Pothos – scientifically known as Epipremnum aureum, Pothos aureus, Scindapsus aureus, or Rhaphidophora aurea – is a climbing vine widely used as a houseplant for its decorative, bright green leaves and long hanging stems. Learn all about Pothos yellow leaves and how to fix them in this guide.
Yellow leaves on Pothos are never a good sign. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the end of your plant or even a serious disease. Below, discover the four possible causes of yellow leaves on Pothos:
Why Are My Pothos Leaves Turning Yellow?
Why Are My Pothos Leaves Turning Yellow? Pothos is a tropical plant that, in its natural habitat, grows under the crowns of jungle trees, among the vegetation. For this reason, Pothos grows so well indoors, in a bright room, as it is in a place quite similar to their natural habitat.
The basic thing to know about the care of Pothos is that it should not be placed in full sun, but in rooms where natural light enters. Pothos will also not need to be watered every week, but only every 10-15 days, or every 5-10 days in very hot summers.
Next, we teach you all about Pothos yellow leaves and how to fix them.
Pothos Yellow Leaves due to Excess of Moisture
Pothos Yellow Leaves due to Excess of Moisture. Overwatering is the most common cause of yellow leaves on Pothos. We should only water the Pothos when the soil is dry. We should keep the substrate moist, but never soaked. During the winter, we can water the Pothos more often, but we should increase the humidity in the environment if it is too dry. You should increase the humidity of the environment with other plants or with a home humidifier.
It is very important to make sure that the pot of the Pothos has good drainage holes so that when watering it the water drains correctly. If the pot is on a saucer, we should always remove the excess water on the saucer. Stagnant water could cause the roots of the Pothos to rot, and then yellow leaves will appear on the Pothos.
It is important to maintain the humidity in the substrate of our Pothos, because if we alternate between very dry and very wet soil, this could cause stress in the Pothos.
Low humidity will cause the edges of the leaves of the Pothos to dry out, then the leaves of the Pothos will turn yellow and then fall off.
Pothos Yellowing Leaves due to Spider Mite
Spider mite develops during the summer, in very dry environments, and is mainly located on the underside of the Pothos leaves. To avoid spider mite in Pothos we can get used to spraying the leaves on the underside and, if possible, use humidifiers, so that the degree of humidity in the environment is correct. A natural method is to clean the leaves with the liquid resulting from the infusion of dried nettle or horsetail leaves.
Another method that we can use to eliminate spider mites is with neem oil, an ecological and organic oil. You should learn more about neem oil in our article how to mix neem oil for plants. Neem oil can also be used to eliminate other pests from your Pothos without harming the environment.
Pothos Yellowing Leaves due to Lack of Watering
If the substrate is dry, the plant is watered less than once every ten days, or is in a very dry environment, it may need to be watered more frequently. In this case, we will observe that the whole Pothos presents a rather wilted general aspect. We can try to water the Pothos more, for example, once a week, to see if the appearance of its leaves improves.
Lack of water is bad for the Pothos as is too much. You can easily control this by checking the soil moisture in the Pothos with a moisture meter.
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- 【Quick Accurate measurement】The latest probe detection technology in 2023 can quickly and accurately measure the pH, moisture and temperature in the soil，with the light intensity of the light sensor analysis on the instrument, it can allow you to know when to water, to control the pH and temperature acidity, and determine whether the plants have enough light to better cultivate the plants more scientifically.
Pothos Yellowing Leaves due to Lack of Natural Light
When some leaves turn yellow and others lose their variegated coloration to become completely green, it may be that the Pothos is lacking natural light. We will place Pothos in a luminous environment, but without direct light (do not place it in full sun).
Pothos grows much better in indirect sunlight, but if they also do not receive enough light, their leaves will turn yellow. Remember never to place the Pothos in direct sunlight for too long, as its leaves will burn.
Pothos Yellowing Leaves due to Lack of Iron
If the previous options are discarded, it may be convenient to fertilize with iron chelates in case of yellowing of the leaves due to lack of iron (iron chlorosis).
Improper or excessive use of fertilizer can also be detrimental to Pothos. Fertilizing the Pothos once a month will be sufficient, it is best to follow the fertilizer manufacturer’s instructions.
- POTHOS NPK FERTILIZER: Support the growth of a variety of pothos seeds or live plants. Observe rich, green, variegated leaves developing from your pothos pot. Nutrient based constitution of nitrogen fertilizer augments life cycle.
- EPIPREMNUM AUREUM PLANT GAMUT: Fall fertilizer will care for cebu pothos, epipremnum pinnatum, jessenia pothos, manjula pothos, marble pothos, n-joy pothos, satin pothos and more. Specially designed genus formula treats epipremnum aureum seeds and existing indoor pothos plants.
- EFFORTLESS APPLICATION: Add 1 teaspoon (1 full bottle cap = 1 teaspoon) of plant food per two cups of water. Use this mixture to water your Pothos once per month during months with plenty of sunlight (usually March through September). During the winter (in cooler climates), use this mixture once every 6 weeks rather than once per month.
Final Conclusions on Pothos and its Problems
The yellow color of Pothos leaves can be due to several factors, so it is advisable to evaluate the general appearance of the plant or observe other details to find out what type of affectation is involved:
- Excess moisture.
- Red spider.
- Lack of water.
- Lack of natural light.
- Excessive natural light.
- Lack of iron.
- Too much temperature.
Some Pothos has variegated leaves and do not indicate any plant health problems.
