Read Hidden Tricks to Revive a Leggy, Leafless Pothos Vine and bring it back to life with fuller, greener growth.
Many plant lovers dream of having beautiful green vines growing around their homes and offices. Pothos plants are great for this! They’re easy to grow, can handle different conditions, and do well indoors. But what if your pothos starts losing leaves and only the bare vines are left? The once full and healthy pothos you brought home now looks thin and sad. Why is it losing its leaves? Why do the vines look bare? Below are five common reasons and easy ways to fix them. No matter what type of pothos you have, if you follow these Hidden Tricks to Revive a Leggy, Leafless Pothos Vine, your plant will be green and healthy again in no time!
Hidden Tricks to Revive a Leggy, Leafless Pothos Vine
1. Fix Pothos Sunlight Deficiency
Just move your pothos closer to a window or try placing it in a different room. Even though pothos plants can live in low light, they grow best with bright, indirect light for about 4–8 hours a day. Avoid putting them right next to strong sunlight, like in a south-facing window, as this can burn the leaves. A spot near a window but a bit back from it, or near a north-facing window, is a better choice.
If your home doesn’t get enough natural light, you can use an LED grow light. Keep the light on a low setting or place the plant slightly to the side so it’s not directly under the light.
After moving your pothos to a brighter spot, give it about a month to see if it starts growing better. You can also mist the bare spots (called nodes) on the vine to encourage new leaves. If you want a bushier plant, check the section below on how to prune and regrow your pothos without wasting any vines.
2. Prune Pothos for Leafier Growth
Use clean scissors or garden clippers that have been washed with a little diluted bleach and water. Pick a vine and make one clean cut just below a node (the small brown bumps along the stem).
If your pothos is very long and bare, you can cut most of the vines back close to the base of the plant, leaving only the shortest, leafiest ones. After pruning, give your plant plenty of light and water, and soon you’ll see it start to grow back!
3. Propagate Leafless Pothos Vines
Put your vine cuttings in a jar filled with clean, non-chlorinated water. Make sure 2–3 of the lower nodes (the little bumps on the stem) are fully under the water. Place the jar near the original pothos plant where it gets bright, indirect sunlight and stays warm.
In about 4–6 weeks, you’ll start to see roots growing. Change the water when it gets cloudy. Once the roots are a few inches long, you can plant the cuttings in good potting soil.
4. Fertilize Pothos for Fuller Growth
To help your pothos grow fuller, use a weak mix of liquid fish or kelp fertilizer once or twice a month. You can also mix some good compost or a basic all-purpose fertilizer into the soil when repotting. These nutrients help the plant grow faster and make bigger leaves on the vines.
If you’re using liquid fertilizer, make sure to dilute it properly so it doesn’t harm the plant.
5. Repot Pothos for Better Drainage and Leafier Vines
Choose a pot that’s a little bigger than the one your pothos is in now. Make sure it has a hole at the bottom for drainage and a tray to catch extra water. For the soil, mix 1 part regular organic topsoil, 1 part good compost, and 1 part perlite or vermiculite. This helps the soil drain well.
Dig a small hole in the new soil, gently take the pothos out of its old pot, and place it in the new one. Don’t press the soil down too hard—roots need space to breathe.
Water the plant once it’s in the new pot. Then let it settle into its new home. Check the soil once a week by sticking your finger in. Only water when the top 2–3 inches feel dry. Water just enough so it starts to drain from the bottom—no more. Your pothos should start growing new leaves soon after repotting.
