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hellkitchenguy

My Pothos is turning yellow

Hello, I know there are hundreds of Pothos posts, but I don't understand why my Pothos is suddenly falling apart. I have it hanging in an east facing window, and I rotate the position every single day to make sure it gets sun exposure all day. It gets strong morning light until noon to 1pm.

I water it instinctively and check the soil by sticking my finger in it. It's been in the same pot/soil for two years

I'm going to post before and after pictures

Comments (117)

  • 9 years ago

    I think you could just cut off the bare stems stems and the yellow leaves. Its a beautiful plant.

    I've got a pothos that looks alot worse than yours.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I literally just LOL @ what Jamila said!

    if it were mine, I'd take those bare stems and pin them back into the soil and do soil layering. Maybe with a nicefresh top dressing of compost and worm castings.

  • 9 years ago

    If you hack it back I'd wait and I bet you that all new healthy shoots will regenerate from the root ball then you'll have more pothos than you know what to do with if that's possible...

  • 9 years ago

    In the winter I try to give it additional light with one of those 5 headed light lamps. I use fluorescent 6500k bulbs

  • 9 years ago

  • 9 years ago

    I can point it in all different directions

  • 9 years ago

    Reflectors would be really great!

    Those are fluorescent? They look like regular incandescent! Do you have a picture of one of the bulbs while it's turned off? That's really interesting!

  • 9 years ago

  • 9 years ago

    Definitely fluorescent

  • 9 years ago

    Tomorrow I'm going to take pictures of my dischidia million hearts, and my rhipsalis hanging plants. The rhipsalis has grown a lot the past few months, but it's now covered in air roots. I'm wondering if that's a bad sign. The dischidia million hearts is now covered in tiny white flowers

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm excited to see the pictures!


    I guess they cover the squiggles with plastic because they contain mercury. Is it plastic?

    Yeah, we've broken a few but you are actually supposed to evacuate all living things from the home and call HAZMAT to come clean it up.

    Rhipsalis are very eager plants.

    now, regarding your pothos, I'd be tempted to tape it up or place it on hooks along the wall so it could vine and climb around the perimeter of the window sill.

    I'm cureentry growing mine up between two bamboo poles. I got this as a single cutting back in...July?

    please pardon the empty spots, I have a Monstera lechleriana that lives there but is in the shower. These pots are AWESOME for rooting Pothos. There are also two rooted some other variant similar to N'joy.

  • 9 years ago

    Winters in Manhattan can be brutal, and my windows are old and drafty. So, I don't care for the idea of letting it climb the window sills. During the day, it gets sunlight, but early evening I draw the shades and curtain to keep out the cold air


  • 9 years ago

    What we all need are some nice insulated windows that let in 98% of the light that enters!

  • 9 years ago

    "Hell guy"I love the color-salmon of your room did you just paint it? It's close to my living room color!

  • 9 years ago

    Hell's Kitchen was a great restaurant in Norfolk....wonder if it's still there.

  • 9 years ago

    We two restaurants named that one in Minneapolis and they closed the Duluth locale

  • 9 years ago

    The color of my room is actually called "Fire Ant". It likes totally different when I was painting in daylight. With artificial light it looks a little different. Stronger

  • 9 years ago

    Here's a very sickly looking pothos that I saw at the grocery

  • 9 years ago

    It's not too bad though. With a little TLC it could be a very beautiful plant.

  • 9 years ago

    Jama you are such an optimist! How about the ones in this picture?

  • 9 years ago

    Shawn, instead of buying a new one, I find it more rewarding to start one from scratch

  • 9 years ago

    Great idea Hellguy and cheaper too

  • 9 years ago

    Hey, I want you all to see my mom's Pothos. She has it in front of an east facing window. It's grown so much that she has to keep wrapping and rewrapping the branches on themselves. Pictures in the following post

  • 9 years ago

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  • 9 years ago

    I'm not sure how often she waters it, but I do know that when she does, she takes it to the bathtub, where she drenches it, and with the hand held shower head, she hoses down all the leaves, and leaves it in there for one day to dry out

  • 9 years ago

    Nice pics I think that you have her green thumb. Can you please ask her about how often she waters it? Did you get your cuttings to start your plant from hers?

  • 9 years ago


    My Latest Of My Plant At The Office

  • 9 years ago

    One of my coworkers said they are led lights

  • 9 years ago

    Your office plant is stunning. What type of lighting does it get?

    Unfortunately I did not get cuttings from my mom's plant. Mine was a gift that I neglected for a long time until I repotted it two years ago and started trying to cater to its needs.

    I will definitely ask her about her watering frequency when I visit her this coming Tuesday

  • 9 years ago

    As critical as everyone is of miracle grow soil that's what I refreshed it's roots with and perlite.

  • 9 years ago

    Wow!!! Your mom has a nice plant? Does it live in front of that air conditioner?

  • 9 years ago

    It's a few feet back from the window too isn't it?

