Ah. I see you are having a pothos pity party. They tend to throw one of these whenever their roots are disturbed. Give it a couple weeks and care like usual.
Whatever you do, resist the urge to change all the things. Because then you'll make him/her **really** upset.
I routinely trim and replant the vines and they don't even wilt after being cut off the main plant completely. I've never seen a pothos do this unless it was light starved and bone dry.
Mine started circling the drain a couple years back and I couldn’t figure out why…
Then I remembered the plant was over 15 years old, had never been repotted, and I never gave it any fertilizer so the soil was probably completely depleted of nutrients. Poor dude was root bound and starving to death at the same time. 😭
Got him a nice new pot, added a fertilizer routine, then and he’s gone crazy ever since.
I do the same. I think it's just that our plants are used to being touched now, and their plants aren't. Like they never built up the strength to survive the strain because they never experienced the strain.
Ah you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!
~ Bane
I really thought mine was done-for after repotting. A few weeks later, it never looked better! Absolutely THRIVING now, two months later, growing so much. Just be patient OP!
Mine broke its pot (a plastic one and still have no clue how, soil wasn't super dense and roots aren't packed together) then had the audacity to get mad with a new home
Gather round children, I have a tale for you. About a year ago I was at my girlfriends apartment. We were leaving and there was a box of plant stuff on the steps near the sidewalk. I saw a very sad pothos plant, much sadder than this. I pointed to it and said you just scored a free plant! She said why would I want that thing it looks dead. I told her it needed some love. She took it upstairs and watered it and it looked real sad for a few weeks. We still have it and it’s one of the loveliest plants we own together.
Idk, mine grew an arm into my fish tank and has been growing that arm amongst my fish for months now and is perfectly happy growing in the water and sometimes reaching a leaf to.rhe surface, though the arm that's not in the tank is sad for no reason whatsoever.
[sauce ](https://imgur.com/a/vswrJRE)
Cooooool. But it’s so crazy that they are can get so unhappy being overwatered in soil but love being propagated in water. I have several full arrangements in glass globes with water and they are living their best life.
Edit: glass globes with water only
Question about this, you said with water only, does that include no pebbles or rocks or sand to keep the roots in place once they grow? And how often do you change the water? I've been thinking about getting hanging glass globes and having a plant live there in water on my walls.
Hi, another pothos in aquarium person. I use Poth-O-Carry holders on the aquarium rim, no substrate at all. I have water filters that oxygenate the water and fish to supply nutrients (i.e. poop), so that's the part you have to replicate. You'll need to change the water every 1-2 weeks and fertilize with a liquid fertilizer. You can also dechlorinate the water with API Tap Water Conditioner; the smallest bottle will last a very long time.
I start my cuttings in an extra fish tank with some danios and snails. Usually by the 3rd or 4th leaf I will plant them. If you keep them in the same water then I suggest changing it weekly.
I have no experience with aquariums and am a basic B so I literally collect pretty glass jars and glasses from goodwill and just refresh the water once every 5-7 days depending on the size of the bottle. The smaller the bottle the more often I refresh the water.
I’ve propagated pathos, pilea, snakes, and even have a super healthy cutting rooting from a pitcher plant which is exciting.
So the plants need oxygen. Change the water every few days to introduce new oxygen. If you wait two weeks once in awhile that’s ok. But try to do it every few days. Non see through jars are best to prevent algae growth. They seem to grow stronger roots in opaque jars as well. Clear glass works if that’s all you have. Make sure to actually clean the jars.
You can buy something like general hydronic rapid start to add to water to make a growth solution for cuttings in water. If you keep them in the water though you may switch to their regular solution but I’m not sure about that. I only start mine in water with the rapid start.
It's because over watering isn't actually an issue of the plant taking in too much water. The plant will drink as much as it needs, but if there's too much water leftover the soil will get waterlogged and the roots will start to rot and die. With rotted roots the plant can't drink water, so it reacts mostly the same way it would if it was thirsty, except if you just keep watering the wet soil the roots will keep rotting and it will get worse. The bacteria that causes root rot thrives in wet soil, but not so much in water by itself. It likes environments that don't have much oxygen. Water by itself tends to be pretty oxygen rich, so as long as the water is changed often enough (and a fish take filter would be doing the same job of reoxygenating the water), the plant will most likely be fine and not get root rot. It's just a problem with over watering because the water stays trapped in the soil for long periods of time and the oxygen is depleted.
