlogged.

You can use disinfected blades or scissors to cut away any brown leaf edges or tips, which are caused by excessive heat or dryness.

You can use a sprayer or damp cloth to wipe your pothos leaves every few months to increase moisture. This will also keep the leaves of your Pothos clean!

Putting Your Pothos In Your Bathroom

Since your Pothos like low to moderate, indirect light, it would be the ideal plant to put on your bathroom counter or shelf!

Although Pothos don’t necessarily need the extra humidity, it makes an excellent pick for any bathroom because of the fact that it’s tolerant of lower light levels as well as irregular waterings.

They are also tough plants, so it makes them easy to care for and can survive some hardships. They also grow quickly and loves to trail and hang. Therefore, it will make a great plant to hang on your curtain rod!

The best news is that having a Pothos in your shower will reduce the amount of toxins in the air. While pothos plants will pull the carbon dioxide out of the air and replace it with oxygen, they will filter the air as well.

You will be able to breathe a bit easier, and the air you breathe will be a little bit cleaner! Another obvious but crucial part of keeping a pothos in your bathroom will be how great it will look!

Additionally, if you are one of those gardeners who can’t seem to keep their indoor plants alive for long periods, you might have success if you place your Pothos inside of your bathroom.

Since Pothos need water and thrive on humidity, your bathroom is one of the best places to keep them. You will find that the environment will make your Pothos thrive, even if you have forgotten to water it for a more extended period.

Putting Your Pothos In Your Office

If you’re thinking of growing your Pothos in your office, it might actually be a very good idea! Sunlight is the perfect balance for your pothos’ growth and blooms, but you can make use of artificial lights to help your Pothos to thrive.

In fact, low-light foliage plants, such as your Pothos, can grow quite well in windowless offices, as long as you have enough artificial light.

Pothos are more than able to survive without natural sunlight as long as they are provided with artificial light sources such as LED bulbs or fluorescent lights.

Frequently Asked Questions About Where To Put A Pothos

What Happens When Placing Pothos In Low Light?

When you place your Pothos in an area with too low light conditions, they may either lose their variegation, or their growth may be stunted.

 Only the green parts of your pothos’ leaves can make energy for your plant, so it has to get enough light.

Enough light will provide energy for your Pothos and ensure their growth, and the leaves will become noticeably greener. If you do not move your Pothos to a new spot, it will compromise their health, and your Pothos may even die.

Should My Pothos Be In Soil Or Water?

The reason behind the popularity of Pothos is due to the fact that you can grow them either in water or in dry soil. You can take cuttings from a pothos mother plant and root them in water.

The only problem is when the cuttings start to grow in one growing medium, they may have a challenging time to switch to another. So, if you have started growing your pothos plant in the soil, it will struggle to thrive if it is moved to the water.

The same goes the other way around. If you start a pothos plant in soil, it might die if it has to spend a long time growing in water.

How Can I Ensure Optimal Light For My Pothos?

The optimal light for your Pothos would be between 12 and 14 hours of bright but indirect light every day.

This will ensure optimal growth. If you placed your Pothos outdoors, it would be best to limit exposure to direct sunlight to 3 to 4 hours a day.

In order to ensure the perfect light conditions, you can make use of grow light to give them 8 000 to 16 000 lux for 14 hours each day.