Pothos are hardy and easy to grow, and as long as their environment suits them, they will undoubtedly continue to expand their vines.
No wonder they are often chosen as gifts. But have you ever had a situation where your pothos grew too big while you were caring for them?
My pothos flowers and stretches its vines vigorously every day.
Initially, I was thrilled to see the vines grow quickly, but worried about what to do if they got too big.
I learned how to handle the long vines and gained enough skill to make a tower of pothos.
So, in this article, I want to share some simple tips on how to deal with overgrown pothos.
What to do with an overgrown Pothos?
Pothos vines can grow quickly before you know it. No wonder since Pothos is a climbing plant.
If left unchecked, the vines on the plant will continue to grow and grow. may seem a bit sloppy. Let’s look at some ways to deal with pothos that are too big.
Method 1 – Cut Pothos Vines and Place in Water
You can trim overgrown vines from your pothos to keep them in shape. The best time to do this is during the plant’s growing season, from spring to fall. Use clean scissors to cut the overgrown areas.
As the pothos vines grow, the aerial roots become more prominent, like the one circled in pink in the photo.
New roots will grow from these aerial roots, so I decided to cut the vine above (closer to the root) the area circled in red and place it in water.
This time I cut the vine by hand instead of scissors. It’s okay to use clean shears, but if they’re not maintained properly, bacteria and other contaminants from the shears can be transferred to the pothos cut, which can cause illness.
I’ve taken a safer approach to avoiding this risk, especially since pothos vines are easy to cut by hand.
Depending on the variety, pothos can have beautiful cream-colored markings, as shown in the photo. However, these marks may fade if the plant is grown without sun for long periods of time.
I use a vase I bought from IKEA for the water diffusion.
To make it easier to place the vine in the water, I cut the stem at the pink line to adjust the length.
And with that, the pothos water spread is complete. The process is simple.
All you have to do is change the water every 2-3 days (or ideally daily), and strong roots will grow from the aerial roots, allowing the plant to thrive.
After pruning, continue to care for your pothos in a well-ventilated, semi-shaded area.
Reuse cut stems in water
You can take advantage of the pruned stems by putting them in water. Especially between spring and autumn, the stems root easily, so you can grow them hydroponically.
Keeping pothos stems in water makes them easy to keep indoors, which is a great option.
Pothos plants don’t need a lot of sun, so they’re ideal for growing indoors. Also, they look refreshing and fashionable.
When the roots have grown so long in water, they become “water absorbent” (see photo above).
Transplanting them directly into the ground at this time may not result in successful growth. If you want to plant them in the ground, it is best to do so when the roots have just emerged.
Method 2- Use a support structure
Another way to use the vines grown from your pothos is to erect a support structure for them to climb on.
A variety of support structures are available, such as simple stakes sold at dollar stores, natural materials that pothos can easily wrap around, or mesh materials that vines can easily attach to.
Choosing a support structure that matches your preferences can be a fun process.
Supports made of natural material go well and look great with pothos. Mesh supports are perfect for making a pothos tower as the vines can easily wrap around them.
Method 3 – Use extra pots to grow more pothos
If your pothos has grown too large, the pot may be full of roots causing the roots to stick together. If you see roots sticking out of the bottom of the pot, it’s a sign that the roots are getting clogged.
Plants with roots can struggle to grow properly. So, after pruning your pothos, consider dividing the plant into smaller parts and placing each in a separate pot while you transplant them.
The best time for this is during the warmer months, from spring to fall. Don’t do this in the winter, as the cold can stress the pothos and possibly cause damage or death.
Steps to split oversized pothos:
- Prune overgrown vines and shape the plant.
- Carefully remove the plant from the pot, loosen the root ball and divide it in half.
- Plant each half in a separate pot with drainage stones and well-drained soil.
- Continue to care for the plants in a well-ventilated, semi-shaded area.
Key learning points
Pothos are easy to grow, even for novice gardeners, and like to spread their vines quickly.
You can choose different ways to take advantage of your overgrown pothos, such as cutting and propagating them or letting the vines wrap around a support structure.
Although pruning your pothos can help spruce up their appearance, feel free to use overgrown vines as cuttings or place them in water.
Here are the three main methods for dealing with pothos that are too large:
- Prune the vines.
- Use a support structure.
- Divide the plant and make more pots (after pruning).
Remember that these methods are best used during the pothos growing season, the warmer months of spring through fall.
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