very easy · windowsill
How to grow pothos
The near-unkillable trailing houseplant. Tolerates low light, forgets about water for a fortnight, and roots from a cutting in a glass of water.
Epipremnum aureum · Araceae
Why bother
It cleans up a dull corner, propagates for free to share, and survives the kind of neglect that kills fussier plants — which is exactly why it builds confidence.
What it needs
- Light
- Anything from bright indirect light to a fairly shady corner. Keep out of harsh direct sun.
- Water
- Let the top few centimetres dry out between waterings; it far prefers too dry to too wet.
- Soil
- Free-draining houseplant or peat-free multipurpose compost.
- Temperature
- Warm rooms, roughly 15-30C. Dislikes cold draughts.
- Container
- A 15cm pot; pot on only when roots fill it.
- Time to harvest
- Not harvested — grown as foliage. Cuttings root in 2-3 weeks.
- Best season to start
- Year-round — a houseplant that grows whenever the room is warm and light.
Step by step
Day 0
Pot it up
Plant in free-draining compost in a pot with drainage holes. Water and let it settle.
Ongoing
Water on the dry side
Check weekly; water only when the top few centimetres are dry.
From month 2
Take cuttings
Snip a stem below a node, sit it in water until roots form, then pot it up.
What usually goes wrong
Yellowing leaves
Cause: Almost always overwatering.
Fix: Let it dry out more between waterings and make sure the pot drains.
Long bare stems with few leaves
Cause: Too little light.
Fix: Move somewhere brighter and pinch the tips to encourage bushier growth.