When it comes to houseplants as easy to grow as pothos, the simplest of missteps can lead to the most serious mistakes. Pothos plants or Epipremnum aureum are strong and sturdy, adapting to different growth environments and able to withstand neglect that other plants might not be able to survive. However, often it is not neglect, rather too much care that proves detrimental to the health of your pothos plants. Inexperienced gardeners or newbie houseplant growers tend to shower too much love and care in their enthusiasm, causing more harm than help. One of the grave mistakes made by pothos plant owners is faulty watering practice and more often than not, it’s giving it too much water. If left unchecked for long, overwatering conditions of your pothos plants can prove fatal unless diagnosed and remedied soon.
TL: DR
Overwatering is one of the biggest reasons for the death of most houseplants, especially those belonging to tropical origins. Pothos being a hard survivalist houseplant, does not show immediate and obvious signs that it is dying due to waterlogging. In fact, it can take weeks before you see the worst visible signs and by that time it might be too late to save your pothos plant. In order to timely save your overwatered pothos plants, it is first important to be able to recognize the often subtle signs that tell you the plant is battling overwatered conditions.
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Signs That Your Pothos Plant is Overwatered
Some of the first signs of your pothos plant being in a stressed condition are the yellowing of leaves and the plant itself becoming soft and limp. These initial signs are identical for both underwatered and overwatered plants. Most houseplant owners are unable to differentiate between the two and often end up giving the already waterlogged plant some more water, further complicating the matter. The simplest way to differentiate is by checking the soil – touching to feel if it is moist or dry, and through the drainage – if water is able to filter through the soil down the container. There is also a difference in the yellowing of the leaves. In case of drought stress, you will find that the yellow leaves are dry and crisp to touch, whereas the leaves turning light green or yellow due to overwatering are soft to touch and the stems are also tender. The following list includes these initial signs along with other major symptoms that will help you identify if your pothos plant is suffering overwatered conditions.
1. Pothos Leaves Turning Lighter Green or Yellowing
Moisture stress causes the leaves to turn lighter green in color or become yellow. The signs can be first observed in the older leaves of your pothos plant, as being closer to the base of the plant they tend to become the first ones to get affected. When the roots are drowning in water, they are unable to function properly and the usual uptake of nutrients and water gets disrupted. This disruption leads to a lack of nutrients in the leaves, rendering them unable to perform their usual photosynthesis process. Soon, they start to lose their color, becoming lighter green to completely yellow. The leaves, soft and tender to touch. may also show splotches of yellow instead of turning uniformly yellow.
2. Pothos Leaves Get Wrinkled or Start Curling
If you notice the leaves of your pothos plants are wrinkled or starting to curl, one of the reasons for this is overwatering. Wrinkling of leaves can happen on those leaves that develop blisters and the damaged portions deform the surface, causing the leaves to wrinkle. Also, when the leaf tips turn brown due to overwatering, the leaves can also get wrinkled.
Overwatering is one of the many reasons for the pothos leaves starting to curl. If your pothos leaves are curling in a downward direction, the reason is almost definitely due to a watering issue. Curling is an adaptive measure taken by your pothos plant. Waterlogged roots fail to function efficiently and the distribution of water gets suspended, causing drought conditions in different parts of the plant, including the leaves. By curling its leaves and reducing the surface area, the pothos plant is able to lessen the loss of moisture due to the transpiration process, in order to conserve whatever little water it has.
3. Brown Spots on Pothos Leaves
There can be many reasons for brown spots appearing on your pothos leaves. But the most common reason these spots appear is due to excessive water. When there’s too much water, the cells of the plant, including in the leaves, start to swell up. The swelling looks like blisters on the leaf surface, which can erupt and the damaged area forms brown lesions.
