How often to water Pothos?

Known as one of the most popular plants among beginner gardeners, watering pothos is a fairly easy
chore. It doesn’t require much water, but you should have a clear watering schedule to keep it
healthy and pretty. I will provide you with factors that impact watering frequency, how to recognize
water deficiency or sufficiency, and show you how to properly water your plant. If you already have
a pothos at home, or intend on buying one, then you’ve come to the right place.

Watering schedule for pothos depend on the seasons, temperature, humidity level, plant size and
type of container and soil.

Golden rules of watering pothos include keeping the soil evenly moist, drying in between
watering. watering timing, avoiding waterlogging and draught, keeping the soil well-drained,
avoid watering the leaves and proper watering after repotting.

Your pothos needs watering

You can water your pothos from above and from below. An alternative to hand-watering is using
seelf-watering pots.

Factors that impact watering Pothos frequency:

Seasons:
Summer

Watering regime for porthos in the summer is very important. It’s the growing season for the money
plant and you need to take proper care of it.

Summer means higher daily temperatures, which suggests frequent watering. You need to
compensate for the amount of water lost through evaporation. I suggest watering your pothos 2 to 3
times a week during the warm days. Your plant should be fine, unless you live in extremely warm
areas with low humidity. In that case, you’ll have to step up your watering game a bit.

As for the growing new leaves, summer is the perfect season for it. Pothos require a temperature of
80° F (26.7° C) and a humidity level of 70% or more. A (plant) humidifier is your best friend if you
have trouble raising the humidity in your household.

Make sure to check the soil before watering by poking a finger or a wooden stick (skewer) into it. If
the first couple of inches are dry, it means your plant needs a refreshing drink.

During the rainy summer days, the humidity rises, while the temperature decreases. Make sure to
check the soil often, because you might find yourself watering pothos only once a week in this kind
of weather.
 Winter

Winter presents a long nap time for porthos. It’s the time they mostly go dormant, so you won’t
notice any growth. Being a tropical plant, porthos likes warmth and bathing in the strong indirect
sunlight. Unfortunately, winter doesn’t provide any of those requirements. Water your pothos once
every two weeks. However, always make sure to check the soil with your finger as often as you can.

Living in chilly areas can be a bit troublesome during the winter because your plant won’t absorb as
much water as you think it should. What I mean is, always check the soil before watering. Trust me,
you don’t want to overwater your plant.

You can use lukewarm water, rainwater or melted snow. Make sure they’re room temperature,
about 70° F (21° C), so the plant doesn’t experience temperature shock.

Spring

Pothos’ growing season slowly starts in spring, after waking up from a long winter dream. As the
plant wakes up and takes in more water and nutrients, you’ll have to adjust your watering schedule.
It’s safe to say that you can water it once a week, but the frequency depends mostly on the climate
in your area.

I still keep the once-every-two-weeks watering rule during March. April and May steadily increase
the watering needs to once every 6 to 8 days. Junes can be hot so watering every 4 days might be
necessary.

Temperature
Temperature is, obviously, closely related to seasons. Being a tropical plant, pothos requires
temperatures between 70 and 90° F (21 and 32° C). That’s when the growth is optimal for both old
leaves and new shoots. You can water your plant once a week when the temperature is in this
interval.

Extremely low temperatures, (below 70° F) and very high ones (above 90° F) cause degenerative
growth which meddles with water transportation through the plant. As a result, your pothos might
experience cause poor water uptake due to root stress. Make sure to create an environment with
optimal temperature for the plant, before its roots become permanently damaged.

Humidity
You’ll quickly notice that pothos doesn’t often require watering in humid spaces. That’s because high
humidity feels like home for this plant. Combine it with adequate temperature, and you can water
your plant only once every 10 days. I recommend watering it only when half of the soil mixture is
dry, because overwatering is a serious issue when combined with high humidity.

It can also thrive in low humid areas, but you’ll need to water it more often. If you’re using a
humidity meter, water it when it shows 2.
Plant size
Pothos develops vines which like to climb moss poles or crawl around your house. Nevertheless, it
can grow significantly large and bushy. Smaller plants usually don’t need as much watering as the
large ones.

