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Limp or Wilted Leaves on a Pothos
Limp or Wilted Leaves on a Pothos. Pothos or devil's ivy (Epipremnum aureum) is a vining tropical plant with heart-shaped leaves that is native to the Solomon Islands. Most cultivated plants are variegated with either yellow streaks or cream mottles. Pothos is extremely tolerant of neglect, and it thrives indoors if given the correct care. Wilting...
Pothos or devil's ivy (Epipremnum aureum) is a vining tropical plant with heart-shaped leaves that is native to the Solomon Islands. Most cultivated plants are variegated with either yellow streaks or cream mottles. Pothos is extremely tolerant of neglect, and it thrives indoors if given the correct care. Wilting leaves suggests a need for immediate attention. They may indicate that the plant is receiving too little or too much water or has been infested by pests.
Overwatering
Pothos plants cannot survive in waterlogged water as their roots run out of oxygen and die, leaving the plant with no way of absorbing nutrients or water. Allow the surface of your pothos's soil to dry out before watering and make sure all excess water is able to drain away. Never leave a potted pothos standing in a dish of water. Stop watering your pothos if its soil is wet and it is wilting. Water again when the top inch of soil is completely dry.
Underwatering
Never allow a pothos plant's soil to dry out completely, as it will wilt and shed its leaves. Provide enough water to completely soak the soil with each watering. Mist your pothos every day to raise local humidity levels and wash dirt off the leaves. Keep the pot on a dish of damp gravel. Water a wilting pothos with dry soil immediately.
Pests
Pothos is vulnerable to infestation by scale insects and mealybugs. Both cause wilting leaves and unhealthy growth if allowed to remain on the plant. Scale insects are small raised bumps on the stems and leaves while mealy bugs are white and look like bits of cotton wool. Treat both by dabbing them with a paintbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol. Check your pothos every week for signs of insect infestation.
Accumulated Salts
Regular watering and fertilizing causes mineral salts to build up in pot plant soil. This can reach a level at which it becomes toxic and causes your pothos plant to wilt. Flush out its soil with a volume of water equal to the volume of its pot at least once a month to leach out any accumulated salts. Flush the soil as soon as you see any sign of a white crust on the surface.
Rescue
Take a 6-inch cutting from a healthy stem if your pothos is wilting. Cut the stem an inch below a leaf with a sharp knife and plant immediately in a 4-inch pot containing peat-based compost. Cover the pot with a transparent plastic bag held in place by an elastic band. Place the pot on a windowsill in a room in which the temperature is about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the bag when new growth emerges.
