Pothos plants are always the first houseplants I recommend to people who require to set out collecting houseplant . They grow quickly , have beautiful leaves , and can tolerate a considerable amount of disuse .

However , even though they ’re by all odds one of the easy plant to front after , they still do have some requirements – and that includes that it ’s crucial to meet your pothos ’ scant needs .

Do n’t worry , they ’re not too busy there either . But you could be in for some problem if you do n’t know thing like exactly how many minute of sunlight do pothos require or which window they prefer . This means it ’s safe to avoid those problems in approach and learn all about the light that a Epipremnum aureum should get !

table with a plant on it getting sunlight, as a pothos gets its light needs met

mesa of content

Easy Pothos Care Guide 💚

⭐ Want one?Grab yourvery own Pothos here !

pothos having its light needs met near a window

💧 water supply : water system when the top inch of stain feel dry . Pothos are forgiving and tolerate periodic drying out but do n’t allow the soil appease boggy .

🌱 Soil : utilise a well - draining pot mixture -I personally usethis potting mix . This stock indoor one works great , especially with its added perlite for aeration .

☀ ️Light : Bright , indirect luminance is best , but Pothos can adjust to lower light conditions . obviate prolonged direct sun , as it can scorch the leaves .

pothos getting light from a window next to a pile of books

🌡 ️Temperature : Pothos thrive in temperatures between 65 - 85 ° F ( 18 - 29 ° C ) . Keep them away from cold-blooded draft and sudden temperature changes .

🌿 Fertilizer : Feed with a balanced , body of water - soluble fertilizer ( my top pick isthis Miracle - Gro one ) once a month during bounce and summertime . Skip prey in fall and wintertime .

How much light should a pothos get?

ivy arum plants ask 12 to 14 hour of bright , indirect light each day . It is fine for them to receive a few hours of direct light , although too much can burn up them . likewise , it is also ok for a ivy arum to get a few hr of low - light conditions , although their growth may be stunted .

Pothos plants natively grow in the strong clime of Australia , China , India , Indonesia , and Japan . They by nature grow under hobo camp canopies and on the automobile trunk of tropical tree . For the majority of the day , they welcome burnished and collateral light , though they may catch verbatim glance of the sun throughout the day .

Keep this climate setting in mind when choosing a place for your new pothos works as your pothos ’ light needs are best meet by following its instinctive home ground . The best location in your home admit your pothos to view the gamey skies all day , but not see the sun , or only see the sun for a few hours at a time .

pothos getting light from a window nearby

apprehensive that your ivy arum has gotten too much sun?Take a look at our template on how to shell out with apothos with tan , including how to keep your plant life when this happens .

What kind of light does a pothos need?

Pothos need bright , indirect spark for the majority of the solar day . However , they can suffer low light and some lineal sunniness in short durations . While growth wo n’t be ideal in those circumstance , your Scindapsus aureus plant will still exist .

They can endure environments crop from bright unmediated fair weather , all the room to dreary and completely windowless offices with only a few fluorescent light bulbs . Their range of survivability is what make them one of the best , most popular , and most sought - after house industrial plant on the market .

Can pothos grow in low light?

Pothos can grow in low visible radiation and will not cash in one’s chips . Still , their outgrowth will be stunted and slowed , because while scurvy light is tolerated , it is not preferred . If you are happy with the size and foliage of your works , it is likely okay to leave it in a low - Light Within room .

If yourpothos has variegated leavesand you leave it in low Christ Within most of the time , the variegation will belike wither on existing leave-taking , and whole disappear on new leafage growth .

Even for non - variegated folio , get a pothos in low light can see it become leggy . If you ’re looking forhow to make your pothos fuller , check that it ’s come sufficient light is usually a good first step given that this is often the job in this situation .

pothos on a shelf

Can you put pothos in full sun?

It is not ideal for pothos to be place in full sun . However , the works can tolerate full sun for a few hour a day , allow that you slowly acclimate the works to this luminosity , and it seems to be accept of the change .

If your Epipremnum aureum plant life stand full sun well , yourpothos can experience outsideduring the warm and sunny month in the summer . This will likely ensue in an explosion of growth , shining leaves , lot of diversification ( if you have a variegate variety of pothos , like theSnow Queen or Marble Queen pothos ) , and elephantine leaves .

Just make certain that once the summertime draws to a close , you acclimate it back under spook slowly , and before cold atmospheric condition sets in . You should also visit and treat your Epipremnum aureum for pests and jot that can hitchhike back inside your home before it returns indoors .

pothos under a LED grow light

Where is the best place to put pothos?

The best location for a pothos plant is where it receive bright , yet filtered clean . For an indoor pothos , this may be behind a sheer pall or near a window that does n’t receive too much direct brightness , to avoid burning your plant .