4. Wilting Pothos Plant, Shriveled and Mushy Appearance
If you start to notice your pothos plant wilting, then it is in urgent need of attention and care. You can know if it’s due to overwatering or not by simply keeping a track of its watering schedule. If you have been watering your plant but it is still showing signs of dying and wilting, then the reason will most likely be overwatering. You will also notice that your pothos is struggling to show any new growth – new leaves or stems and the foliage appears to be dying too. Lack of adequate water and nutrients causes the plant to wilt.
Overwatered pothos plants will also look limp and shriveled. The aerial roots and brown portions of your pothos plant will feel soft and mushy. You may also find some sort of mildewy odor coming from them. It’s a sign that they are starting to rot due to too much water.
5. Pothos Plant Root Rot
Root rot as the name suggests means the roots are starting to rot from prolonged exposure to moist and soggy soil conditions. Being responsible for water absorption for the whole plant, roots are the most susceptible to root rot due to too much water in the soil. When roots are waterlogged, this hinders the oxygen supply and the cells are unable to receive the required amount of oxygen needed for the proper respiration process. Through respiration the sugar gets broken down, producing energy that can then be consumed by the plant. Improper respiration leads to the decline in the generation of energy and plants start to show signs of dying.
You can check if there is root rot by first checking the soil, digging a little deeper to observe the roots. Trying to sniff the plant around the base will also let you know if there’s root rot or not. When there’s root rot you will often find a foul and musty odor coming off from the roots. This means that the decay process has begun and the roots are starting to rot.
6. Moldy and Algae Growth on Soil
Molds or fungi love moist environments. If the soil in your pothos plant container is constantly wet and soggy due to overwatering, the fungi spores will find a favorable chance to develop and the molds will start to grow. You will know there’s mold by the appearance of a thin layer of white powdery coating or fuzzy black patch on the surface of the soil, around the base of the stem and leaves of your pothos plants. You might also find the growth of green algae on the plant and on top of the soil surface. Whether you find tiny spots or widespread growth, the presence of any mold or algae is a warning sign for your pothos plant’s survival.
How to Save Your Overwatered Pothos Plant?
If your pothos is suffering due to overwatered conditions, all is not lost. It takes a few simple steps to help the plant regain its initial vigor and strength. When you manage to read the stressful situation of the plant early on, noticing the signs and symptoms at the onset, it is easy and convenient to resolve the issues. Things get complicated when severe damage has occurred, with root rot and fungal infections being the worst. While it is still possible to bring back a dying pothos plant due to root rot, in cases when nearly all the roots get affected, you may not be able to save the plant. Depending upon the degree of damage sustained by your pothos plant while fighting overwatered conditions, there are a few things you can do to save the plant.
1. Stop Watering the Plant Immediately
The first step to saving your overwatered pothos plant is to stop watering immediately. It is okay if you miss a couple of watering schedules. Don’t add any more water until the water already present in the pot has dried. Ensure that the soil is dry by checking it thoroughly. Also, observe if the roots are dry by looking at the drainage holes at the bottom of the container. A waterlogged potted plant feels heavier due to the excess water weight. If the water has dried, the pot should feel lighter. Start watering again only when the soil is dry.
2. Locate Your Pothos to a Shaded Area
If the plant is not already in a shaded location, it is advisable to move your pothos to a dry spot. Preferably, someplace that is partially or completely shaded. This helps protect the plant from suffering further stress due to evaporation. As the plant is unable to transport water to its upper extremities due to waterlogged roots, the top portions are vulnerable to drying out or getting sunburned if left in the sun.
3. Remove Top Growth, Dead Portions From Your Pothos
A stressed plant is unable to provide conditions conducive to proper growth. New growth demands a lot of energy from the plant. A compromised root system cannot provide enough support for new growth. Thus, removing a bit of top growth from your pothos plants including a few leaves and fruits will allow the plant to direct all its energy on survival instead of being diverted towards maintaining any new growth. You can also trim away the dead leaves and stems with clean shears or scissors. Cut the brown and dry leaves and the dried and damaged stems.
