Epipremnum Origins & Care
The Epipremnum, aka the Pothos, is a hardy baby. This plant is native to several different regions, depending on what cultivar we are speaking about. In this article we will mostly be referring to the golden pothos (even though pictured is a pearls and jade), but care requirements are generally the same across most pothos varieties. The golden pothos is native to the Solomon Islands. Its name there is “Devil’s Ivy”. This plant likes to climb and is classified as an epiphyte. Epiphytic plants are known for their aerial roots and they use those aerial roots to attach to larger plants. Below, I give you some helpful information on how to care for your Epipremnum babies so they can thrive in your home.
Temperature/Humidity
This plant comes from the Solomon Islands which is in the South Pacific. The temperatures there has highs of 88 degrees and lows of 65. The rainfall in this region is pretty significant which contributes to significant humidity levels, upwards of 85%. Since most of us aren’t going to keep our house at a solid 89 degrees with a humidity of 70%, there’s peace in knowing with this plant you don’t have to. The pothos can survive most ambient household conditions. The condition to that rule would be variegatas, but that’s another blog. Keep this plant in the range of and don’t worry too much about humidity. If you begin to see crisping of your leaf edges without yellowing, you may need to add a little humidity to your air.
Potting
In our Pothos origin story we described this plant as being an epiphyte. An epiphyte is described as a plant that grows on another plant for support but doesn’t hurt the host. Since they don’t really need the ground aka soil, we need to use a chunky mix when potting this baby. The chunky mix I use and sell is OrganicLi’s Magic Mix: Aroid Blend. This mix contains coarse perlite, pumice, LECA, horticultural charcoal, compost/worm castings, orchid bark, and lava rock, when using a chunky mix, you may need to water more often. This plant can be grown in water with a nutrient solution and an air bubbler. The air bubbler supplies the roots with oxygen which is what Epipremnum and all aroids love. You could also grow this plant semi hydroponically. There are two ways of letting this plant grow. You can let the pothos trail around or you can let it climb. If you let it climb, the pothos can fenestrate almost like a monstera does. When the roots have something to not only anchor to, but grow into and on, the leaves grow tremendously. You can use a moss pole using moss or fill the moss pole with a chunky aroid mix. You could also use an ordinary stake. When feeding your Pothos a solid 10-10-10 NPK ratio is a general rule. If you have a variegated pothos you can decrease that NPK ratio to 5-5-5 or 1-1-1. Be sure to read the directions on your favorite fertilizer for proper dosing of your plant.
Watering
Watering is important for every plant parent whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a greenhorn. Since you’re potting your plant in a chunky mix, watering will be a cinch. I’ve found most moisture meters are inaccurate when it comes to media moisture levels. The tried and true way I’ve found is the good old wooden chopstick or dowel method. Stick the chopstick or dowel to the bottom of the pot, then pull it back out after about 3 seconds. If the stick is between 50-75% dry, it’s time to water that puppy. (Dry means no soil is sticking to the stick.) When you’re watering you can use the fertilizer of your choice as long as you’re seeing active growth on your plant. If there is no active growth, use traditional water and you can add prop drops if you’d like. This prevents fertilizer burn and damage to the roots. If you choose to use a self watering pot, let your reservoir dry out two to three days before refilling. This allows your plants roots to take a breath. If you’re using a ceramic pot you want to check two things. If the ceramic is glazed or not. Unglazed ceramic dries out significantly quicker resulting in frequent waterings as well. (If you’re an overwaterer, use an unglazed ceramic pot until you get the hang of it.)
Lighting
Since this plant typically climbs other plants in attempts to see the sun, your baby would thrive in bright light conditions. Give your plant some early morning to early afternoon direct sun, and shade for mid afternoon to evening sun. If you live in a region that doesn’t get much sun or you don’t have the windows to supply direct sun, grow lights will be needed. This plant can survive in low light conditions but we want our babies to thrive. Most of my personal pothos get direct morning and mid afternoon sun from a north facing and east facing window. They also receive 14 hours of light from grow lights. Direct late afternoon or evening sun and cause leaf scorching. If you have a variegated pothos, you most definitely want to follow these guidelines. This reduces the risk of scorch on your beautiful variegated beauties. If you live in a region where your plant can live outside, a shade cloth can be used to shelf your baby from harmful direct sun rays.
Still need a truck or two or have a special case? Feel free to chat now or send an email, I’m happy to help!