Usually , a south - oriented room with windows pointing south is a good selection for houseplants , pothos include . Just make certain that your plant is n’t getting inordinate amounts of luminousness there . For that intellect , you may retrieve that your Orient and west - facing rooms testify to serve pothos plants better or , at the very least , positioning your pothos a few feet away from the south - facing windowpane .

at long last , we have the north - facing rooms . If you have several houseplants , you may want to keep your pothos in your northerly exposure room just because they can tolerate the crushed levels of lighter well than most other plants . However , if you want your pothos to grow promptly and produce large leaf though , pass over the Frederick North - face rooms as they are n’t absolutely idealistic for get together your pothos ’ light needs .

sprouts under a fluroescent light

I have kept ivy arum plants in my previous home ’s northern kitchen , and I observe that those plants were importantly leggy , slower growing , and with small , one to two - inch - long leave . In my current home , my bread and butter room has windows on all four walls , plus a giant skylight . really , my golden pothos   now farm leaves that are six to eight inches farseeing and four or five inches all-embracing . Turns out that positioning and natural idle pic really matter !

Related : How Fast Does Pothos Grow ( and How to Make it Grow Faster ) ?

Do pothos need to be by a window?

Pothos plant do not necessarily have to be placed near a window , but closer law of proximity will promote growth . Just make trusted that it is not touching the glass or that the light come through the windowpane is n’t excessive , as the leave-taking may cauterise .

you could place your pothos on a mesa near the window , hang it from a drapery pole with macrame , set it on a hanging window plant shelf , place it directly on the windowsill , or set it anywhere in your habitation where it will be able to see the dingy sky out of the windowpane .

What window is best for pothos?

The best window for a pothos plant is a due south - face windowpane . The second good windowpane orientation course is east and west , followed by northern exposure window . That said , a pothos is fine near basically any window where it bring forth enough light , just as long as it ’s not justly next to the windowpane where it can burn down .

Some houseplant lovers claim that east and west - facing windows are good positioning than S - face windows , but I have to disagree . As long as you slow acclimate your works to the increased exposure to burnished , lineal sunshine , it will do quite well in a south - facing window .

My pothos plants that experience near southern exposure windows get considerably quicker and great than my golden pothos that sit in east and west look windows . I will discourage you though , If you do n’t take the time to acclimatise your ivy arum to the change , it may misplace a few leave during its modification period .

If you do n’t want to move your plant life around a lot to acclimatise , or you do n’t want to work the peril of losing foliage , stick to east or west windows . If you ’re bleed out of window space thanks to a healthy houseplant collection , go to a north - face window instead .

FYI : No matter which window you decide to come out your Epipremnum aureum in , you should also keep an eye on how dry your plant incur in its new location . Heat from the windowpane , especially with promising indirect sunshine , can really sap your plant and its soil of essential moisture and humidness .

Water your plant deep and frequently and , if you’re able to , ply a humidifier too . This will be beneficial for your plant ’ ontogeny , as well as your own wellness , specially during the summer ( if you do n’t already live in a humid clime ) .

Can pothos be in a south-facing window?

Pothos can be in a south - facing windowpane ; they just demand to be acclimated . The sound way to acclimatize a Scindapsus aureus to a Confederate States - confront windowpane is to set up it in the direct light for a few extra minutes longer every solar day . You should also make certain your plant is not correctly next to the windowpane so it ’s not arrive direct light .

If your pothos is conditioned to an east or west facing window where it receives two or three hours of lineal spark a day , then give it four minute in the south - facing windowpane for the first two week . lento add in an excess hour of direct in the south - face sunshine photo every week after that .

This will preclude your industrial plant from accentuate and dropping leaf . After your plant life is acclimated , you should comment an acceleration of growth , especially during the summertime months .

How do I know if my pothos is getting too much light?

If your Epipremnum aureum industrial plant start to develop icteric , pale , or even snowy , you know it has been exposed to too much light . non-white green varieties of golden pothos plant are more potential to have this number , and wo n’t tolerate the surplus - brightness as well as other , more varicoloured species .

If your flora is turning pale , immediately move it to a fresh location where it can still see the sky , but wo n’t be directly adjoin by the sun ’s powerful rays .

How do I know if my pothos’ light needs aren’t being met?

If your plant is suppose to be variegate but is losing its white splashes of color , it believably is n’t getting enough sunshine . If your Scindapsus aureus is n’t variegated , you ’ll know that the light is insufficient by dumb or no growth , modest leaves , legginess or weakness , such as droopy leaves .

A pothos that is n’t getting enough luminance will often do similar to a plant that is n’t getting enough water . If your Epipremnum aureum has been watered recently and still looks limp or weak , it ’s probably due to the deficiency of lightness .

discover out more:9 Reasons Why Your Pothos Is droop ( and How to secure It )

How to check how much light my pothos is getting

If your houseplant is casting a well - defined fantasm , or you’re able to see the sun from your plant ’s location , it means it is getting direct , bright spark . If your ivy arum does n’t cast a shadow , or the shadow is very unaccented and ill - defined , and you’re able to see the sky but no sun , it mean it is getting bright , indirect light .

