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Pothos is one of the most common indoor houseplants
and with good reason. It is easy to care for, grows quickly almost anywhere, and is very forgiving. This is a perfect plant
for beginners. You can use it as a table plant or hanging plant, and is attractive
as a tree when grown on a pole. Keep it away
from fireplaces and temperatures below 50 degrees. NASA has certified pothos
as a clean air plant. It is one of the most effective plants in removing formaldehyde from the air.
Houseplant 411 for the iPhone & i Pod Touch
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CARE OF POTHOS
Light: There is a pothos variety that can grow almost anywhere; green jade with solid green leaves for low light, golden
pothos with yellow and green leaves for medium to low light; and marble queen with green and white leaves for medium light
to high light: . The more color in the leaves the more light a pothos requires.
Water:
Allow your pothos to dry out before watering it. The only way to easily kill this plant is by over watering; the roots rot
and the plant quickly dies. Bright yellow leaves indicate that the plant has gotten too dry before you watered it; new growth
and leaves turning black indicate over watering.
Temperature: Usual household
temperatures of 55 to 80 degrees are fine, if the temperature drops below 45 degrees the plant stops growing and the leaves
are damaged
Fertilizer: Fertilize every two weeks in the spring and summer,
once a month in the fall, and every other month in the winter with a basic interior plant food.
Pruning: Trim the long runners to keep the plant bushy. 5”- 6” pieces of these runners can be rooted
in water or vermiculite and planted, several to a pot, to give you a new houseplant or a present for someone.
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POTHOS FAQ’S
1. I get bright yellow leaves on my pothos a few days after I water it.
You are letting the soil get too
dry; water well, until it comes out the bottom holes in the pot, then wait to water again until the top ½ of the soil
is dry.
2. My stems are brown and mushy and the new growth is black.
You are over watering. Cut off the dead stems and don’t water again until the roots have a chance to dry out. You
can even carefully take the plant out its pot so the soil can dry out even faster.
3.
I have long runners on my plant but nothing in the middle. How can I get the plant bushy again?
Cut several inches
off of each of the runners. This will allow the plant to branch out & become full again. Root the runners in water and
then start some new plants.
4. My marble queen had green and white leaves when
I bought it, now the leaves are mostly green. Will they ever turn white again?
The plant needs more light. Move
it closer to a window. The more variation in the leaves, the more light a pothos needs.
5. I kept my pothos in my sunroom all winter, the plant is still alive but the leaves are all black and ruined.
The temperature probably went down too low. Cut off the bad leaves, trim back the stems, and move your plant to a warmer
location. The roots are fine and your plant will grow back fuller than before.
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