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Plant Care Basics

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How to fix a leggy Pothos: where to cut, how far back, and what regrows

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
How to fix a leggy Pothos: one bare, stretched vine standing out from an otherwise full golden plant.

A stretched Pothos is really a light problem, and pruning is what finishes it rather than what starts it. I measure the gap between two leaf joints, cut just above a node so the dormant bud below wakes up, then leave the plant alone through a quiet few weeks.

Categories Pothos Care

How to propagate Pothos from cuttings step by step — first roots in 1 to 2 weeks

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
How to propagate Pothos from cuttings step by step: one cutting in water with first white roots at the node.

A Pothos cutting roots in water within one to two weeks if it carries a node. I cut just below one, strip the leaf that would sit under the waterline, keep every node submerged, and refresh the jar each week until roots show.

Categories Pothos Care

How to get rid of mealybugs on Pothos: clear the leaf axils, then hold the schedule

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
How to get rid of mealybugs on Pothos: a white waxy cluster lodged in a leaf axil on an undamaged stem.

A single pass never settles mealybugs, because the insects sit deep in the leaf joints where a mist cannot reach them. I clear those joints by hand with alcohol on a cotton bud, then hold a fixed repeat until new foliage comes in unmarked.

Categories Pothos Care

Why does my Pothos have brown spots? Water-soaked lesion or dry scorch

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
Why does my Pothos have brown spots: a macro of one brown mark on a leaf, its texture and edge readable.

Two very different problems leave brown spots on this vine, and the boundary of each mark is what separates them. I look at whether the rim is limp and wet or hard and papery, then whether a pale ring around it is still advancing.

Categories Pothos Care

How much light does a Pothos need? Foot-candle bands — window by window

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
How much light does a Pothos need? Light requirements read on one vine: a marbled leaf beside a small green one.

A Pothos survives in far less light than it needs to look good, which is why one number never answers this. I work in three bands instead, and I read which one a plant is in from the size of the newest leaves.

Categories Pothos Care

How to identify Pothos varieties: a visual identification key for one plant in hand

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
How to identify Pothos varieties: four whole potted plants side by side on one table, one of each kind.

Naming a Pothos variety takes four leaf characters read in a fixed order, not a photo match. I work through them one at a time on a settled leaf, and I say so plainly when a plant is still too young to call.

Categories Pothos Care

Pothos vs Philodendron: 3 fingertip checks to identify yours

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
Pothos vs Philodendron compared side by side on one table, a golden Pothos beside a heart-leaf Philodendron.

Telling a Pothos from a Philodendron takes one fingertip and about ten seconds. I check the node for aerial roots, then run a thumb down the stalk for the groove, and the answer holds even when no new leaf is opening.

Categories Pothos Care

How to repot a Pothos without killing it: step by step, root ball intact

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
How to repot a Pothos without killing it: repotting with two hands, the intact unrinsed root ball eased out.

Most of the damage done in a repot comes from washing the roots off and from sizing the new pot up too far. I keep the root ball whole and unrinsed, go one pot size up and no further, then set the plant back in the exact spot it already lived in.

Categories Pothos Care

How to train a Pothos on a moss pole: install, tie and moisture in order

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
How to train a Pothos on a moss pole: vine nodes pressed against damp moss and held by slack green ties.

Training this vine up a moss pole works by gripping rather than leaning, so a dry column gives its aerial roots nothing at all to hold. I wet the surface before anything else, press each joint against it, and leave every fastening loose.

Categories Pothos Care

Why is my Pothos curling and drooping? The 2-inch soil test that settles it

September 11, 2026 by PANG NAM FUI
Why is my Pothos curling and drooping: a hand testing the mix while a limp inward-curled vine hangs over the rim.

A limp curled Pothos looks the same whether the mix is soaked or bone dry, so the leaf cannot answer this on its own. I go two inches into the medium and lift the pot, and those two readings together settle it.

Categories Pothos Care
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PANG NAM FUI, founder of Plant Care Basics and plant care expert.

Hi, I'm Pang. Founder of Plant Care Basics. I share simple, well-researched advice to help beginners develop a green thumb. Welcome to my green corner!

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How often to water a ZZ plant? Read the soil, not the calendar

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What is the best soil for a peace lily: four separate heaps laid out in a row, the peat heap plainly the largest.

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