Depending on the size, you might need to water a giant pothos more often, once every 5 days in
optimal environment. It’s not easy to schedule watering at this point, so keep an eye for curly and
browning leaves. They’re a sign of dehydration and you should water your plant.

If you find yourself watering pothos time and time again, maybe it’s time to switch over to a new pot
with a fresh soil mixture.

Containers – types, sizes and soil mixture

Pothos can grow in many types of containers and pots. What’s important is a drainage hole at the
bottom of it. It prevents build-up of water and reduces the chances for overwatering.

Most times, you can water it on schedule, once a week. If you notice that your pothos takes up a lot
of space in a pot, it’s probably going to drain water faster. My advice is to reschedule watering to
every 5 or 6 days, or to repot it into a bigger container.

Too large container can be troublesome, too. For example, a 10” pot is too big for a newly
propagated pothos. Opposite to a small container problem, you will probably need to water it less
often, but with more water. This way, you’ll keep the soil moist for a longer time, and the plant will
take in water gradually.

When it comes to soil mixture, make sure it can properly drain water because pothos doesn’t like
soggy roots. Throw in some additional vermiculite to retain water for longer period. Vermiculite is a
mineral specifically made to absorb water, like a sponge. It enables slow evaporation of water and it
keeps the soil at root-level moist.

On-schedule watering is only possible with good drainage. Let the upper half of the soil (about 2 in)
dry out inbetween two watering sessions.

Don’t use plain garden soil, because it’s too heavy. The water will stay on the surface layer of the
soil, so you might think you don’t need to water the plant. Additionally, it can suffocate the roots
and cause fungal infections on them.

Golden rules of watering:

Keep the soil evenly moist
I’ve said it countless times by now, and I’ll say it again. Make sure to water the entire surface of the
soil so the water can be evenly distributed. By doing so, you ensure that the water will reach the
roots.

This rule is especially imperative when watering larger pots because the roots can be anywhere. In
addition to it, a part of the water will remain in the soil. Water retention is important because water
droplets bind various electrolytes, like iron, sodium and potassium to itself. In a way, it enables your
pothos’ roots to have a nutritional snack whenever they want.
Dry between watering
Dry soil between watering is important because water moves through the soil layer by layer. Your
first thought might be to water the plant if you see a dry surface. Just because the top layer (1-2 in)
are dry, it doesn’t mean the plant is thirsty. It just means that the water reached root-level and your
pothos is slowly sipping on it.

Water early in the morning or in the evening

Watering throughout the day, especially hot one, causes the water to evaporate quickly. You need to
do it in the morning or evening, to ensure your plant gets the majority of the water you just poured
onto the soil. When watering in the evening, make sure there’s enough time for your pothos to
absorb the water before it gets chilly in the night.

Avoid waterlogging and draught

I can’t ‘stress’ enough how important this rule is. Waterlogging and draught can cause biotic and
abiotic stress in your plant.

Biotic stress includes attacks and infections from viruses, fungi, bacteria, nematodes, etc.

Abiotic stress happens when the plant is given too much or too little water or any other key
substance. In this case, both waterlogging and draught force the plant to experience excess or
shortage of water. It negatively affects plant’s growth and messes badly with the plant’s digestion.

Pay attention to your watering schedule, and you won’t experience either of these two issues!

Do not water directly the leaves

Let’s make some things straight. Contrary to the popular belief, watering leaves doesn’t make them
grow faster. You shouldn’t water indoor houseplants because:

 You can clog the leaf’s stomata, which disrupt osmosis and plant respiration
 Water will splash around your house
 Water can attract malicious pests and diseases

Well-drained soil and water go hand in hand

This rule is well-known among gardeners. Quality soil with good drainage easily hold on to water
particles.

On one hand, compact soil (rich in clay) doesn’t let the water flow naturally. Moreover, it makes the
water dwell on the surface level and can cause stem rot.

On the other hand, water flows straight through the loose (sandy) soil and your plant can’t get a
decent drink.

Water after repotting

You’ll find yourself repotting pothos usually every two years. Make sure to water the plant a few
days before repotting or propagating the plant. By doing so, you avoid exposing plant to stress after
it’s repotted.
Water it again in a new container with new soil mix, because you want to make sure it continues
living on in the same environment as before. You might need a bit more water than usual to wet the
dry mix thoroughly.

