Follow our 8 useful tips and cut pothos these ways for 100% propagation and have as many plants you want!
Mastering the art of propagating Pothos the right way is essential if you want to have more copies of this low maintenance houseplant. You don’t have to do much–just follow our 8 tips when growing pothos from cuttings!
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Cut Pothos These Ways for 100% Propagation
#1. Cut Below the Node
Nodes are key to successful propagation as they contain the necessary cells for root and shoot development. When selecting a healthy cutting for propagation, select the stems with a leaf node and remove the lower leaves to increase your chances of success.
Just to clarify, the node is a slight swelling or bump where a leaf or bud emerges from the stem, as you can see in the above picture.
You may ask where to cut Pothos? Make a clean cut just below a node, ideally at a 45-degree angle, to promote water absorption and reduce the risk of rot.
#2. Take Cuttings from Top Tip
Look for a branch that is actively growing and trim the cuttings from top tips to encourage faster root formation. This method is effective and give quick results because it utilizes the plant’s concentrated growth hormones found in the tips.
#3. Cut the Right Size
The ideal size for Pothos cuttings is 4 to 6 inches long, which is crucial for successful propagation for several reasons:
First, a cutting of this size provides an adequate amount of stem material to support the development of new roots.
Second, a cutting within this size range will also ensure that there are at least one or two nodes present for root initiation.
Whereas, if you take a very long cutting, it’ll waste its energy keeping itself green rather than focusing on developing new roots.
#4. Heal the Cuttings
When you cut a Pothos branch to propagate it, the exposed end is vulnerable to moisture, which could lead to rot and hinder root growth. That’s where callusing comes in! By allowing the cut end to dry in air for 2-4 hours, you’re giving it time to form a protective layer.
This layer acts as a shield, sealing off the cut end and reducing the risk of water entering and causing damage. But wait, there’s more! It also stimulates root growth by encouraging the plant to focus its energy on producing roots.
#5. Use Rooting Hormone and Fungicide
When growing pothos from cuttings, you can incorporate the use of rooting hormone and fungicide into your propagation process. Rooting hormone stimulates root growth and will increase the likelihood of successful propagation. Simply dip the cut end of the Pothos cutting into it before planting it in the soil.
Apart from commercial ones, you can also use honey, aspirin tablet or aloe vera gel as a homemade rooting hormone. For fungicide, dust your cuttings with cinnamon powder prior to planting.
Adding a fungicide to the soil can work as a preventive measure, it’ll eliminate the chances of fungal infections that may lead to root rot, especially in high-humidity environments.
#6. No Fertilizer Rich Soil for Propagation
When growing Pothos from cuttings or, say, any plant, avoid planting them in a rich growing medium or anything with pre-added fertilizer. Why, you ask? Well, here’s the scoop: freshly propagated or the ones that you are about to use for propagation are in a delicate transition state and focus their energy on establishing roots rather than supporting foliage growth.
The best growing medium to propagate your pothos cuttings can be a seed starting mix, or perlite, vermiculite, coarse sand, coconut coir, or a mix of peat moss and perlite.
If these are exposed to nutrient-rich soil, it can burn and overwhelm the young roots and disrupt this crucial process. By allowing the cuttings to root in well-draining and poor soil, you’re allowing them to adapt and develop a healthy root system without the risk of nutrient imbalance or fertilizer burn.
#7. Give Your Cuttings a Greenhouse Touch
How about making your propagation experiment more serious by keeping the cuttings in a storage box, plastic dome, cloche, big terrarium, or mini greenhouse?
This will help you mimic the ideal conditions for root development and encourage faster growth. The trapped humidity will also prevent the cuttings from drying out. It’s recommended to keep the cuttings in this greenhouse-like environment for about 2 to 4 weeks or until you start to see significant root development.
#8. Ideal Timing
The perfect time to propagate your Pothos is when there is no extreme heat or cold. If you take care of this, you can plant it any time of the year.
If you live in a tropical or arid climate, you can propagate it throughout the year, apart from peak summer.
However, in colder regions, spring and summer months are best, which span from March to July and probably August. This is the ideal time because, during this period, Pothos experiences peak growth, which makes it more conducive to root formation.
