Pothos 'Golden'

Getting Started with Your Golden Pothos

1. Light: A Golden Pothos grows in direct or indirect light and tolerates low light well. Brighter light keeps the golden-yellow variegation strong, while very dim spots cause leaves to turn mostly green and vines to stretch. Avoid harsh, hot afternoon sun, which can scorch the leaves.
2. Potting and Drainage: Use a pot with drainage holes and a well-draining potting mix. Pothos dislikes soggy soil, so if you use a decorative planter without holes, keep the plant in its nursery pot inside it and empty any water that collects.
3. Placement: Golden Pothos vines typically grow 6 to 10 feet long indoors, and even longer with support, while the plant spreads 2 to 3 feet wide. Let it trail from a hanging basket, cascade off a shelf, or climb a trellis or moss pole to fill vertical space.

Care Instructions

1. Watering: Water when the top inch or two of soil is dry, usually every one to two weeks. It tolerates forgetful watering, and drooping leaves are a clear sign it is thirsty. Water less in winter, and never let the pot sit in standing water.
2. Humidity: Golden Pothos does well in average household humidity and does not need misting. In very dry winter air, grouping it with other plants can help keep leaf edges from getting crispy.
3. Fertilizing: Give a light monthly feeding with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer in spring and summer to promote fuller, denser growth. Skip fertilizing in fall and winter when growth slows.
4. Pest Monitoring: Pothos is rarely bothered by pests, but check the leaf undersides and stems now and then for mealybugs, which look like bits of white cotton, and for spider mites in dry air. Wipe them away with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or use insecticidal soap.

Maintenance and Long-Term Care

1. Repotting: Repot when roots circle the pot or poke out of the drainage holes, typically every one to two years. Spring and summer are the best times. Move up just one pot size and use a well-draining potting mix to prevent soggy soil.
2. Pruning and Cleaning Leaves: To make your pothos fuller, pinch or trim long vines just above a leaf node, which encourages new branching. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth every few weeks to remove dust and keep them glossy.
3. Propagation: Cut a vine just below a node, the small bump where a leaf meets the stem, and place the cutting in water or moist soil. Roots usually form within a few weeks. Once roots are a couple of inches long, pot it up or add it back to the mother plant for extra fullness.

Additional Tips for Golden Pothos

1. Pet Safety: Golden Pothos is toxic to cats and dogs. Its leaves and stems contain calcium oxalate crystals that can cause mouth irritation, drooling, pawing at the face, and vomiting if chewed. Hang it out of reach or place it on a high shelf in homes with pets.
2. Troubleshooting: Yellow leaves are most often caused by overwatering, so let the top of the soil dry before watering again. Brown, crispy tips point to dry soil or very dry air. Drooping means it needs water. Leaves losing their golden streaks mean the plant needs brighter indirect light.