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Pothos: The ultimate plant for newbies and busy bees

Pothos: The ultimate plant for newbies and busy bees

Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies for millennials, even for those stuck in small, urban apartments. Indoor plants can add a pop of green to any décor and are natural air filters. But what if you have a black thumb? Pothos is the plant for you.

Even if plants wither as you walk past them, Pothos is very difficult to kill. In fact, its nickname is devil’s ivy. It would take a massive amount of negligence or malice to kill this plant. Even the USDA rates it 10 & above in hardiness. The evergreen vine rarely flowers and can grow up to 66 feet tall. It’s an easy care plant perfect for plant newbies, busy bees and constant travelers.

Native to the Malaysian jungle, the plant comes in a variety of colors and patterns: yellows, greens, marbled, silver spotted, gold and even creams. It’s one of the best plants to purify air. But keep your cats and dogs away from the plant because it has indigestible calcium oxalates. Humans shouldn’t eat it either.

It’s a low light plant. You could put it on a bookshelf in a dark corner or near a window. You just don’t want to give it direct sunlight. Keep the plant in a controlled temperature between 70-90 degrees and in high humidity, and it will flourish. Paler leaves in a normally dark variation indicates too much sunlight.

Not good at remembering to water? No problem. This plant needs to be watered every 7-10 days. If the temperature is warmer, it can go longer without water. In fact, overwatering is more likely to kill your plant rather than help it flourish. The roots will begin to root if there is too much water. If the leaves start getting droopy, it means your plant needs a splash of water

You don’t have to prune, unless you really want to. Pothos naturally grow as a vine. Add hooks or nails to guide the direction of the vine or let it hang from a tall piece of furniture. If you really want to shape your plant, then go ahead and prune.

You need new soil only if you need to repot. If your plant’s roots outgrows it’s pot, then you’re going to have to repot. Leaves will seem droopy no mater how much you adjust light or water. But otherwise, soil rarely needs to be changed.

You want more plants? Snip, snip.To propagate Pothos, cut off 4-to-6-inches stems and soak it in water. A jam jar or a mason jar works great. Change the water weekly. Once the roots have developed, plant it in nutrient-heavy soil. The longer it sit in water, the harder it will be to adjust to soil growth.

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