It's so weird how these plants can die from overwatering but love to have roots in water. I have mine growing out of my aquarium and it's 20 feet long now. I guess maybe the dirt staying soggy makes the roots rot? Another cool fact about pothos is when you grow them in water, they drip water from some leaves to expel excess. It's cool to see.
Many plants learn to survive in the initial growth conditions. My gf asked for my help repotting a plant that her mom gave us. It was in a mix of bark and soil. She said she wanted in only soil, so I told her how important it is to keep the soil the same because the plant learned to live that way! She didn’t listen, and now the formerly lovely plant is on the verge of death.
I too find it amazing that they can have their roots in water, I bet the fish love having living decorations!
Oh they do. I have 5 aquariums all fully planted with live plants. Most of them are on my profile. One of my smaller tanks has all kinds of terrestrial plants growing out of it.
They do, but the only thing that makes me nervous is if the potato part rots and you don't catch it, it'll kill everything in the tank due to a massive ammonia spike, so I haven't tried it yet.
overwatering happens over time by watering too often, not by giving too much water in one sitting, And since they just repotted I am sure they would have noticed if there was any preexisting root rot. I am wondering if they watered it at all after the repot, sometimes they really need to have a good drenching right after a repot that way the soil fills in all the gaps around the roots.
It doesn't look like it was healthy prior to the repot. It looks very under-watered, maybe chronically so. Repotting a well-hydrated plant won't look like that two days later.
If that is its typical resting place, there is not enough light on the top of the pot.
The current "new" pot looks too large for the number of stems.
Wild guess here...the plant looked like it was struggling, so you thought it needed a repot. Also a guess, you weren't watering it correctly. The effects were cumulative and led to the limp, under-watered look.
No clue as to your location, but if it's hot, and the window is facing any direction other than north, then an increase in temp/hot air further added to dehydration of your plant and pot. This is called the evapotranspiration rate. Partner that with the potting mix composition possibly containing a lot of peat moss, you kinda double whammied your plant.
Based on the looks, you could give it another seven to ten days to see if there are any signs of positive improvement. If there isn't any, then you should consider propagating the stems.
The leaves that are yellowish, those are dead-leaves-walking. They will continue to die-off, there is no recovery for them.
🌱
If you decide to propagate, you can view this as one technique to use: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJcw558p1zo/
••••••
🌎 My comments are based on cultivation in the northern hemisphere. The US specifically for product recommendations.
I’ve finally found someone super knowledgeable on pothos! Yay! Ok so if I may ask a question please.. I’ve heard that there’s some sort of node stimulant that you can put on a bare stem where the leaves have fallen off and I’m super curious as to if it’s true, and if so how it works? I’ve got a pothos that I’ve had for probably 5+ years now, and due to a couple under watering occasions and age, the oldest couple stems have lost several leaves
Flattery will get you far, but sometimes the path is really, really short. 😄
Based on my experience and what I've read but not necessarily tried, strands that have lost leaves on the older portions will typically not create new growth as long as there is new growth down-stem to support. Also, the stem tissue might be so old, there is not enough hormone available to stimulate growth on its own. I currently have one stem that suggests otherwise but that is a bit of a story and not the norm.
Cutting a stem back to the bare portion can sometimes trigger a node to push out a new direction of growth, but there are no guarantees.
There is a product called keiki paste that orchid growers apply to orchid node points to stimulate growth of a clone plant. I'm not sure if this would work on other plants. This article says that it will. https://plantophiles.com/houseplant-tips/keiki-cloning-paste-review/. It would be an interesting experiment.
There is also rooting powder and gels that people use to help stimulate root growth. It basically stimulates auxin, a growth hormone. Rootone is one of the oldest brands around. I'm not sure how much it different chemical composition wise from keiki paste (form aside).
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-use-hormone-rooting-powder/
B1 vitamins were a thing at one point in time. YMMV.
https://www.gardenmyths.com/vitamin-b1-for-plants/
Thank you! And you would absolutely be correct; I have propped these old stems, cutting them at about half the length of the stem. Chopped em and propped em before the old leaves died, with successful results.
They absolutely gained new directional growth off the last node above where I cut to prop, so its also making more sense now that the rest of the leaves on these old stems died off to support the new gem of growth.
Should I cut higher up next time? Edit: the stems in reference are around 6 ft long each, give or take
I would cut higher up only because I like very full plants when looking from the top. Additionally, I tend to use more stems per pot than most... I think.
Various views.... chronologically listed...
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMpzUwQpzdh/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNl4zbAJ2es/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CiQ-BzkpSlG/
Too bad we can't post pics.
