If you have a pothos flora , then you know already that they are fairly darn prolific . peradventure even too fecund .
You work your back and suddenly , there are vines drape down to the floor and crawling across your bookshelves …
That ’s when you ’ve get ta take matters into your own hand and bump out those pruning hook .
Aerial roots. Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
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so as to keep your plant sizeable and aid it to look as dainty as potential , there are a few tips you should keep in mind . That ’s what we ’ll be discussing in this guide .
Here ’s everything you could expect to pick up :
How to Trim a Pothos Plant
Before we get start , we need to clarify a few terms first , just to make certain we ’re all on the same page .
When we mouth about nodes , this refers to the dapple where the fore and the leaf meet , or where an airy stem may emerge . The aerial root lymph node see like small , brown swelling .
Typically , you want to prune close to one of these nodes because this is where raw ontogenesis will emerge as well .
The part of the shank in between nodes is live as the internode . And the petiole is the part where the leaf is attach to the stem .
Ca n’t wait one minute longer or you ’ll be bury in a hobo camp ? Then here we go . Get your pruners ready , and let ’s start pare !
When Should I Prune?
Some plants necessitate a lot of pruning , but not your old pal ivy arum ( Epipremnum aureum ) .
That does n’t intend theyneverneed pruning , but it ’s more of an occasional chore rather than something you need to keep up with regularly .
Now , that said , pothos plants are overachievers . These puppies will maturate and grow and grow .
So if you have one that is sending out vines that are depend more like they would be perfect for Tarzan to swing over from than the passably little tendrils we all know and love , it ’s clip to do the ol’ snip - snip .
It does n’t really count what time of year you do this job , though pinching back your ivy arum to encourage bushier ontogeny should not be done during the winter .
This is not because it will harm the plant , but because it probably wo n’t form newfangled growth until the outpouring , and you ’ll be stuck with an surly , bare stump until the mature time of year return .
How to Cut Back a Pothos Plant
There are two types of pruning that you may choose to do when growing pothos .
The first is to encourage ramify . If you snip a vine correctly next to a node , it will send out young emergence , usually in the form of multiple branches . you may do this to any subdivision of any length .
The other type of pruning is to move out distance . This is the best option for vines that have grow to be just a bit too indocile .
The process is the same for either of these , but it facilitate to have your goal in mind first so you’re able to decide how to go in and regulate the industrial plant .
To prune , use a sharp , clean pair of scissors or secateurs to make a cut just below a node .
If your destination is to encourage bushy increment , prune close to the crown to make lots of shorter stem from which unexampled leaves will emerge .
If you require to shorten up a foresighted vine , snip it off wherever you prefer .
Then , take a step back and look at the overall shape . Sometimes it ’s easy to become engrossed in pruning when you ’re up close and suffer heap of the overall flavor .
Go back in and regulate up more if necessary . These plants are pretty knotty , so feel free to rationalize as much as needed , but be sure to leave at least two nodes above the soil line on each stem for the plant to regenerate from .
How to Trim Pothos Leaves
Pothos plant are hardy , but from fourth dimension to metre , they can suffer from brown or yellow leave . When this fall out , it ’s best to take away the damaged leaf .
Do this by cut off the leafage where the leafstalk meet the stem .
If it ’s just the tip of the leaf that has turned chocolate-brown , which is vernacular in menage with low humidness or for plants that get bumped or knock about , you could clean these up and make the plant bet goodly and tidier .
Just habituate a clean pair of scissors to trim back away the beat part .
Prune Back Your Prolific Plants
While they do n’t require regular pruning to be healthy , the prolific nature ofE. aureummeans you ’ll plausibly need to break out the pruners now and then .
If you ’re interested in finding out more about these houseplant stalwarts , we have some other guides that might concern you on the topic ofgrowing pothos plantsat home , include :
Photos by Kristine Lofgren © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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