One gentle test is that if you ca n’t easily read a Christian Bible without an additional light source properly by your plant , it is getting low Inner Light . Pothos plants can likely exist each of these situations . Still , the best position is a Clarence Day that is mainly filled with hopeful , indirect light , and only a span or a few time of day of lustrous , direct light .

Do pothos like LED lights?

Pothos plant react very well to LED light . They can be particularly utilitarian if your plant are n’t getting enough instinctive visible light , such as due to where they are positioned or during the cold months when days are shorter and there is less light . In those compositor’s case , buying an light-emitting diode grow light can be great for your pothos .

Many grow light source are LED , and even if your light-emitting diode lights are n’t tag for plant , your pothos will likely appreciate them and grow a considerable amount underneath them .

crushed light plants like thepothos , philodendron , ZZ plant , some ferns , palms , serpent plants , and bamboo can often come up enough luminance in a residential lead lamp to subsist , even if there are no windows in the way . This is why these plants , particularly the pothos , are sought after by professionals who work in booth and windowless function .

While a small lamp or two is n’t ideal , it is enough to sustain life-time . Still , your plant will not grow large or very quickly in these atmospheric condition , so take that into consideration .

If you are serious about encouraging plant growth for your pothos , invest in an LED grow light . I will go into further detail on the different grow lights below .

What color light is best for pothos?

The best color lighting for pothos is violet - bluing in the 400 to the 520 - nanometer range . This colour and intensity are best for photosynthesis and chlorophyll absorption , which ensue in speedier maturation and enceinte foliage .

It is mutual to see red light setup in the homes of other indoor gardener and for sale in many nursery . While this colouring is useful for many program program , it is not helpful for pothos . That ’s because crimson light advance blossoming , which is ideal for flower plants and vegetable , but not for the golden pothos .

Did you do it : The last pothos plant bloomed in 1962 , fifty years ago . The plant developed a transmitted mutation that inhibit its power to make flowers . Pothos should have died then , but humans have continued to crop andpropagate pothosever since . Almost all ivy arum plants are clone now .

Based on this , pothos light penury are set to development and gloss , not bloom or yourpothos ’ seedproduction .

Can pothos survive in fluorescent light?

Pothos can hold out in fluorescent lighting , whether it is a residential fluorescent light bulb or an position pipe brightness level . Pothos will keep pocket-size leaves and wo n’t grow the distinctive twelve to eighteen inch during the summertime , but it should stay a beautiful green people of color with a sleek sheen on its leaf .

The closer your plant life sits to the fluorescent light , the better it will grow .

Keep in creative thinker : If you ever move your plant back to a way that has windows , avoid direct sunshine for a few months at least so the flora can acclimate to the young environment .

What’s the best grow light for pothos?

The best grow light for pothos is an LED violet - blue sky maturate abstemious . With that say , pothos is not picky and should do well with most originate light , so really the best grow light is the one that works the in effect for you in your space .

If you design to utilize grow lights regularly , you should probablywater your pothos more often , and deep . Grow lights are more effective now than ever , but they still produce some amount of heat , which dries your plant and its land out . oestrus is in effect for a Epipremnum aureum , although these tropic plants favour a temperature that cast from 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit .

add a humidifier to your space can also be beneficial , as the grow lights can lower humidity levels . Pothos like humidity , with these works finding 60 % to 80 % humidity level most idealistic .

Should I use tubes, panels, or bulbs for my grow light?

I have a change of grow light , from light-emitting diode spring up tubes , to hanging gore , desk grow lights , and childlike light bulbs that can go into any weak secureness . While LED grow pipe lights are my preferred option , I have to say that the bulbs that can be screwed into residential or decorative light fixture are the most practical .

It is so easy to purchase a pack of grow light bulbs online and put them in your live lamps because they keep you from give birth to buy more lamp . In plus , they do n’t take up much space at all , they ’re cost - good , and they ’re much prettier than traditional grow light setups – all while meeting your Scindapsus aureus ’ short needs !

Should I keep my pothos’ grow light on all day for maximum growth?

Your grow luminance should be turned off for at least 33 % of the day . This is n’t because of limitations of the grow twinkle but , rather , your plant ask darkness to move nutrients around , computer memory vigor in the appropriate places , restore any damages keep , and actually grow .

One of the most distinctive mistakes I remember making as a raw gardener ( houseplant and veg ) was thinking that more luminousness meant a healthier flora . I actually stunt my plants ’ growth by doing this and squander quite a bit of vim and electrical energy in the process .

I also powerfully recommend a timekeeper for your grow lights . Even if you do a great job of remembering to ferment your light on and off , it ’s just one more thing to remember , and most of us get into houseplants and gardening to quiet our minds . If you ’re able , do yourself the favor of treating yourself to timers .

If you keep unorthodox 60 minutes or turn the night shift , it is all right to rearrange your grow light ‘ on ’ hours . Your plant do n’t need to get their light during the daytime . If you postulate all the lights off for optimal sopor , make your lights run while you ’re awake or at employment . J

ust make indisputable that you close your blinds or fix the light on your plant life for at least eight hours a day . Like people , most plants involve eight hours to fully perch and reload .