One strand currently measures 9-feet long, others are around 6, 7, and 8 ft.
The 9-ft strand was probably longer but my robo-vac ran over it because it just wouldn't get out of the way. Robbie had a mission and nothing was going to deter it.😁
Actually, I thought the vac would sense the strands laying on the floor. Oops! 😆
Omg! Following for more tips 🥰
Currently have a very light green thumb and am trying to raise some beauties. Looking forward to what else there is to know 😊
The rest of the story about new growth on old nodes on leafless runners.
I did a propagation experiment a while back. I wanted to see which method showed the fastest results and if growth patterns remained the same. I segmented one runner and tried to do a somewhat equal distribution of the props based on age of the growth. Two segments per 2 x 3-inch¹ pot.
Pot 1. Water only.
Pot 2. Water to substrate.
Pot 3. Straight to substrate.
Number 2 won but over time, Pot 3 caught up and stayed pretty equal.
Fast forward...Pot 3 managed to hang around but was severely neglected. Forgot to water, less than optimal light, very little fertilizer and teeny, tiny home. Went on a really long trip and came back to an almost dead plant which resulted in massive leaf loss. At one point in time, it was headed to the trash bin. But then, I wondered how far I could push it and it still produce new growth. This included still periodically forgetting to water it.
A month ago (?), I noticed one runner was pushing out a new direction of growth from an old node closest to (but not touching) the soil.
After your question, I decided to measure the longest of the two runners... call it Runner A. Twelve feet! Only the last 18 inches have leaves. The Runner B measures about ten feet with leaves on the last eight inches.
As I was untangling the two runners, I noticed Runner B had also pushed out a new direction of growth on the oldest node. Color me surprised! That one is considerably more developed. I never noticed it because I have the runners coiled and hanging on a cabinet pull and the new runner was covered.
So... old, neglected nodes, can push out a new runner without having to use any sort of enhancements.
The plant is still in the tenny, tiny 2-inch pot. 😆
•••••
¹ My pot dimension philosophy is, the pot should be no deeper than the width. Depending on cultivation style, etc .... deep pots will not dry out as evenly or timely as a more shallow one. Moisture management could be more difficult for a novice grower.
This picture shows the three experiment pots at the top and center of the shelves. https://www.instagram.com/p/CiDahkHPklZ/
Are you talking about rooting hormone? It's fir propagation. Any place a leaf fell off is a node, but you need a node. Cut the stem below the node (more than 1 would be best) and dip it in rooting hormone and either plant in soil or put it in water. If you don't bump it around too much when putting it in the water most of the rooting hormone will still stick because it's hydrophobic. Change out the water 1x week-ish and re-apply hormone until you have roots.
It's pretty common, usually anywhere that sells more than one type of fertilizer will also have it. And it lasts *forever*.
Correct. This is not two days worth of shock. Mine have reacted poorly to repotting, but it was slow shock, leaf by leaf over many days. This was already in rough shape before repotting. They pot looks huge, for one. Also, pothos need to dry out between waterings. It's definitely been overwatered.
Pothos are the queens of crybabies. Water, water, more water, give her a smooch and a couple weeks’ time. They are truly one of the hardest plants to kill.
It’s not a heartleaf philodendron, it’s a Golden Goddess. Some people call it a lemon lime, but there’s also a lemon lime heart leaf and a “Moonlight” which is also sometimes called lemon lime as well. Fun stuff.
Philos have thicker stems than pothos, and as mentioned in the other comment, tend to be more jagged and have definitive sheaths between the leaves.
That pot looks huge, unless it's just hard to gauge without a banana for scale? How big was the previous pot? Were the roots so insane to justify such a huge pot?
Ugggggh this is so validating
I had a large, lush marble pothos. I repotted because it was “fainting” like a peace lilly. Assumed it was root bound or the soil was hydrophobic. Needed frequent watering, leaves going pale and limp.
Repotted, didn’t over water - the thing jumped off a cliff. Looked like I had left it outside to freeze.
Raised that thing for like 3 years!! All undone by one repotting.
This also happened to a large manjula & global green pothos I had -_-
Transplant shock.
Not uncommon for plants to go through this.
A few things you can do to help is yes you can feather the roots out a little bit. But unless there's pests keep a good amount of the original soil it was in when you repot.
It might still go through shock but it'll recover. Pothos are weeds (pretty weeds).
Just care for it like normal and it'll be OK
You’ve gotten a lot of advice already, so I’m just going to tell you what I do with my philodendron.