  • 9 years ago

    Jamilalshaw26, yes, the air conditioner is slightly to the right of the plant, but it still gets hit with some cold air.

    Shawn, it is a few feet from the window. I should've measured it, but I will next time. I have my plant as close as possible to the window so it will get the most light, and I'm always worrying about it and fussing with it. My mom's approach is more no nonsense and hands off, yet her plant thrives. Go figure

  • 9 years ago

    Let me show you a picture of the hook I use to hang the plant from. I buy it at Home Depot, and it just screws into the wood frame

  • 9 years ago

    Hi Hellkitchenguy..Hum I wonder why you picked that screen name?)

    I must say your plant is stunning! I do find that of the several I have, they tend to throw off stems and yellow leaves when they either get to dry or too root bound...Mine will put up with any abuse, and they never die even if I should get neglectful...I have the feeling that when they start throwing branches off their wardrobe. they are begging for my attention again./.lol

  • 9 years ago

    Mikerno, I live in Manhattan, New York City, right by the Lincoln Tunnel. This area is considered the beginning of Hell's Kitchen. It's just the name of the neighborhood

  • 9 years ago

    This ungrateful plant has gone from bad to worse. I ordered medium sized pumice. I'm going to chop it up completely, and root the cuttings in a mixture of pumice and a little turface. Maybe having it in an inorganic media it will do better long term

  • 9 years ago

    Manuel, when was the last time you fed it? I find pothos to be heavy feeders, even in winter because they really don't stop growing ever. A weak fertilizing with every watering should help the yellowing leaves. They also yellow when they aren't getting enough light. I'd look into both of those.

    hellkitchenguy Manuel thanked Mentha (East TN, Zone 6B-7A)
  • 9 years ago

    Mentha, thanks. I hadn't fertilized it in a while, but I did last time I watered. As far as light, I had it in a very bright window, and moved it to a north facing window when the problem started

  • 9 years ago

    The pot looks like one that holds water in the attached drain saucer. It should snap off. Once removed, you may find that there are no drain holes at the bottom surface of the pot. If so, snipping a hole in the actual bottom of the pot should enable excess water to drip out.

    That said, when entire older leaves go uniformly yellow on this plant, it can be from becoming too dry. So it's possible that excess water in the drip saucer isn't the primary problem and that the soil has become hydrophobic (where water runs right by but doesn't soak in) and isn't becoming thoroughly moistened when you water. Does the pot feel much heavier after you water?

  • 9 years ago

    I would also suspect under watering. Look at the last picture on the rt hand side, there are curling leaves. This usually means it's thirsty.

  • 9 years ago

    Tiffany and Mentha, I removed the drip tray from the very beginning. Also, besides the original holes the pot came with, I also used a screwdriver to make little holes all around it. I'll take a picture of that later.When I water it, I drench it until the water runs out freely. I have to place a couple of folder towels on the floor to absorb the water that runs out. I've never actually tried to feel how much heavier it is after watering

  • 9 years ago

    If you can take the whole pot and sink in into a bucket of water until fully emerged and bubbles come up, it might be a good idea to do that often..

  • 9 years ago

    It does sound like the soil does not have a chance to become fully saturated again. I would never try to water a hanging plant in place because I put at least a gallon of water each time, and most of it runs out. Peat seems to be the primary culprit of hydrophobic soils, IME. And silicone moisture crystals, when present. If the idea of taking your plant to your shower/tub to water sounds like too much of a PITA, try giving it a reasonable drink, then repeating an hour later. Add water as slowly as possible. Maybe put a bucket under at first, then the towel. Think of a wet sponge that sheds water at first, then accepts much more.

    Then realize that if the soil hadn't really been getting moistened before but now is from an altered method and that you are able to much more fully saturate the soil, it will take longer to dry out. Monitoring how heavy a pot is is an excellent gauge of whether or not the soil has dried. But, understandably, not practical for all of them. I recommend it if possible/practical, whether watering in place or in shower/tub.

  • 9 years ago

    Something that I have used on soil that has compacted is ice cubes. Throw a handful on the soil, try to not touch any of the plant and let it melt. Once they have melted, throw a few more on the soil. Continue this until water starts dripping. Then water as usual. This gives the water enough time to saturate the soil without running off. I would also suggest taking the plant down, putting it in the shower and just run warm water on it for at least 20 minutes, You can also put the plug in, let the shower run for about 5 to clean the leaves and let it sit in the water for about 10 minutes to soak up from the bottom. Then run some more water through to flush the soil. I would then give it a weak feeding of an all purpose fertilizer.

  • 6 years ago

    I found three leaves like that on my pothos today. I removed the leaves and the segment of stem they were on. It had always been a strong plant and this happened really fast.


    I think this happened because I rearranged my plants about a week ago. With the new arrangement it is not getting enough light like it was before. I am going to move it onto another shelf and add one more plant light tomorrow.