The Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is arguably the most beloved houseplant in the world. It is incredibly forgiving, beautifully vibrant, and brings a lush, tropical feel to any room. But while keeping a Pothos alive is easy, making it grow rapidly and look incredibly full is a different story.
If you are tired of looking at a few sad, straggly vines and want a bushy, fast-growing showstopper, you are in luck. Here are the ultimate secrets to making your Pothos grow crazy fast.
1. Give It More Light Than You Think It Needs Pothos plants are famously marketed as “low-light” plants. While they will certainly survive in a dark corner, they will not grow. To trigger rapid growth, your Pothos needs bright, indirect sunlight.
- The Trick: Move your plant within a few feet of an east or west-facing window. If the leaves start losing their beautiful variegation (the white or golden stripes) and turn completely solid green, it is a desperate cry for more light!
2. The Bobby Pin Propagation Hack (The Real Secret) This is the ultimate hack for a bushier plant. Instead of letting a single vine trail all the way down to the floor, take that vine and loop it back into the pot.
- The Trick: Use a standard hair bobby pin to pin the nodes (the little brown bumps on the stem) directly against the bare soil. Within a few weeks, those nodes will grow new roots into the soil, and the plant will push out new vines from that exact spot, creating a much fuller look at the top.
3. Feed It During the Growing Season Your Pothos is working hard to push out new leaves, and it needs fuel to do so. Water alone is not enough if you want explosive growth.
- The Trick: Use a high-quality, water-soluble liquid houseplant fertilizer. Dilute it to half the recommended strength and feed your Pothos every two weeks during the spring and summer. Stop fertilizing completely during the winter when the plant goes dormant.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Chop It It sounds counterintuitive—why cut a plant if you want it to grow? But pruning actually stimulates growth hormones.
- The Trick: If you have a long vine that is bare at the top and only has leaves at the very end, snip it off just below a node. This forces the plant to branch out and create multiple new vines from the cut area, leading to a much bushier plant. (Plus, you can root the piece you cut off in a glass of water to make a whole new plant!)
5. Keep the Leaves Clean Just like solar panels, your plant’s leaves need to be clean to absorb sunlight efficiently. Household dust naturally builds up on the leaves, blocking the light and slowing down photosynthesis.
- The Trick: Once a month, take a damp microfiber cloth and gently wipe down the leaves. It takes 5 minutes, but the difference in growth speed is remarkable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why is my Pothos growing so slowly? The most common reasons for stunted growth are insufficient light and poor watering habits. Ensure your plant is getting plenty of bright, indirect light and that you are watering it thoroughly, but only when the top two inches of soil are dry.
Can I put my Pothos outside to make it grow faster? Yes, but with extreme caution! Pothos plants love the warmth and humidity of the outdoors during the summer, but direct sunlight will severely burn their leaves in a matter of hours. Keep it in a completely shaded area on a porch or balcony.
Final Thoughts
With a little bit of strategic pruning, the right amount of light, and the bobby pin trick, your Pothos will transform from a single sparse vine into a thriving, overflowing jungle plant.