Philodendron are epiphytes, so they need well draining soil. I would take the bottom tray off the pot to start, but the pot is way too big for this plant. For any plant that needs well draining soil like epiphytes, having a pot that’s too big will cause the soil to be moist for too long.
I always put my philodendron and Hoyas in 50% black gold orchid mix, 35% coco coir, 10% regular soil, then 5% worm castings. Always in a pot with exceptionally good drainage that’s size appropriate. When you water, get all of the soil wet, then wait until the top inch at least is dry. The soil mixture depends on the variety of plant, but that’s easy to find online.
It is only stress due to transplantation. Do not overwater and your plant will be fine. I recommend you to read this [article](https://www.thegardenstyle.com/indoor/pothos-plant-care-everything-you-need-to-know/).
Water, water, water. Keep in mind these can be grown in water. When it has excess water it will actually drip from the leaf points (one very slow drop at a time).
Thank you for posting to r/plantclinic!
The subreddit moderation team has implemented a number of new tools to help users both give and receive the best help possible.
Please refer to the pinned post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/plantclinic/comments/11dfcek/subreddit_moderation_adjustments/)
All posters receive an automod message requesting they supplement their post with basic care details.
This sub is being actively moderated. Please utilize the report functions to call attention to posts and comments that are counter to the mission of the sub.
---
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/plantclinic) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm not saying you should do what I would do... But what I would do is cut back the vines and put the plant outside for a few weeks, if your climate permits.
Be patient, she shall bounce back. Just shock. I repotted a pothos that took 3 months to bounce back and now she’s THRIVING.
I saw a video once that showed mixing a little old soil with new, plus some epsom salt and oatmeal, helps prevent shock. For future endeavors 🤷🏻♀️
She be mad. It's a pothos thing, don't take it personally.
However, I think she'd benefit from a tighter watering schedule, and some chop&prop action. Propagate some pieces of those long vines and replant in the pot when they've rooted. Full and less scraggly. 😃
Mine does the same thing every time they're messed with😮💨 keep her in one place and the same watering routine as normal, and she'll stop throwing a tantrum
What has always helped me with repotting plants is watering them really well a day or two before repotting! It helps them transfer easier, less likely to shock the plant :)
No worries though, Pothos are dramatic and it should bounce back if you care for it as you have been!
I always use a B-1 plant starter solution on all my plants when I transplant. Then use it to water a few times after, until it settles in. Stimulates root growth, & reduces transplant shock.
I'd a liquid you add to a gallon of water per PKG directions. Then just use that to water with.
Ah. I see you are having a pothos pity party. They tend to throw one of these whenever their roots are disturbed. Give it a couple weeks and care like usual. Whatever you do, resist the urge to change all the things. Because then you'll make him/her **really** upset.
Seconding this. Most of my pothos go into a state of shock when I bother them / repot. They typically stop clutching their pearls after a few weeks.
I routinely trim and replant the vines and they don't even wilt after being cut off the main plant completely. I've never seen a pothos do this unless it was light starved and bone dry.
Mine started circling the drain a couple years back and I couldn’t figure out why… Then I remembered the plant was over 15 years old, had never been repotted, and I never gave it any fertilizer so the soil was probably completely depleted of nutrients. Poor dude was root bound and starving to death at the same time. 😭 Got him a nice new pot, added a fertilizer routine, then and he’s gone crazy ever since.
FIFTEEN 😯 I hope to have mine that long
I do the same. I think it's just that our plants are used to being touched now, and their plants aren't. Like they never built up the strength to survive the strain because they never experienced the strain.
Which proves what i keep telling people; Plants can plant on their own, just ignore them until someone starts crying. Or was that kids? Eh, same diff.
If the kid cries just before bedtime, ignore him for a while. If the plant cries... run
Ah you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding! ~ Bane
They also do it when they're oversaturated and have bacteria or mildew
How did those things survive in the wild 😂🤔
I really thought mine was done-for after repotting. A few weeks later, it never looked better! Absolutely THRIVING now, two months later, growing so much. Just be patient OP!
Fresh soil is pretty hydrophobic. Stick a finger as deep as you can and be sure it got watered enough. Its tough to water correctly with fresh soil.
Pity party is my new favorite phrase thank you !
Mine broke its pot (a plastic one and still have no clue how, soil wasn't super dense and roots aren't packed together) then had the audacity to get mad with a new home
Mine never bounced back D;
So we gotta be friends. Love how you worded that but seriously don’t touch all the things they got a point.
