Pothos Propagation: How To Prune & Propagate Pothos
Pothos are popular hanging houseplants. This outlines Pothos propagation – pruning, propagating, cuttings care and good things to know.
Pothos are easy-care, easy to find hanging indoor plants which come in a variety of leaf colors, patterns, and sizes. If you’re a beginning gardener, they’re one of the old standbys to start with.
The method I use on the regular when propagating Pothos is via stem cuttings in water.
Spring, summer, and early fall are the best times to prune a Pothos for propagation. If for some reason you have to propagate in winter (like a trail snaps off) no worries, just stick it in water or a light mix.
1) Gather Materials
Not much is needed for this project. You’ll want a Clean And Sharp Pruning Tool. I prefer to use my floral snips because they make clean, precise cuts. You can also use pruners or a good pair of scissors.
I propagate my cuttings in water so I use a jar here. Whatever vessel suits your fancy is fine but I prefer mine to be clear. That way, I can see how the rooting action is going.
The small trowel is pictured because I use it to plant the rooted cuttings back in the mother plants.
2) Cut The Pothos
I cut the stem straight across about 1/8″ below a root node.
My Golden Pothos sits on top of a bookcase and 2 of the trails were hitting the floor. I made the cuts about 2-3″ above where I wanted them because a new stem will appear out of a node above the cut. That new stem will eventually trail down so this gives me 2 years or so before I have to prune those 2 stems again.
I’ve taken both longer cuttings and shorter cuttings. Both have rooted fine. The longest has been around 24″. I like to take cuttings between 6 – 12″ because they’re easier to transplant once rooted (because my preferred method is propagation in water).
I’ve found that the longer cuttings can get a bit leggy during the process but they do root well.
3) Place The Cuttings In Water
Make sure the bottom node (or 2) is submerged in water at all times. If the cutting is shorter, I submerge 1 bottom node. If longer, then the 2 bottom nodes.
Keep the jar in a bright spot. My cuttings are currently rooting on a ledge in a north-facing kitchen window which gets plenty of natural light (I live in the desert in Tucson, AZ where there’s lots of sunlight).
If they’re in too much direct sun, they’ll burn. If the light is too low, the foliage will become stunted and the cuttings will be weaker.
Change the water every 7-14 days to keep it fresh and clean. Be sure to maintain the water level so those emerging roots don’t have a chance to dry out.
This is how the roots look after 2-3 months in water.
Pothos cuttings are tough. In all reality, you can plant them a couple of weeks after those roots start to emerge.
I like to wait about 2 months after they start to poke out. This way they’re a bit better formed and I plant them at this time.
4) Plant The Cuttings
You can put start a new plant or put them back in the mother plant.
I already have 4 Pothos which is plenty for me. I planted mine back in the mother plants (to fill in bare spots at the top) which you’ll see in the video below.
Pothos propagation is practically foolproof so give it a go. The cuttings just keep on coming!
Happy gardening,
Nell
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Comments
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Shuganne on Apr 18, 2022
I joke that I have a black thumb, so I will look over your blog to learn all the hints and helps you offer. Most recently I took a cheap, clear plastic bottle from bottled water and cut it off about a third of the way down. I put the severed top upside down inside the bottom and put my most recent victim, uh, experiment in propagation, in there. The bottle holds plenty of water, the mouth holds the stem upright and the cut edges are near enough to hold the leaves in place and out of the water. If they grow roots and I decide to transfer them to soil, I can cut down the side of the top third and open it to remove the sproutling without damage to the stem and roots. Then I can recycle the nursery. Wish me luck! 💚
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Joy Us garden on Apr 19, 2023
Good luck! As I say, gardening is all about learning. I've had some things work out & sometimes not work out. It's worth a try! Nell
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Debbie Woodworth-Corral on Apr 16, 2023
I have never had to put stem in water to root. I just cut stem with leaf or leaves and put in soil and keep watered. I thicken up my plant by cutting long stems (I don't like them to get too spindly or climb) I put them back in the soil of the plant or I start a new plant with cutting and keep adding to it. I make sure they are in a spot with lots of light and keep them watered. This also works on my dracaena plants 😊
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Joy Us garden on Apr 18, 2023
Yes, that works just fine too. I like the water method because I can see the rooting action. Thanks for sharing, Debbie! Nell
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Joy Us garden on Apr 19, 2023
That works too, Debbie! I usually do the water method for my tropical plants & the soil method for my succulents & cacti. Gardening is always a learning experience. Nell
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
hi, I have a LOT of golden pothos. The vines are currently hanging on my wall. I used command and string so it wont mess up the wall when I need to take down. My question is where do I find that kind of bark piece you see in small pots that they love to climb? Or do they not use that anymore. I have 5 big pots going plus a couple of rooting and a few I put in with my palm and other plants. Is it ok to cut some way back? The are getting leggy. Thanks
Hi, I keep my cutting in a jar of water all the time and they're beautiful. I'm wondering is that a good idea or would it grow better in soil?
Why is my plant from the pot to about a foot down so bare no leaves but the 4 feet is doing great.