Epipremnum aureum can grow upwards of 20 to 40 feet long! Caring for and watering 40 feet of ivy is certainly not an easy task. Many home and office spaces do not even have enough room for this amount of vine. Even though they are absolutely gorgeous, mature pothos can start to take over.
Thankfully, with frequent pruning as one of your pothos plant care strategies, your plant can stay at a much more manageable size. Here is everything you need to know about pruning and trimming pothos plants!
Pruning Pothos
Pruning your golden pothos will help you achieve the perfect length and shape you desire. Epipremnum aureum can be pruned regularly without causing damage to the roots! Even if you accidentally cut back more than you intended, your ivy will grow back stronger than ever.
When to Prune Pothos
Ideally, you should prune your plant during its natural growing period. This will encourage new growth right away and help prevent any pruning stress from causing damage.
Although you can trim your golden ivy throughout the entire year, trimming during the spring, summer, and early fall months produces the best results. If you feel the urge to prune your ivy in the winter, make sure not to cut too much off as it will grow back at a much slower rate than normal.
Why You Should Prune Your Pothos
Trimming long pothos helps manage the shape and size of the vines, promote new growth, and prevent your plant from looking leggy. Because so many plant owners choose to grow their golden ivy in pots, creating fullness with the foliage is often preferred over length. Trimming and pruning are essential if you want to create this thicker appearance.
You should also prune your pothos if the leaves are damaged, cracked, or turning yellow. After pruning, don’t forget to try and identify what caused your leaves to die off so that the new growth doesn’t encounter the same problems. Overwatering, underwatering, infestations, and improper sun exposure can all lead to dying foliage. Cut back the damaged leaves and find the underlying problem!
How to Prune Pothos Vine
Follow this step-by-step guide to pruning your Epipremnum aureum for optimal results!
- Step One: First things first, grab your materials. Of course, you’ll need your golden ivy as well as a sterilized pair of scissors or gardening shears. Either works completely fine. Additionally, you may want to get something to place under your plant so that you don’t make too big of a mess in your home.
- Step Two: Next, examine your plant carefully and cut off any damaged or unhealthy leaves. Cut just above a healthy leaf node so that new growth can occur.
- Step Three: The next stems you’ll want to prune are the overgrown but healthy stems. If they are too long for your liking, simply cut them back to your desired length again making sure you leave at least one leaf node for new growth. You can even propagate these healthy stems and grow a new ivy!
- Step Four: Lastly, remove any stems that aren’t growing leaves. You can cut these back all the way to the base of the plant to help tidy up your ivy’s appearance.
- Step Five: It’s as simple as that, you did it! Clean up and put your plant back to its home.
FAQs
When should I cut back my pothos?
You should cut back your pothos when the vines are getting too long for your liking or if any leaves are looking damaged. Trimming during their natural growing season is encouraged.
Should I trim damaged pothos leaves?
Absolutely trim off any damaged pothos leaves! If they are looking discoloured or dead, cut them off right above the leaf node so that a new, healthy leaf can replace the damaged one.
Where do I prune my pothos?
Prune your pothos right above a leaf node. This will encourage new growth to form.
Should I cut yellow leaves off pothos?
Yellow leaves may never return to their green, vibrant state again. Cut the yellow leaves off and attempt to find the source of the problem so that it doesn’t kill the plant completely.
How do I make my pothos grow thicker?
Pruning your golden ivy frequently will ensure it grows back thicker than ever. If it is still having issues becoming fuller, try adding a 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 liquid fertilizer to the soil twice a month.
~ image source: depositphotos/MartinaUnbehauen