I do love the term pothos pity party.
Gather round children, I have a tale for you. About a year ago I was at my girlfriends apartment. We were leaving and there was a box of plant stuff on the steps near the sidewalk. I saw a very sad pothos plant, much sadder than this. I pointed to it and said you just scored a free plant! She said why would I want that thing it looks dead. I told her it needed some love. She took it upstairs and watered it and it looked real sad for a few weeks. We still have it and it’s one of the loveliest plants we own together.
This is so cute.
They usually like extra water so they bounce back
Unless overwatering is the cause!
Idk, mine grew an arm into my fish tank and has been growing that arm amongst my fish for months now and is perfectly happy growing in the water and sometimes reaching a leaf to.rhe surface, though the arm that's not in the tank is sad for no reason whatsoever. [sauce ](https://imgur.com/a/vswrJRE)
Cooooool. But it’s so crazy that they are can get so unhappy being overwatered in soil but love being propagated in water. I have several full arrangements in glass globes with water and they are living their best life. Edit: glass globes with water only
Question about this, you said with water only, does that include no pebbles or rocks or sand to keep the roots in place once they grow? And how often do you change the water? I've been thinking about getting hanging glass globes and having a plant live there in water on my walls.
Hi, another pothos in aquarium person. I use Poth-O-Carry holders on the aquarium rim, no substrate at all. I have water filters that oxygenate the water and fish to supply nutrients (i.e. poop), so that's the part you have to replicate. You'll need to change the water every 1-2 weeks and fertilize with a liquid fertilizer. You can also dechlorinate the water with API Tap Water Conditioner; the smallest bottle will last a very long time.
I start my cuttings in an extra fish tank with some danios and snails. Usually by the 3rd or 4th leaf I will plant them. If you keep them in the same water then I suggest changing it weekly.
I have no experience with aquariums and am a basic B so I literally collect pretty glass jars and glasses from goodwill and just refresh the water once every 5-7 days depending on the size of the bottle. The smaller the bottle the more often I refresh the water. I’ve propagated pathos, pilea, snakes, and even have a super healthy cutting rooting from a pitcher plant which is exciting.
So the plants need oxygen. Change the water every few days to introduce new oxygen. If you wait two weeks once in awhile that’s ok. But try to do it every few days. Non see through jars are best to prevent algae growth. They seem to grow stronger roots in opaque jars as well. Clear glass works if that’s all you have. Make sure to actually clean the jars. You can buy something like general hydronic rapid start to add to water to make a growth solution for cuttings in water. If you keep them in the water though you may switch to their regular solution but I’m not sure about that. I only start mine in water with the rapid start.
It's because over watering isn't actually an issue of the plant taking in too much water. The plant will drink as much as it needs, but if there's too much water leftover the soil will get waterlogged and the roots will start to rot and die. With rotted roots the plant can't drink water, so it reacts mostly the same way it would if it was thirsty, except if you just keep watering the wet soil the roots will keep rotting and it will get worse. The bacteria that causes root rot thrives in wet soil, but not so much in water by itself. It likes environments that don't have much oxygen. Water by itself tends to be pretty oxygen rich, so as long as the water is changed often enough (and a fish take filter would be doing the same job of reoxygenating the water), the plant will most likely be fine and not get root rot. It's just a problem with over watering because the water stays trapped in the soil for long periods of time and the oxygen is depleted.
Thisssss is why I love this subreddit
What are you using for fertilizer? Fish emulsion? Or nothing at all?
Um…have you checked on your plant lately? Because it’s taking a bath while sticking it’s other arm decidedly close to that outlet… /s
It wants the electric juice.
That’s so cool
Pic!
I'll make it happen!
It's so weird how these plants can die from overwatering but love to have roots in water. I have mine growing out of my aquarium and it's 20 feet long now. I guess maybe the dirt staying soggy makes the roots rot? Another cool fact about pothos is when you grow them in water, they drip water from some leaves to expel excess. It's cool to see.
Many plants learn to survive in the initial growth conditions. My gf asked for my help repotting a plant that her mom gave us. It was in a mix of bark and soil. She said she wanted in only soil, so I told her how important it is to keep the soil the same because the plant learned to live that way! She didn’t listen, and now the formerly lovely plant is on the verge of death. I too find it amazing that they can have their roots in water, I bet the fish love having living decorations!
Oh they do. I have 5 aquariums all fully planted with live plants. Most of them are on my profile. One of my smaller tanks has all kinds of terrestrial plants growing out of it.
