How to Repot a Pothos Plant in 5 Easy Steps

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) are among them simplest houseplants to care about. But they must be in the right container to thrive. Potho plants that are rooted, overgrown or diseased may need to be transplanted into a new pot to promote lush growth and healthy roots.

Thankfully It is easy to replant these common houseplants, but often overlooked process. The most important considerations include checking the roots, choosing the right container, filling with a well-drained soil mixture and physically replanting the pothos.

Whether you just bought a new pothos plant from the nursery or you have an older plant that you have been waiting to replant, it is easy to transplant pothos with these 5 easy steps.

Why Repotate Your Pothos?

Pothos plants are remarkably resistant houseplants who can live for up to 10 years under the right conditions. But like all living things, they can quickly become unhappy if they grow out of their “home” (their container) or face environmental pressures like a disease.

The most common reasons why you want to repot a pothos include:

• Transplanting a new plant from the nursery
• Potting into a larger container
• The foliage has grown over the current pot
• The plant has become rooted and / or roots protrude from the soil
• You need to replace a bad soil mixture
• You want to replant it into a more aesthetically pleasing pot
• Remove damaged plant parts from root rot or other diseases

Repacking is usually one rutinprocess for indoor potted plants. It can be done up to a few times a year, depending on the size of the container, the power of the plant and the growth rate. Regardless of the cause, the transplanting process is more or less the same for all pothos plants.

5 easy steps to replant Pothos plants

As long as you prepare properly, pothos plants can quickly adapt to a new pot and grow larger and more lush than ever before. You can Follow these steps if your plant has become too large for its existing container, or if you have welcomed a brand new baby pothos to your indoor garden. Let’s look at each step!

Assess the health of the plant

Before you dive into the repackaging itself, Start by assessing the health of your plant both above and below the earth’s surface.

You must use your fingertips to loosen the roots if your pothos is root-bound (the roots are dense, tangled and / or wrap around the inner shape of the container). This may involve tearing tangled root hairs.

Do not worry: Pothos are very resistant and their roots are not as sensitive as plants such as peace lilies or garden squash during transplantation.

Remember that transplanting can help revive a sad potho plant, however it is not a cure for any potted plant problems. Read more about diagnosing pothos problems and growing healthy, happy pothos plants here.

Choose a container with drainage holes

The most important thing to remember about pothos is that they love drainage and they hate “wet feet” (ie, moist root conditions).

The most common pothos problems come from poorly drained soil or pothos roots that sit in “water-soaked” conditions. If your pot or container does not have drainage holes, it can be a recipe for disaster. Water-soaked plants will show up with yellowing leaves, and in the worst case plant death.

E. aureum Plants are native to the tropics where soils are often found sandy, acidic and let the water move through them very quickly. This is important during the monsoon season when large amounts of rainwater fall at once.

In the wild, potho roots remain dry as the water flows through the sandy, loose soil very quickly. But as a potted plant, the water must have somewhere to go. Otherwise, it may end up in the bottom of the container and create a breeding ground for root rot pathogens such as Rhizoctonia., Phytophthoraor Pythium.

The best pothos containers include:

• Hanging planting containers with several large drainage holes
• Ceramics, glazed ceramics or clay pots with a large drainage hole in the middle and a dish underneath
• “self-watering” plastic container with holes in the bottom and a removable receiving tray
• All planting machines that have at least one drainage hole were 4-6 ”

If you want to modify a plastic or metal planting, use a drill to add extra drainage holes on the bottom.

Choose a container that is the smallest 2-3 times the size of the existing root ball. Pothos can grow quite quickly and you do not want to have to pot it up again in a few months.

Fill with a well-drained pot mixture

Whether you buy or mix your pot mix, make sure the water moves through the soil very quickly. You can test this by filling an empty pot with the mix and pouring water over it. The water must immediately penetrate into the ground and drain through the bottom within a minute or two. Irrigation water should never be collected or collected on top of the soil.

Some ingredients maximize drainage while ensuring abundant fertility, soil microbiome balance and moisture retention. The best soil ingredients for pothos soil mix include:

• Peat moss
• Perlite
• Vermiculite
• Tallbark
• Compost

Some of our favorite recipes for DIY pothos soil mix are:

• 1 part perlite, 1 part compost, 1 part pot mixture
• 2 parts peat moss, 1 part perlite, 1 part fine pine bark
• 1 part cactus / succulent pot mix, 1 part compost

You can also buy a ready-made organic potted plant mixture specially made for indoor potted plants, such as [affiliate link].

To fill your container, pour the pot mixture into the pot until it is about half full. Because you want to maintain a lot of aeration and oxygen flow, avoid compression or push down the earth.

Plant at the right depth

When your plant, container and soil are prepared, it is quick and easy to get the potho into your new home.

First make a hole in the middle slightly larger than the pothose root ball. You can move this soil up on the sides of the pot and place your plant in the middle.

The most important part of this step is ensure that the soil level remains the same as it was in the original pot. This means that the pothos vines should not be buried, nor should the roots be exposed. You may need to keep your pothos at the base as you top up to ensure it stays level with the top.

Refill and water-in

To refill, pour enough soil into the container to fill the rest of the pot. Gently drop it (but do not push) to leave a lot of aeration while ensuring root-to-ground contact.

Again, double check that the roots do not protrude above the surface nor are the vines buried below the surface. If the stems or vines are buried, this can lead to problems with rot. Hold the plant at the base and pull it up to soil level while filling a little more soil in the sides.

Finally, It is important to “water” your newly transplanted plant. This will help it settle in its new pot and begin to stretch its roots in the surrounding soil.

Poor water at the base until it drains out of the lower drainage holes. Stop watering when the drain washer has been filled and the soil is moderately saturated (but never wet). If any roots were exposed during watering, sprinkle a little more pot mixture on top.

Add one diluted kel solution to this water to help prevent transplant shock and provide extra micronutrients for the pothos to thrive.