4. Aerate the Pothos Roots, Remove Infested Soil and Decayed Roots
You can also check the roots and remove any damaged portions. Tapping the container gently and repeatedly from all sides will help loosen the roots up. It will then be easier to lift your pothos plant from the pot gradually by holding the base of the stem. You can let the plant become aerated and dry by leaving it out in the open for a few hours. Placing your pothos on a cooling rack will also facilitate the drying process.
Using your fingers, you can slowly remove the old infested soil. Take care to not damage the roots by gently breaking up the soil to allow it to fall away from the roots. To further remove any soil that is still sticking to the roots, put the roots under running water. Be gentle while cleaning so that the healthy portions of the roots do not get damaged in the process. Using a sterilized and sharp pruning tool you can cut the rotten parts of the root. The mushy, slimy, and dark portions with a distinct odor need to be removed while keeping the firm and white healthy roots. Always sterilize your pruning tools every time you use them so that none of the healthy parts get infected.
If a lot of the root system has been trimmed away, to ensure there is no added pressure on the plant you can also trim away the top growth. The proper ratio of the root system to the shoot system is to keep the upper portion twice the size of its roots.
5. Replanting Your Pothos in a New Pot
a. Once you have aerated the pothos roots, decayed and damaged portions are removed, you can begin replanting your pothos to give it a new lease of life.
b. Choose a new pot that has better and ample drainage holes and fill it with new soil. You can also choose to use a layer of mulch at the bottom of the pot to improve drainage. If you do, loosely place the mulch up to 2 inches in thickness and avoid packing it down. The recovering pothos plant can now be transferred to the new pot. Pour the new soil around the roots of your pothos plant, filling up the rest of the pot up to the base of the plant.
c. Next you can pour water or water with cold chamomile tea over the soil to moisten it. Chamomile tea has qualities similar to a mild fungicide and its antimicrobial properties can help prevent damping off.
d. Placing a tray or a saucer under the pot will help to drain excess water from the soil so that the roots don’t get waterlogged anymore. After every watering process, always remember to check the tray and throw away the accumulated excess water.
Caring for Your Pothos During Recovery
a. Once you have aerated the pothos roots, decayed and damaged portions are removed, you can begin replanting your pothos to give it a new lease of life.
b. Choose a new pot that has better and ample drainage holes and fill it with new soil. You can also choose to use a layer of mulch at the bottom of the pot to improve drainage. If you do, loosely place the mulch up to 2 inches in thickness and avoid packing it down. The recovering pothos plant can now be transferred to the new pot. Pour the new soil around the roots of your pothos plant, filling up the rest of the pot to the base of the plant.
c. Next you can pour water or water with cold chamomile tea over the soil to moisten it. Chamomile tea has qualities similar to a mild fungicide and its antimicrobial properties can help prevent damping off.
d. Placing a tray or a saucer under the pot will help to drain excess water from the soil so that the roots don’t get waterlogged anymore. After every watering process, always remember to check the tray and throw away the accumulated excess water.
Gardening can seem easy and fun when you are observing other houseplant owners. Once you begin gardening yourself it might seem intimidating because of the disciplined care needed to keep your plants alive. When you have pothos as your houseplant, half your worries are gone because of its adaptability. If you have successfully saved your pothos plant from overwatering damage or want to avoid facing overwatering issues for your pothos plant in the future, you simply need to keep a check on the frequency of watering and the amount of water given. Anytime you are in doubt about whether you should water or not, it is always a better option to wait another day or two. Your pothos can easily recover from a couple of days of no water than from soggy conditions due to overwatering.
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References:
https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/hseplant.html
Ranjan Singh Moirangthem is a media professional based in India, currently working as a freelance copywriter. Growing up in a hill station and now living in a concrete jungle, he finds solace in the green corners of the city, be it parks or his housing society garden. He’s even passionate about plants and gardening and shares his experience by writing in-depth and well-researched articles for our readers.