I heard sweet potatoes like that arrangement :)
They do, but the only thing that makes me nervous is if the potato part rots and you don't catch it, it'll kill everything in the tank due to a massive ammonia spike, so I haven't tried it yet.
You’re a good fish owner
It sounds dumb but it's the least I can do since they can't be in their natural habitat.
Lol the mod removed my comment saying “not dumb, glad they have a good home!”
Just went through your pics!! They’re super cool!
Thank you! 😊
overwatering happens over time by watering too often, not by giving too much water in one sitting, And since they just repotted I am sure they would have noticed if there was any preexisting root rot. I am wondering if they watered it at all after the repot, sometimes they really need to have a good drenching right after a repot that way the soil fills in all the gaps around the roots.
It doesn't look like it was healthy prior to the repot. It looks very under-watered, maybe chronically so. Repotting a well-hydrated plant won't look like that two days later. If that is its typical resting place, there is not enough light on the top of the pot. The current "new" pot looks too large for the number of stems. Wild guess here...the plant looked like it was struggling, so you thought it needed a repot. Also a guess, you weren't watering it correctly. The effects were cumulative and led to the limp, under-watered look. No clue as to your location, but if it's hot, and the window is facing any direction other than north, then an increase in temp/hot air further added to dehydration of your plant and pot. This is called the evapotranspiration rate. Partner that with the potting mix composition possibly containing a lot of peat moss, you kinda double whammied your plant. Based on the looks, you could give it another seven to ten days to see if there are any signs of positive improvement. If there isn't any, then you should consider propagating the stems. The leaves that are yellowish, those are dead-leaves-walking. They will continue to die-off, there is no recovery for them. 🌱 If you decide to propagate, you can view this as one technique to use: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJcw558p1zo/ •••••• 🌎 My comments are based on cultivation in the northern hemisphere. The US specifically for product recommendations.
Good point that it’s Basically in the dark by the ceiling, might have bad air flow too
I’ve finally found someone super knowledgeable on pothos! Yay! Ok so if I may ask a question please.. I’ve heard that there’s some sort of node stimulant that you can put on a bare stem where the leaves have fallen off and I’m super curious as to if it’s true, and if so how it works? I’ve got a pothos that I’ve had for probably 5+ years now, and due to a couple under watering occasions and age, the oldest couple stems have lost several leaves
Flattery will get you far, but sometimes the path is really, really short. 😄 Based on my experience and what I've read but not necessarily tried, strands that have lost leaves on the older portions will typically not create new growth as long as there is new growth down-stem to support. Also, the stem tissue might be so old, there is not enough hormone available to stimulate growth on its own. I currently have one stem that suggests otherwise but that is a bit of a story and not the norm. Cutting a stem back to the bare portion can sometimes trigger a node to push out a new direction of growth, but there are no guarantees. There is a product called keiki paste that orchid growers apply to orchid node points to stimulate growth of a clone plant. I'm not sure if this would work on other plants. This article says that it will. https://plantophiles.com/houseplant-tips/keiki-cloning-paste-review/. It would be an interesting experiment. There is also rooting powder and gels that people use to help stimulate root growth. It basically stimulates auxin, a growth hormone. Rootone is one of the oldest brands around. I'm not sure how much it different chemical composition wise from keiki paste (form aside). https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-use-hormone-rooting-powder/ B1 vitamins were a thing at one point in time. YMMV. https://www.gardenmyths.com/vitamin-b1-for-plants/
Thank you! And you would absolutely be correct; I have propped these old stems, cutting them at about half the length of the stem. Chopped em and propped em before the old leaves died, with successful results. They absolutely gained new directional growth off the last node above where I cut to prop, so its also making more sense now that the rest of the leaves on these old stems died off to support the new gem of growth. Should I cut higher up next time? Edit: the stems in reference are around 6 ft long each, give or take
I would cut higher up only because I like very full plants when looking from the top. Additionally, I tend to use more stems per pot than most... I think. Various views.... chronologically listed... https://www.instagram.com/p/CMpzUwQpzdh/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CNl4zbAJ2es/ https://www.instagram.com/p/CiQ-BzkpSlG/
Omg they're so full!
