When it comes to propagating plants, any Pothos variety is a fantastic easy to propagate plant for beginners and the process of watching these develop into huge climbing (or trailing) plants can be incredibly rewarding.
For many people, this humble plant is the one that starts their houseplant obsession, and it’s easy to see why.
Pothos require very minimal care, they come in many shapes and colours, and when it comes to fast growth, it’s tough to beat them (especially in summer).
Propagation is the easiest and cheapest way to grow your plant collection without investing a lot of money. I know for me personally this is how my plant collection started and grew, swapping cuttings with friends and family and there really is something incredibly rewarding about growing an entire plant from a cutting rather than purchasing a full-sized plant.
You get to enjoy the entire process. It’s an exciting feeling checking in on your cuttings daily to see the progress that the roots have made. And once the roots are at least an inch long and your cutting is ready to be planted in soil you will feel a huge sense of accomplishment to see your beautiful, lush, healthy pothos growing.
Now that we have outlined all the great benefits of propagation, let’s get in to the best steps to follow.
What You’ll Need
- A sanitized pair of sharp scissors – Practicing good plant hygiene ensures you don’t introduce disease to your plants.
- A propagation station, small jar or glass to keep your cutting in
- Alternatively, you can also use a small container of propagating media such as Sphagnum Moss, Perlite and LECA. These are among the very best mediums for propagating cuttings
- A healthy pothos plant
Take a Cutting
- The cutting must have at least one node on the stem to root successfully. The nodes look like tiny brown bumps growing out of the joint along the vine where each new leaf has formed.
These are actually the beginnings of aerial roots used by the plant to cling to and climb along the jungle floor or trees in their natural habitats.
- You can take a cutting from anywhere on the pothos. Leaves are not necessary for propagation as long as you have nodes. In fact, some people pay a large amount of money for "Wetsticks" cuttings of rare plants. Wetsticks are essentially a cutting of a plant with an active node but no leaves.
How to Propagate Pothos in Water
- Place the cutting in the jar with clean water and place the jar where it will receive bright light. It’s best to avoid direct sunlight as this can cause the water to heat up and essentially "cook" the cutting which will result in it dying. Direct sunlight can also cause algae to form in the water. If you do notice Algae in the water you can change the water in the jar/glass and replace this with clean water.
- I would also recommend changing the water weekly as you watch the new roots grow from your pothos cutting. In about 6-8 weeks, the cutting will have developed roots large enough to allow it to be planted.
- Once your pothos cutting has 3-4 new, main roots that are at least an inch in length, you are ready to pot your plant.
- Choose a small pot to begin with and use a quality, well-draining potting mix. Personally I like to use "Succulent Mix" for all of my indoor plants as I find this the best draining.
- Water the plant and place it where it will receive bright, indirect light.
- Enjoy your new beautiful plant that you grew from scratch!