POTHOS PROPAGTION

Create a large plant family with just one plant!

Original Plant

Want to save money and have fresh, beautiful living plants to decorate your home? Me too! So I did and this what I learned.

Pothos (Devil’s Ivy) is a popular house plant as it is very low maintenance and also forgiving. It likes to dry out between waterings and can handle many different kinds of lighting. It is ideal if you aren’t looking to be on a watering schedule.

When my husband and I first got married five years ago, I bought a couple house plants for some simple and lush decor. The plant pictured is one of the few survivors from those first years learning plant care and multiple moves. It was a baby vine, about five inches long with just a couple leaves when I got it. I spent less than $5 purchasing it, and got it a little pot and some soil. In all I spent maybe $15 on this guy.

Into year 3 this plant was out of control. I had repotted it into the pot pictured by then but it was outgrowing its designated corner and I didn’t know how to tame it. I had heard about propagating but was intimidated by the thought. I decided to face my fears and tried a few different techniques.

Propagation One

Propagation One:
I cut with sharp scissors from the “Mother” cutting the two longest trailings. Cutting just above a leaf for each left me with a little bit of stem to work with on both. I read I should keep the soil consistently moist for the first two weeks and then continue as normal. So I did just that, placing my cuttings in the soil, put it in a sunny window and made sure every day it was moist for two weeks. Both vines started showing signs of drooping right before the two weeks were over and it concerned me so I dug in the soil to take a peek at what was happening and there were tiny roots! So that let me know I didn’t need to keep the soil so moist and it was time to let it dry out in between waterings. Two years later its still going strong.

Propagation Two

Propagation Two:
The next method I tried is the water approach. After following the same steps for the first propagation with how to cut it off the original plant, I simply placed the cutting in water rather than soil. I liked using a clear jar for this so I could keep an eye on the water levels easily and keep watch for roots.
It took about two weeks until I saw roots form. I tried to be faithful in changing the water out with fresh water every two-three weeks. The plant pictured has been a water dweller for about 3 months now.

Propagation Three

Propagation Three:
This is my sunroom Pothos and I have never had a propagation grow so quickly. Our sunroom gets quite humid and of course has full sun all throughout the day. In low lighting, the Pothos plant will normally be a deeper green with smaller leaves. In high light, the plant will be a brighter green with bigger leaves. So if you want your Pothos to grow fast, give it heat and light…sounds kind of like, no duh, but not all plants like that!
For this propagation I decided to combine both methods. I started this cutting out in water and let the roots form for about a month changing the water one time. Once it had some large roots, I prepared my pot and soil, and planted it with more peace this time knowing it already had its roots instead of digging around to find them later.
If you decide to try this method, keep in mind that all because the roots are formed does not mean it is established immediately when you chose to plant it in soil. Its root system needs to establish and adjust going from water to the soil. This means making sure the soil remains evenly moist, but not too much, for the first two weeks. After that you shouldn’t have to baby it as much.

Propagation Four

Propagation Four:
With my most recent propagation, I chose to do the combo method once again, which is definitely my favorite way to propagate now. This vine is our bathroom buddy and is loving life in the bathroom. Like the sunroom Pothos, this vine enjoys the humidity provided from the shower and is right next to the window.

You may think I’m going a bit overboard with all the Devil’s Ivy in my home but I can say with certainty I am not. Here is why: besides the beauty it provides and its easy going nature, my favorite thing about a Pothos plant is that it purifies air. It removes toxins in the air such as formaldehyde, benzene and carbon monoxide. So if you are a fan of clean air like me then get one! As you see, just one can take you a long way.
From spending my initial $15 for the first plant I now have 5 plants with plans to expand my Pothos family soon.



Please note: this plant is highly toxic if ingested. If you have babies or fur babies be sure to keep the plant safely out of reach.




What are your favorite propagation methods you have tried?