In its natural habitat, the pothos is an active climber. Aerial roots attach to other plants in nature and use these anchors to reach the top of the canopy.
As such, pothos can reach several feet in length. But when grown indoors, the plant tends to trail rather than climb. Is there a way to replicate your vine tendencies?
Yeah! All you have to do is figure out how they climb outdoors and help them do it indoors. Fortunately, this exercise is relatively easy. Let’s see how it works:
How to Climb Pothos
In the wild, pothos anchors itself using aerial roots attached to nearby plants. And that’s what you need to replicate indoors.
So how do you do a pothos climb? Provide it with an anchoring system. You can use different materials for this: strong frames, bamboo sticks, foam sticks, etc.
The goal is to provide a stable support system that the plant can rely on as a base as it climbs to higher levels. Note that this system must be continuous as it would be in nature.
Second, you need to give the pothos a reason to climb. Otherwise, they will drag on whatever surface you place them on.
In the wild, pothos grow upwards in search of light. And for them to enter, signal them with a light.
So put a light source on top. With light and a support system in tow, it shouldn’t take long for your pothos to start climbing.
But that’s not all the potus has to climb. You also need to make sure it has the right growing conditions, including:
- Temperatures in the range of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit,
- Sufficient humidity: you can adjust the range with a humidifier or other suitable methods,
- A good choice of well-drained soil with a slight acidity,
- Sufficient drainage,
- For appropriate irrigation regime which protects the plant against insufficient and excessive watering,
- fertilizer every 1-3 months to keep up with your abundant diet, and
- Exposure to strong indirect light.
When training pothos to climb, you can skip pruning to give it a natural bushy aesthetic.
If you like this article, check out our article on Can a potus live outside?
How to Train a Pothos to Climb
To make a pothos climb, you have to take advantage of its aerial roots. This allows the plant to cling to solid surfaces and absorb nutrients from the air. Here are two ways to use these roots to your advantage:
Use a pole for your Pothos
We mentioned earlier that pothos need an anchor system to climb and you can use stakes for that.
Poles are very supportive anchoring systems that work for other climbing plants. By the way, assignments allow pothos to have the light.
And as we mentioned, this light-seeking ability encourages pothos to climb. So, to use a post, all you need is:
1) Find a good pole for your Pothos to climb
We recommend using a pole at least 10 feet long and about 1 inch in diameter.
Ideally the cane should be twice as long as the one planted, especially if it is a fast growing variety.
In addition, this publication must be free of leaves. Tie a loose knot around the stake, which you will use to anchor the pothos to this support structure.
2) Put a stake next to the pothos
Make sure it is firmly on the ground or anchored to a stable surface. This post will serve as a support frame and the pothos will cling to it to seek light from other sources.
Therefore, the plant will start climbing soon after. But to encourage this, use wire in places to attach the pothos to the post.
Or you can wrap the plant around the post and secure it with wire. If the plant is not flexible, do not wrap it around the stake. Instead, use wire to tie the plant directly to the post.
As the pothos grows, add more knots to the stake to support it.
See how easy it was?
Use Hoops For Your Pothos
The other default option is to rely on hoops to support the plant as it grows.
Naturally, the aerial roots of the pothos adhere to the hoop. In doing so, they follow the shape of the hoop, resulting in a pattern of growth.
If the plant outgrows the ring, add another ring to continue this directed growth. How do you do that?
1) Choose the type of grid your plant should follow. It’s best to choose one that gives your plant ample access to air and sunlight.
You can always adjust this with pure materials that can regulate air and light. Consider your options and see what works best.
2) Secure your pothos to the hoop by securing the aerial roots with wire or other suitable material. Do this for each aerial root to support the entire plant. The plant will then grow to fill in the shape of the ring.
That’s all it takes.
When should you start training your Pothos to climb?
A pothos will only climb well if it grows large enough to wrap around an anchor system.
So you can only train it to climb once it has developed tendrils from which you can see new leaves.
Typically, you have to wait until the plant starts to sag, which can take about a year or two.
Additionally, he can grow much faster leaving pothos behind. Once the plant has enough growth to anchor itself, you can begin anchoring the new growth.
In most cases, it takes at least a year. But you can use a few potho care tips to speed up this process.
We have an article about it. how fast pothos grow and tips on how to grow them faster.
What materials should be used to help them climb?
Do you want to hear good news? You can use almost anything to train your pothos to climb. Examples include:
- metal poles,
- pile of moss: These stakes are an excellent choice when it comes to a variety of large-leaved pothos. A good example are silver pothos,
- bamboo poles
The pothos grows with the material, allowing the plant to grow to greater heights. Keep in mind that once the plant reaches the top of the post, you will need to figure out how to support it at that point by anchoring it.
How to Climb a Pothos Up a Wall
Have you ever seen a pothos climb a wall? This view is amazing, no wonder so many people want to train their pothos to stick to walls. you can do it? Certainly! And here’s how to do it:
1) Wall training starts early. So once your pothos starts growing, you need to provide support for it. And you can do this by anchoring it with a wire.
Use the wire to attach the pothos stem to a sturdy frame that you can use directly on the wall, such as nails or a trellis. Make sure the sturdy frame is attached to the wall to support the plant as it grows.
2) You then need to monitor the plant as it grows. And while you wait, you can map the areas you want the photos to cover on your wall.
You can then place nails at strategic points and connect all these points with string. The pothos will follow these routes as it grows. So you are free to choose the design that excites you the most.
3) As the plant grows, wrap the stem around the wire to allow the plant to grow along the paths you marked.
Whenever sprouts appear, secure them to the sturdy frame with yarn. Then let the plant grow along the marked paths.
That’s all you need to get the pothos climbing up your walls!
Will a Pothos damage your wall?
Climbing plants have positive aesthetic effects in your home. But did you know that some climbing plants can damage your walls?
For example, plants with small branches and thorns can scratch the paint and even dig into the wall. Ivy is a great example of a plant that should not be placed on the wall.
Is this the case for pothos? Fortunately not entirely. The pothos is an eco-friendly addition to your home. Even if it has aerial roots, they won’t damage your wall.
In any case, they provide the plant with sufficient support to climb the wall. But if you feel they are getting out of control, feel free to prune them.
Does Pothos like to climb or hang?
There would be no point in letting your pothos rise if it wasn’t in their nature. So what do pothos prefer? The good news is that this plant is very adaptable to its environment.
This means you can climb or hang on without ill effects. All you have to do is make sure the plant is getting its basic care needs, and it will do just fine.
So the question of whether to climb or hang the plant ultimately comes down to what you want to get out of it.
final thoughts
As long as your potus has a reason to climb (light) and a stable support system (sticks, poles, hoops, walls, etc.), it will surely climb. Also, don’t forget to cater to their growing needs.
Happy gardening!
Before you go, here are some other related articles that I encourage you to read below to solve more of your gardening problems:
Pothos N Joy against pearls and jade
Why do pothos leaves drip water?
Hawaiian Pothos vs. Golden Pothos
How to Save an Overwatered Pothos