How to Propagate Pothos Plant?

Popular and easy-going, the pothos plant poses no challenges in its care and can develop normally even with a hectic watering schedule and even in low light conditions.

If you have an interesting pothos variety — like the streaked Marble Queen pothos or a variegated one like the Pearls and Jade pothos — you may want to propagate it.

Below, I discuss how to propagate pothos plants from stem cuttings by using two different methods and offer tips on how to make your pothos plant grow faster.

Rooting in Water

Pothos Plant Propagation

To root your pothos plant in water, you’re going to need a 4-6 inch stem cutting. Choose a stem cutting with at least four leaves and remove the leaf closest to the cut end.

Rooting in water simply means placing the stem cutting in water, replacing the water frequently and waiting for it to root. You should replace the water every 3-7 days.

Compared to rooting in the potting medium, this option has the advantage that developing roots are easily visible through the glass.

Avoid exposing the stem cutting to direct light, but bright, indirect light is fine and even recommended.

The stem cutting can be transferred into potting soil in about one month after the roots start showing. At this stage the plant will have higher nutritional needs, so planting in a potting medium is a must.

Rooting in Potting Medium

Another pothos plant propagation method is to plant the stem cutting directly into potting soil. Before planting, dip the cut end in rooting hormone to speed up the rooting process.

When planting, make sure the first couple of root nodes on the cut end are below soil level. Use a potting medium that’s half perlite and half peat moss. Perlite can be substituted for sand.

Make sure to keep the pot out of direct sunlight and that the soil is moist but not soggy. Roots will start to develop in about a month or so.

Regardless of the propagation method you use, the roots will form in about the same timeframe, so one method isn’t necessarily better than the other.

Many will prefer rooting directly in potting medium and not having to transplant the new plant right away as they would need to if they were rooting the stem cutting in water.

My advice? Try both methods — simultaneously or not — to see which works out best for you.

How Long it Takes for New Plants to Grow?

If pothos stem cuttings take around a month to form roots, the plant needs 2-3 months to grow and be ready to be planted out of its rooting pot.

These plants generally grow quickly and if they’re left to their own devices, they can spread to 6-10 feet. If you want your pothos to stay smaller, you’re going to need to prune it. Regular pruning will help it to grow fuller and branch out.

Should I Fertilize?

Pothos will grow nicely even without fertilizing, especially if potted in a nutritious potting medium. For lush and healthy growth, it’s a good idea to fertilize your pothos every 2-3 months with a balanced, water-soluble houseplant fertilizer.

How to Make Your Plants Grow Faster?

Whether you want your pothos stem cuttings to grow faster or an already established, but a still young pothos plant, the tips below will help you speed up their growth.

– Make sure the plant gets enough light

Pothos plants can and will grow even in lower light conditions, but if your goal is for the plant to grow fast, you’re going to need to provide bright, indirect light.

– Choose the right potting medium

Pick a potting medium with a high nutritional value to give your pothos plant the best possible start in its new pot. Make sure that it’s a well-draining potting medium and that the pot has draining holes at the bottom.

– Don’t overwater

If you want to encourage faster growth, refrain from overwatering your pothos plant. You may end up causing its roots to rot and kill off your pothos.

Because the pothos enjoys its soil to dry out between two waterings, wait for the top 2 inches of soil to dry before watering.

Too little water is also bad — leaves can turn limp or curl if the plant doesn’t get enough water. The best way you can work around these issues is to thoroughly water your pothos until you see water pooling in the saucer.

When all the water has drained, empty the saucer and don’t water again until the top of the soil dries out.

– Keep temperature between 70-90 °F

Warm temperature and high humidity is the environment that pothos plants thrive in. Keep temperature within the 70-90 °F range. If temperatures drop below 55 °F, the plant will stop growing and you may even notice signs of tissue damage.

– Avoid pest infestations

Besides looking out for the general cultivation requirements of the pothos plant, you’ll also need to stay on top of any pest infestation.

Pests can damage leaves and cause stunted growth. While pothos aren’t especially prone to pest infestations, scales, mealybugs, mites, thrips may make an appearance.

When they do, you can use a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water to rub down the leaves or use insecticidal soap.

You can either wipe down each leaf or use a spray bottle to spray insecticidal soap on the entire plant. This latter is usually the approach if there is a wide-spread infestation.

Wrapping Up

Pothos plants are quick growers, but you too are going to have to do your part to make sure that there isn’t anything that will stunt the growth of your pothos plant.

Propagating pothos plants isn’t difficult either — simply choose a suitable stem cutting and root in water or in a well-draining potting medium.

Once your pothos plants become established, maintain a good watering routine, keep an eye on lighting conditions and temperature in your home.

Lastly, keep pesky pests away and fertilize your plant every 2-3 months for healthy and luscious foliage development.