How to recognize if your Pothos needs watering?

There are many ways to determine if your plant needs watering. You just have to look closely for the
early signs of dehydration and act quickly.

Test moisture with a finger or a stick

I’ve mentioned this technique before, so I won’t go into detail. What you do is you stick your finger
or a wooden skewer 1 to 2 inches into the soil to check if it’s moist. When you feel it’s dry, that
means it’s time for watering. But if it’s still moist, leave it be and come back to check tomorrow
again.

Soil color
Dry soil has a light-brown color as opposed to the dark-brown when it’s still wet. You might notice
some cracks in the surface of the soil, too. That’s when you know the dry period is over and you can
water your pothos.

It’s important to note that soil color will be different for everyone because it depends on the amount
of organic matter and mineral content in it. Still, the general rule is the lighter the color, the drier the
soil.

Wilting, wrinkling or drooping leaves

These are the signs of an overwatered plant. They happen because the plant is trying to intake more
water than it can process. The result is drooping, sad leaves that sometimes wrinkle at the edges. If
you spot these symptoms, don’t water your pothos. Leave it to dry for some time, remove the
completely damaged leaves with gardening shears, and wait for the plant to recover.

Wilting comes as a result of root suffocation. It’s caused by too much water around the root area.
The plant can’t get any air due to the amount of water and the leaves slowly start to wilt, and can
even fall off.

Leaf shrinkage
Shrinking leaves are a sign of dehydration and you can distinguish it from wilting. The size of the
leaves become smaller through time and they become crisp and crimped. You shouldn’t be too
afraid of this occurrence as it only happens during extreme drought. The lesson here is: if you’re
going to be out for couple of weeks, have someone else water your pothos.

Yellow and brown discoloration on the leaves

These symptoms are usually a sign of overwatering, root problems and compact soil. The leaves
can’t get the nutrients they need so chlorophyll starts to decay. The consequences are yellow
discolorations, browning edges and leaves falling off.

My advice is to repot the plant into a well-drained soil in a new pot. Use this time to inspect if your
root has any fungus infections. Remove the damaged leaves after repotting.
Using a moisture meter
I don’t use this device because I think everyone can recognize water imbalance-caused problems in
houseplants by doing a bit of research. It’s probably easier to just use a piece of equipment, but it
can be deceiving. Moisture meters measure the conductivity in the soil, and not amount of water in
it.

You stick a probe into the soil and the meter will tell you if the plant needs watering or not. Low
numbers usually mean dry soil and high numbers refer to overwatering. It’s good for beginner
gardeners and those who don’t have much time to take care of their plants.

How to water?
Watering from above
This one is pretty self-explanatory. You can use a small-sized watering pot (or watering can),
preferably with a long funnel, to avoid splashing water on the leaves. You can find them on Amazon
in many shapes, colors and varieties, and they’re usually really cheap.

Watering from below

Bottom-watering is a technique where you use a large, but shallow container and place your potted
plant in it. It’s great because it moistens the soil evenly. Water climbs through the soil thanks to
capillary action, which is a result of adhesive and cohesive forces.

Fill your container halfway with water and check after 30 minutes to see how much water has been
absorbed. Use your finger to check the moisture. When it reaches the desired amount where you
can feel wet soil, remove the excess water from the container. You can use this on a same schedule
as when you would water the plant from above.

Self-watering pots
These pots consist of a growing bed (soil + pothos) and a water reservoir beneath the bed. The pot
has a pipe or an opening from the side that allows pouring the water into the reservoir.

It works by using capillary action to provide the plant with water. The difference between self-
watering pots and watering from below is that self-watering ones use absorbent materials, such as
cotton strings or perlite to slowly release the water into the soil.

These pots are a must have if you travel often or regularly go on business trips.

Final words
Watering plants should be a fun activity that brings joy both to you and your pothos. Make sure to
make a proper watering schedule to keep the soil adequately moist and follow the golden rules of
watering. Pay attention to environmental factors, such as seasons, temperature and humidity to
determine the frequency and the amount of watering.

Take a closer look at your plant from time to time, to see if it’s trying to tell you if it’s thirsty.
Watering pothos shouldn’t be a problem for anyone, so you can feel free to get one of these
majestic plants for yourself.