Due to their lush foliage and tolerant nature, pothos plants are a favorite among newbies who are houseplant parents. However, in order to survive and thrive, plants still require proper care, and watering is among the most crucial aspects of that care.
If you’ve decided on a variety of pothos as your leafy, low-maintenance companion, you may be wondering how frequently to water pothos plants; if so, you’ve come to the right place to find out. Generally speaking, pothos plants need to be watered every 7 to 14 days. However, it is much better to feel the soil’s moisture and use that as a guide than it is to stick to a rigid schedule.
What Kind Of Soil Is Required For My Pothos?
We must talk about your pothos’ soil requirements before we can take into account its watering requirements. In terms of a growing medium, the pothos is not a particularly picky plant. Make sure it is only in a well-draining, well-aerated potting mix.
Root rot can easily result from overly absorbing soil, which can easily drown your roots. Furthermore, if your soil isn’t adequately aerated, it may become overly compact, which prevents the plant from receiving the water it requires.
Standard potting soil should be adequate, but you can also add orchid bark, cactus soil, or vermiculite for aeration and drainage. Avoid using cactus mix alone because your growing medium should retain some moisture.
Read More: What Is The Best Soil For Pothos? How To Choose?
How Often To Water The Pothos Plant?
Pothos’ rate of growth and subsequent watering requirements are influenced by outdoor seasons, even when they are houseplants. A pothos’ typical growing season is from spring to fall. Your plant should grow a few feet or more during this time.
Wait, what? Your pothos will expand by several feet in a matter of months, possibly sprouting 15 to 30 new leaves or more. Pretty amazing, I must say!
With this rapid growth, your watering practices must keep up. The moisture of the soil is actually the most crucial factor to monitor. Make it a routine to check the plant once a week and water if the soil feels dry to the touch or if it has been too long since you last did so.
Watering Pothos During The Winter Months
Fall and winter are the dormant seasons for most plants, including pothos, which causes growth to slow. Since nutrient uptake is restricted at this time, fertilizing your pothos is not necessary.
Maintain a temperature range of 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day for pothos plants indoors. In spite of this, pothos isn’t too particular and will flourish in most indoor environments with temperatures above 50°F.
Your pothos will also require less water while it is dormant. This does not imply that a little extra water would be beneficial. Additional watering during dormancy won’t make your pothos love you more. Just don’t do it.
The majority of pothos don’t like permanently wet soil. They actually prefer it when the soil dries out between waterings. Before applying more light water, check the soil’s dryness on a weekly basis all around the pot.
During this time, you should only expect minimal activity from your pothos. Have faith that the growth cycle is at work.
Watering Pothos During The Summer Months
The peak growing period for pothos is the summer. Water your pothos two to three times more frequently in the warmer months than you would in the winter. 2-3x as often is a good starting point, but there is no fixed number for this.
The most crucial thing is to check the moisture level of your pothos’ soil twice a week, and definitely before each watering. Under the hot summer sun, the plant will both absorb more water and dry out more quickly, so be cautious!
How Much To Water Pothos?
Watering Pothos In Spring
The pothos is no exception to the rule that most indoor plants bloom in the spring. However, unlike other plant species, it does not begin to bloom as soon as the winter frost is gone.
Instead, the pothos spring growing season might not begin until May, which is the very last month of spring.
Even so, you should monitor and possibly intensify your watering practices. Although spring has just begun, the world is in full bloom outside even though the pothos hasn’t really started to grow much.
The temperature is steadily rising, the days are getting longer, and birds are chirping.
The soil will absorb water more quickly because it is warmer outside. Depending on how spring is in your area, you might find that you need to water your pothos more frequently than every two weeks.
Watering Pothos In Summer
You should water your pothos up to twice as frequently in the summer than you would at any other time of the year. Watering your pothos once or twice a week during the summer is typical for many pothoses, especially if it’s hot outside and the days are longer.
The bulk of the pothos’ growing season can now begin as the summer has already begun. Your pothos plant will be in an ideal growing environment because the pothos thrives in temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which are typical of summer in most parts of the United States.
Watering Pothos In Fall
When establishing a regular watering schedule for your pothos during the Fall season, watering it every 7 to 12 days is a good place to start. When transitioning from one season to the next, pay close attention to your pothos. Indoor plants typically stop growing completely in the fall and resume growth the following spring. Not the pothos.
Be prepared because pothos plants can keep growing well into the fall and even later. In light of this, you might think about watering your pothos a little less frequently than you did during the summer until you can determine from looking at it how much water it requires to thrive in the fall.
The beginning of autumn typically heralds a change to cooler temperatures, though sometimes it happens more gradually. Keep up your summer watering routine for the pothos if the weather continues to feel like summer into September or even October because its soil is still evaporating at the same rapid rate.
Watering Pothos In Winter
Watering a pothos once every 10 to 14 days in the Winter is a good starting point, and I advise you to check the soil with your finger to see how much is needed.
Your pothos will have finished growing for the year by the time January rolls around. The least amount of effort from you will be needed during this four-month period of dormancy. The pothos will behave more similarly to the other dormant houseplants you have, necessitating watering perhaps once every two weeks or so.
When Does My Pothos Need Water, And How Do I Know?
It is possible to tell when to water your pothos by looking for a few signs. You can touch the soil, and it will feel dry and light in your planter. The leaves, which are usually waxy and firm when well-watered, will appear a little languid. The leaves should begin to swell soon after you water your plant.
Remember that when overwatered, pothos leaves may also droop; the wilting leaves may be yellow or have black spots on them. Sadly, the leaves won’t grow back if they are damaged by excessive watering. Keep in mind that the pothos always tolerates less overwatering than underwatering.
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