Pothos plants are very popular. People keep these plants as houseplants pretty often, and they do need a bit more room than most other types of houseplants.
You can keep pothos plants outdoors as well, so long as you live in a warm enough climate. Those who live in USDA zones 10 through 12 can comfortably keep these plants outside.
If you’re considering putting a pothos plant somewhere in your garden, you might be concerned about spreading issues. Does the pothos plant spread, or is that not something to worry about?
Keep reading to learn more about pothos plants so you can know what to expect. It’ll help you to approach things the right way and get good results.
Pothos Plants Spread
Yes, pothos plants spread. These plants can grow and spread faster than many might realize.
Most pothos varieties are known as trailing or climbing plants. It’s common for people to put these plants on surfaces where they can climb.
You might put a pothos plant on a trellis in your garden area. Or you might position it so it can grow on a shed or even on the side of a house.
Pothos plants like to grow upward, and they also spread out. How the plant will grow depends on the situation that you put it in.
Issues with Pothos Being Leggy
It’s common for pothos plants to have issues with being leggy. Leggy plants grow out without looking as full and bushy as they should.
They grow up and reach out for the sunlight, but they don’t look as healthy as many would like. If you don’t take action, your pothos plant will likely grow to be leggy instead of having that nice full look that you desire.
What can be done about this? A pothos doesn’t have to be leggy, but you need to take steps to help the pothos spread out the right way.
You can make the pothos grow and look full like a bush. It just involves pruning the plant.
Prune the Pothos
Pruning the pothos regularly keeps it from experiencing leggy growth. Without pruning, the stems are going to be thin, and the leaf placement will be less than ideal.
You can promote healthy growth and fullness by pruning regularly. Remove any leafless vines on the plant to encourage new growth.
Heavy pruning is fine and sometimes it’s necessary to get the pothos to grow the way that you want it to. Cutting back is only going to help it grow bushier.
When pruning, be sure to use sterilized pruning shears. It’s also best to use gardening gloves for safety purposes.
Prune away any stems that are growing downward. Always trim the stems just below the leaf nodes.
Give the Plant Fertilizer
Fertilizer will help the pothos plant to get the nutrients that it needs to thrive. Growing is something that takes energy, and these plants might not get everything that they need from the soil alone.
During the spring and summer months, it’s best to fertilize the plants more often. Leggy plants signify some type of nutrient deficiency, and you can correct this by using fertilizer appropriately.
Give the plant a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer. During the spring and summer, you can fertilize the pothos once or twice per month.
Be careful to follow the instructions that come with the liquid fertilizer that you choose. You must dilute the fertilizer properly to avoid burning the leaves of the plant.
Sufficient Lighting is Crucial
Ensuring that the pothos plant gets enough sunlight is imperative. These plants do best when they receive bright light, but they can’t handle direct sunlight.
In nature, pothos plants have the protection of larger trees. They grow underneath tree canopies in tropical environments.
Direct sunlight is too harsh and will scorch the leaves of the pothos. They still like bright sunlight, though.
Finding a spot in your home where the plant can receive bright indirect sunlight daily will help. You can filter the light through a sunny window to help the plant.
These plants can also be grown using LED grow lights if necessary. If growing a pothos plant outdoors, be sure to put it in an appropriate spot in your yard so it’ll receive enough light while also being protected.
Water the Plant Properly
Watering the plant properly is important as well. Typically, pothos plants must be watered once every two weeks, but it depends on how harsh the sunlight is.
A pothos plant might dry out more or less often depending on the conditions in the area. So it’s best to check the soil weekly to see how things are going.
When the soil has dried out, you’re meant to water the plant. You’re not supposed to water the plant while it’s still moist.
Make sure that you plant pothos plants in well-draining soil. Otherwise, it becomes hard for them to drain well enough.
This can lead to the plant receiving too much water. Pothos plants can experience root rot if you water more than necessary.
Stake the Pothos
Staking the pothos plant is a great way to offer the plant support. It’ll help it to grow in the right direction.
This can combat issues with the plant spreading the wrong way. There are many ways that you can approach this.
You can use a trellis, a wooden stake, a bamboo pole, or something else similar. These plants will grow leaves closer together when they have support, and they’ll look much fuller as a result.
Final Thoughts
Now you know that pothos plants do indeed spread. These plants can have problems growing to be full enough, though.
To prevent leggy growth, you will need to prune the plant. You should prune the plant in specific ways to encourage the best growth patterns.
Staking the plant is also something that can be beneficial. You need to focus on giving the plant enough sunlight and water to keep it in good shape, too.
Do your best to take the advice above into account. It should make it far easier to enjoy pothos plants whether you’re caring for them indoors or outdoors.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.