Owning a pothos plant should be a great experience overall. These plants are pretty and they add a lot of charm to any room that they’re placed in.
It’s common to keep them outside for those who live in rather warm climates. Throughout North America, it’s more common for them to be kept as houseplants.
One problem that some have involves branching. You might notice that your pothos plant looks a bit sparse.
Is there a good way to get the plant to branch properly? What do you need to do to make this happen?
Keep reading to learn about this process. This will ensure that you can get the best results.
1 – Prune the Plant
Pruning the plant is the most important aspect of encouraging these plants to branch. You’ll be pruning pothos plants regularly to get them to grow the way that you want them to.
If you know much about pothos plants, you know that they love to climb. These plants will grow on many different surfaces.
Sometimes they’ll grow in unusual ways and you might see them spreading in ways that you don’t like. Pruning is a great way to control the growth of the plant and make it look more like a bush.
Instead of seeing a pothos plant as individual vines, it’s easier to look at it as one complete plant. You make cuts to try to keep it in a centralized area.
Branching is something that you can easily encourage by making precise cuts. You need to cut the plant in the right way.
Take the time to cut the stem of the plant just below the leaf node. This should be easy enough to spot and this is the perfect place to cut to make the plant grow new branches.
If you see any vines that are trailing downward you’ll want to cut them off. It’s also best to trim away leafless stems to encourage new growth.
2 – Try Staking the Plant
Staking the plant can be beneficial in many ways. This will give the pothos plant support so that it can have an easier time growing.
If you allow the plant to grow on a stake, it’ll have a simpler time growing larger and bigger leaves. It’ll also keep things much closer together.
To get the best experience, it’s recommended to begin staking the plant when it’s young. The plant will be much fuller and it’ll produce more branches this way.
These plants truly do look a lot better as houseplants when you stake them. It provides the plant with structure and it just makes sense when your goal is to encourage branching.
The plant will look fuller and you’ll have an easier time enjoying it. Since staking a pothos plant is easy, there’s no reason not to do this.
3 – Give the Plant Fertilizer
Fertilizer is something that can encourage plant growth. Most types of houseplants do well when you give them a bit of fertilizer, but this can be especially beneficial for pothos plants.
Sometimes pothos plants experience leggy growth and this is partly due to a lack of nutrients. You need to ensure that the plant receives enough nutrients so that it can grow properly.
Ideally, you want to give the pothos plant a balanced fertilizer that will give it what it needs. Most experts recommend giving these plants standard 20-20-20 houseplant fertilizer.
Using a water-soluble fertilizer will be the easiest route to take. When giving the plant the fertilizer it’ll be important to follow the instructions that come with it.
You need to dilute the fertilizer to ensure that it won’t be too harsh. Fertilizer can damage plants if you use too much of it.
It’s common for people to fertilize pothos plants once or twice per month during the spring and summer. To err on the side of caution, it might be best to stick to doing this once per month.
4 – Keep the Plant Warm Enough
Keeping the plant warm enough is another part of the equation. Pothos plants are tropical and they do best in warm weather.
You can’t even keep these plants outdoors if you live in a place where the temperature gets a bit chilly. The ideal temperature range for these plants is between 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is why they’re most commonly kept as houseplants in the United States. In many states, it’ll be too cool outside for these plants to live.
When keeping pothos plants indoors, you still need to keep an eye on the environment. If you put the plant too close to drafty windows or vents you might experience issues.
Stunted growth can occur when these plants are exposed to fluctuating temperatures. This won’t help with branching.
Do your best to find a spot in your home where the plant will be safe. You want a location where the temperature is stable and you won’t need to worry.
It’s also important to keep pothos plants in environments that are humid enough. Since they’re tropical plants, they’re used to being in relatively humid environments.
This could be a bit of a problem if you live in a dry area. The best humidity for these plants will be 50%, but the humidity in your home might be lower than this.
Consider using a small humidifier for houseplants to remedy the situation. This will keep the plant in good shape so you won’t have to worry.
5 – Give the Plant Enough Water
These plants need to receive enough water to be able to grow strong. It’s common for people to water these plants every one or two weeks, but that can differ based on various factors.
You should never water plants on a schedule. It’s always better to check the soil first to see if the plants need to be watered.
Pothos plants need to dry out a bit before they should be watered again. You’re meant to wait until the top two inches of soil have become dry.
Check the soil weekly to see how things are going. Just touch the soil with your index finger and middle finger to see how things are.
When you water the plant, it’s best to do so thoroughly. Make sure that you water it well and it’ll thrive under your care.
Plant pothos plants using well-draining soil. If the soil doesn’t drain properly it’ll be difficult to keep the plant in good shape.
Issues with soil drainage often lead to root rot. The plant will suffer when it gets too much water without being able to drain normally.
Final Thoughts
You should feel more confident about getting your pothos plant to branch now. Branching is something that needs to be encouraged by taking specific actions.
The most important aspect of branching involves pruning the plant. Pruning the plant regularly and making cuts at specific points will cause branching to occur.
You also need to focus on meeting the plant’s needs. Make sure that you give the plant nutrients by fertilizing it and giving it enough water.
Staking the plant helps to give it structure and this makes it easier for the plant to grow fuller. Follow the advice above and it’ll be easy to get the results that you’re seeking.
Pothos plants are great and they can look very nice and full with a little bit of effort. Now that you know what to do you can get to work and start branching your pothos.
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.