One of many plants that will grow in water, pothos can live in a water-filled container for their entire life cycle. If you take care of it and give it what it needs, it will live for five to ten years.
Easy to propagate and grow, Pothos is a great plant from which you can develop new plants, easily in water.
They can remain in the glass container you start them in for their life cycle, or you can add them to soil-filled pots.
Pothos can be grown outdoors in USDA zones 10 -12, where they can be seen climbing the trunks of larger plants and adorning them with their bright green, heart-shaped, striated leaves.
In places with cooler climates, pothos does quite well as an indoor plant. Or, they can be set outside in warmer weather, then brought in when the temperatures begin to drop.
Whether you grow Pothos in water or soil, these lovely plants need to be part of your décor.
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How long can pothos live in water?
The life span of a pothos is 5-10 years. It can live in water for the same amount of time, 5-10 years. The challenge is to keep it alive for such a long time. Pothos needs to be fertilized, will need water changes, and needs to be kept from getting a fungus or other life-threatening microorganisms.
How to Keep your Pothos Healthy
Like you and I, a healthy plant is less likely to fall prey to illness. Keeping your plants healthy is the key to their longevity, and as you can see, the pothos can live quite a few years.
Keeping their containers clean, fertilizing their water, keeping them from drying out, and placing them in the right location will grow happy plants that will be with you for a long time.
Keep their containers clean
The container your pothos is growing in should have its water changed every two or three weeks.
If you see any signs of algae before it is time to clean the vessel your plant is in, immediately remove your plant, rinse its roots, and thoroughly clean the container.
Algae and other microorganisms can kill your pothos if you are not paying attention to them, or even if you are.
Fungal infections can show up as brown spots on the leaves of your plant, indicating infection.
The leaves of pothos grown in soil can turn brown if the plant is overwatered. Therefore, several things can sicken your pothos plants.
And that includes mealybugs who think pothos are mighty tasty, and they will also cause the leaves to be brown in spots.
These annoying critters are light green, or pink, to yellow, and they lay eggs that look like little balls of cotton.
If you see signs of mealybugs on your pothos, correct them right away, as an infestation of these little pests can kill your plants.
Add Fertilizers Sparingly
Overfertilizing your plant will cause the extra nutrients to become toxic to the plant. Too much of a good thing here is terrible, as the plants can die quite rapidly.
Your pothos needs to be fertilized every four to six weeks. However, because you are growing your plants in water, you do not need as much fertilizer.
Due to the fact, your plant is in a closed environment, you do not get the leaching of fertilizer that you would if the plant were in the soil.
So, add fertilizer sparingly and use a liquid product formulated for your plant and growing style, if possible.
Do not Let your Plants Dry Out
When grown in soil, pothos needs proper drainage to prevent root rot. Not so when growing in water, and you can potentially have that opposite problem.
If you do not maintain a proper water level when growing pothos in water, the roots can dry out; this will stress your plant.
If the problem is not corrected, your plant could wither up and fade away.
Place your Pothos in a Place it will Thrive
Your pothos plant likes both bright indirect sunlight and does well in low light conditions. However, when grown in low light, the colors of the plant are not quite as vivid.
Pothos are great for placing in restrooms and rooms without much light because they can live there while many other plants cannot.
In addition, the greenery around the home or in your office adds a lot to their décor.
Easy to grow and easy to keep, golden pothos and the other plant variants work well for beginning growers and those of you with years of experience.
Remember though that pothos does not like direct sun, as it can burn their leaves.
Frequently Asked Questions about How Long can Pothos Live in Water
Is pothos hard to get started in water?
Unlike when starting them in soil, it’s not hard to start your Pothos in water. You only need to cut a slip from an existing plant with two or three nodes along its length. Then, place the stem in fertilized water, being sure to cover the nodes, as that is where your plant’s roots will begin their growth.
Is pothos the only plant that will live in water?
Several houseplants grow well in water. Orchids, philodendrons, wax plants, arrowhead, and fiddle leaf figs, to name a few, can all be grown in water. Either permanently or when propagating to grow new plants to be developed in water or soil.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.