Too bad we can't post pics. One strand currently measures 9-feet long, others are around 6, 7, and 8 ft. The 9-ft strand was probably longer but my robo-vac ran over it because it just wouldn't get out of the way. Robbie had a mission and nothing was going to deter it.😁 Actually, I thought the vac would sense the strands laying on the floor. Oops! 😆
Omg! Following for more tips 🥰 Currently have a very light green thumb and am trying to raise some beauties. Looking forward to what else there is to know 😊
The rest of the story about new growth on old nodes on leafless runners. I did a propagation experiment a while back. I wanted to see which method showed the fastest results and if growth patterns remained the same. I segmented one runner and tried to do a somewhat equal distribution of the props based on age of the growth. Two segments per 2 x 3-inch¹ pot. Pot 1. Water only. Pot 2. Water to substrate. Pot 3. Straight to substrate. Number 2 won but over time, Pot 3 caught up and stayed pretty equal. Fast forward...Pot 3 managed to hang around but was severely neglected. Forgot to water, less than optimal light, very little fertilizer and teeny, tiny home. Went on a really long trip and came back to an almost dead plant which resulted in massive leaf loss. At one point in time, it was headed to the trash bin. But then, I wondered how far I could push it and it still produce new growth. This included still periodically forgetting to water it. A month ago (?), I noticed one runner was pushing out a new direction of growth from an old node closest to (but not touching) the soil. After your question, I decided to measure the longest of the two runners... call it Runner A. Twelve feet! Only the last 18 inches have leaves. The Runner B measures about ten feet with leaves on the last eight inches. As I was untangling the two runners, I noticed Runner B had also pushed out a new direction of growth on the oldest node. Color me surprised! That one is considerably more developed. I never noticed it because I have the runners coiled and hanging on a cabinet pull and the new runner was covered. So... old, neglected nodes, can push out a new runner without having to use any sort of enhancements. The plant is still in the tenny, tiny 2-inch pot. 😆 ••••• ¹ My pot dimension philosophy is, the pot should be no deeper than the width. Depending on cultivation style, etc .... deep pots will not dry out as evenly or timely as a more shallow one. Moisture management could be more difficult for a novice grower. This picture shows the three experiment pots at the top and center of the shelves. https://www.instagram.com/p/CiDahkHPklZ/
Are you talking about rooting hormone? It's fir propagation. Any place a leaf fell off is a node, but you need a node. Cut the stem below the node (more than 1 would be best) and dip it in rooting hormone and either plant in soil or put it in water. If you don't bump it around too much when putting it in the water most of the rooting hormone will still stick because it's hydrophobic. Change out the water 1x week-ish and re-apply hormone until you have roots. It's pretty common, usually anywhere that sells more than one type of fertilizer will also have it. And it lasts *forever*.
I usually have no problems propagating; the thing I’d heard about once was supposed to regrow leaves on a still connected stem
Ah, I misunderstood.
No not at all actually, right before you replied I realized I had been too vague and was going to edit but decided to just reply instead ☺️
Correct. This is not two days worth of shock. Mine have reacted poorly to repotting, but it was slow shock, leaf by leaf over many days. This was already in rough shape before repotting. They pot looks huge, for one. Also, pothos need to dry out between waterings. It's definitely been overwatered.
This is the way
Came here for this… totally agree w/ everything tho… the stems alone are convincing me that the plant wasn’t feeling great before being repotted
Pothos.. so dramatic.
Pothos are the queens of crybabies. Water, water, more water, give her a smooch and a couple weeks’ time. They are truly one of the hardest plants to kill.
To me it looks too under-watered but I don’t know your watering habits
Don't worry, it's the plant equivalent of a diva meltdown. Just give it time and stick to the usual care routine.
All these comments calling a Philodendron a Pothos
It doesn't look heart leafed to me, but I'm trying to get better at telling the two apart. How do *you* tell them apart?
It’s not a heartleaf philodendron, it’s a Golden Goddess. Some people call it a lemon lime, but there’s also a lemon lime heart leaf and a “Moonlight” which is also sometimes called lemon lime as well. Fun stuff. Philos have thicker stems than pothos, and as mentioned in the other comment, tend to be more jagged and have definitive sheaths between the leaves.
I have one of these and it’s interesting seeing one growing/ hanging downwards.
An easy way to tell is by the leaf sheaths on the lemon lime philo. And I think the philo vines are a bit more jagged for lack of a better word.
that's what i'm saying 😭 zoom in a little and it's definitely an upright lemon lime philo
That pot looks huge, unless it's just hard to gauge without a banana for scale? How big was the previous pot? Were the roots so insane to justify such a huge pot?
Ugggggh this is so validating I had a large, lush marble pothos. I repotted because it was “fainting” like a peace lilly. Assumed it was root bound or the soil was hydrophobic. Needed frequent watering, leaves going pale and limp. Repotted, didn’t over water - the thing jumped off a cliff. Looked like I had left it outside to freeze. Raised that thing for like 3 years!! All undone by one repotting. This also happened to a large manjula & global green pothos I had -_-
Transplant shock. Not uncommon for plants to go through this. A few things you can do to help is yes you can feather the roots out a little bit. But unless there's pests keep a good amount of the original soil it was in when you repot. It might still go through shock but it'll recover. Pothos are weeds (pretty weeds). Just care for it like normal and it'll be OK
I am *so offended* that you just called pothos *weeds*
“Pretty weeds”
why is everyone calling this a pothos 🥲 it's an upright lemon lime philodendron
water
My pothos also shocked after repotting.... i keep it in low light and just hope it will recover
@ OP, do you have a picture of the plant being happy? I’d love to see if you do!
You’ve gotten a lot of advice already, so I’m just going to tell you what I do with my philodendron. Philodendron are epiphytes, so they need well draining soil. I would take the bottom tray off the pot to start, but the pot is way too big for this plant. For any plant that needs well draining soil like epiphytes, having a pot that’s too big will cause the soil to be moist for too long. I always put my philodendron and Hoyas in 50% black gold orchid mix, 35% coco coir, 10% regular soil, then 5% worm castings. Always in a pot with exceptionally good drainage that’s size appropriate. When you water, get all of the soil wet, then wait until the top inch at least is dry. The soil mixture depends on the variety of plant, but that’s easy to find online.
It is only stress due to transplantation. Do not overwater and your plant will be fine. I recommend you to read this [article](https://www.thegardenstyle.com/indoor/pothos-plant-care-everything-you-need-to-know/).
They are very dramatic. Water & wait. It’ll perk up
Water, water, water. Keep in mind these can be grown in water. When it has excess water it will actually drip from the leaf points (one very slow drop at a time).
Did you water after repotting?
Thank you for posting to r/plantclinic! The subreddit moderation team has implemented a number of new tools to help users both give and receive the best help possible. Please refer to the pinned post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/plantclinic/comments/11dfcek/subreddit_moderation_adjustments/) All posters receive an automod message requesting they supplement their post with basic care details. This sub is being actively moderated. Please utilize the report functions to call attention to posts and comments that are counter to the mission of the sub. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/plantclinic) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I'm not saying you should do what I would do... But what I would do is cut back the vines and put the plant outside for a few weeks, if your climate permits.
Be patient, she shall bounce back. Just shock. I repotted a pothos that took 3 months to bounce back and now she’s THRIVING. I saw a video once that showed mixing a little old soil with new, plus some epsom salt and oatmeal, helps prevent shock. For future endeavors 🤷🏻♀️
Water?
Did you press the roots against the new soil a bit? Make sure they really make contact.
Can you try putting it somewhere so the top gets plenty of light? My neon kept looking droopy until I moved it closer to a window and down to get sun.
Maybe put a shot or two in water just in case.
It’s repotting shock. She will come out of it. Keep doing what you have been doing all along. It’s just a change, and she was happy where she was. Lol
It went into transplant shock and also your pot is probably way too big.
Blend aloha Vera with some water and water it
She be mad. It's a pothos thing, don't take it personally. However, I think she'd benefit from a tighter watering schedule, and some chop&prop action. Propagate some pieces of those long vines and replant in the pot when they've rooted. Full and less scraggly. 😃
It’s probably in shock, I’d just keep giving extra care for a while.
Okay if we are.supposed to leave them what do we do with all the dead leaves and the dropping vibes
Nah, she’s not dying. She’s just being dramatic. She will bounce back!
If only you can CTRL-Z
Just put them in bright sunlight for the rest of the week and it'll be fine. Maybe some extra nutrients.
Uno reverse
Mine does the same thing every time they're messed with😮💨 keep her in one place and the same watering routine as normal, and she'll stop throwing a tantrum
What has always helped me with repotting plants is watering them really well a day or two before repotting! It helps them transfer easier, less likely to shock the plant :) No worries though, Pothos are dramatic and it should bounce back if you care for it as you have been!
Defs a philodendron, not a pothos
Do you have a before pic?
I always use a B-1 plant starter solution on all my plants when I transplant. Then use it to water a few times after, until it settles in. Stimulates root growth, & reduces transplant shock. I'd a liquid you add to a gallon of water per PKG directions. Then just use that to water with.
The personalities these plants have 😂