How to Grow and Care Harlequin Pothos: Full Guide

Are to looking for plants that are easy to care for and look beautiful then I am Becky Decker going to introduce Harlequin pothos which are famous for their uniquely patterned leaves and trailing vines. The plant is considered good to grow by an experienced or a new beginner.

In this article, you get all the necessary details about the pothos so without wasting your time time let’s begin.

About Harlequin Pothos:

The harlequin pothos is being classified as Epipremnum aureum ‘Harlequin’ which are rare types that are native to southeast Asia. the pothos does have unused leaves that are variegated having a big portion of white and green color scattered all over the foliage.

It is being mentioned online that the Harlequin pothos are made by propagating cutting of Manjula pothos. The plants do have green leaves that are heavily variegated, having white blocks that also look the same as other variegated cultivars such as Manjula. However, the pothos consist of typical lime green and yellow patterns which are found on Manjula pothos. The Harlequin pothos are toxic to humans and animals if they are ingested just like most of the pothos varieties.

Harlequin Pothos Care:

The harlequin pothos is easy to care for although you need to provide them with basic requirements otherwise it doesn’t involve lots of responsibility. For example, it is common that the leaves of the plant will get dull or upset if you don’t water them regularly. So to make sure the plant grows happily, you need to follow the proper care and requirements:

1. Watering:

• You need to keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy is the key to watering pothos.
•  The perfect way to water the plants is to water them when the top inches of the soil are dry when you touch them.
• The soil dries after a week so make sure not to get the soil dry out completely as it starts causing the leaves of the plant to wilt and start to fall.
• Avoid the condition of overwatering the plant which will cause root rot and fungal disease.
• You need to place the plant in a pot where it consists of good drainage and need to avoid the condition of sitting the plant in standing water.
• The Harlequin pothos require more to drink water during the growing season such as spring and summer but in dormant seasons such as fall and winter, they are good to grow with minimum water. 
• I will suggest you adjust the watering schedule according to the plant need which does change with climate and potting mix conditions.

2. Light:

• The Harlequin pothos plant prefers to grow in bright indirect light.
• If you place the pot where it gets direct sunlight it will start to get scorched and damaged leaves.
• You need to place the pot where a window does have sheer curtains or place them in a shaded area.
• Noticing pothos get to turn yellow or brown which means the plant is getting too much light.
• The pothos grow perfectly in moderate light conditions.
• I will suggest you place pothos in the north-facing window and you can also provide the plant with artificial light.

3. Soil:

• The Harlequin pothos grows best in a well-draining potting mix having moisture retention.
• You need to provide the soil rich with nutrients and organic matter.
• The perfect potting mix soil is that which contains peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite in equal parts.
• The peat moss helps to keep the moisture in the soil, perlite helps in drainage and vermiculite helps in improving aeration.
• The plant will not grow well in soil that is too heavy or dense. All these conditions will lead to waterlogging and rotting roots so avoid using a mix that is too much clay.
• In order to use potting soil that is free from pests, diseases, and weed seeds, you need to sterilize soil or soilless mixes that will reduce any risk of growing unwanted diseases in your plant. 
• In the case of repotting Harlequin pothos, you need to select a container that is larger in size than the previous one so that the roots have enough space for stretching.
• The pot needs to have drainage holes that help in removing excess amounts of water from the pot easily.

4. pH:

• The plants love to grow in slightly acidic neutral soil where the pH level ranges from 6.0 to 7.0.
• In short, it should not be either too alkaline or too acidic which will be the ideal condition for growing healthy pothos.
• The pH level of the soil does affect the nutrients in the soil and if they do not have the perfect range of pH the plant will have nutrient deficiencies and clothes problems.
• To maintain the perfect range of potting mix pH levels you need to use the pH testing kit that will monitor the soil and adjust according to the need.

5. Temperature:

• The perfect growing Harlequin pothos will not be best without providing them with optimal temperature levels.
• The temperature at which the plant grows best is between 65-85°F (18-29°C).
• You need to protect the plant from cold drafts and extreme heat sources.
• The plant facing any sudden temperature changes will be shocking and damaging and will start showing symptoms such as wilting and browning of leaves. 

6. Humidity:

• The pothos love to grow in moderate to high humidity levels. 
• You need to provide them with a humidity range between 40% to 60%.
• In case the air surrounding the plant is too dry then it will start to grow brown or droopy leaves or halt growth.
• Showing any signs of adobe means you need to increase the water content present in the air which can be done by misting the plant using room-temperature water.
• Avoiding misting over as it will create a situation of rooting roots.
• Providing the plant with adequate humidity will result in a lush and vibrant plant growing in your home.

7. Fertilizing:

• While fertilizing your pothos you need to remember a few points such as a balanced, liquid-based fertilizer having an equal ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Make sure to fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season as it will be enough to grow from spring to summer.
• Avoid overfertilizing the plant as it will create harm to the plant rather than benefit them.
• I will suggest that is better to under-fertilize the plant than over-fertilizing 

Harlequin Pothos Growth Rate:

Providing the Harlequin Pothos with all essential requirements will make the plant grow up to a few feet in a single year isn’t it great? 

To grow pothos like Gangbusters you need to grow them with the right conditions such as providing them with plenty of bright, indirect light, and watering them regularly. Make sure the water doesn’t sit in the pot. 

The pothos will thrive best if you provide them with balanced fertilizer monthly that too in the growing season which will make the plant get all the nutrients and power to grow. 

Harlequin Pothos Pruning:

• To thrive plant growth you need to prune them to encourage bushier growth which will help in keeping the plant in proper shape.
• Any time for pruning the plant is considered best however the best time is when the plant starts growing yellow leaves or leggy growth which is an indication that it’s time for pruning the pothos.
• To start pruning you need to find a healthy section of stem and put a clean cut above a node which is the place having a little bump on the stem and leaves start growing. Doing this will help in encouraging new growth of sprouts from the node and thrive in bushier form.
• Keeping the cutting can be used for propagating pothos.

Repotting Harlequin Pothos:

• Separating the pothos from their parents can be scary but giving them a little room to grow is lovely.
• Repotting needs to be done every 12-18 months or if the roots of the plants start coming out of the drainage holes which is the best time to repot the plant. Need to make sure the pot is larger than the current pot which will provide the roots extra space to grow but it should not be too big as then it might suffer from root rot. 
• After potting, you need to select a potting mix and get ready to grow Harlequin Pothos. Make sure to remove the plant gently from the pot and before repotting it lose the roots and then put it in a new pot. Provide the plant with a good level and watering in starting.

Propagate Harlequin Pothos:

To propagate the  Harlequin Pothos you need to follow a few steps and be patient:

• The propagation of pothos can be done by stem cutting by cutting a section of stem for at least 6 inches long and watering it.
• The cutting will start growing roots within no time.
• Propagating can also be done by dividing the root ball but pulling roots gently and potting each section.
• For propagating the plant you don’t need any botanist or a horticulturist.

Common pests & illnesses:

There are a few common pests and illnesses the pothos could suffer if not taken care of properly such as:

• They can easily get infested by pests that you can’t even notice, like spider mites. To prevent them you need to mist the plant regularly or wipe the leaves of pothos using a damp cloth.
• The pothos can also suffer from root rot when they are kept in water and don’t have air which makes it difficult to survive. To avoid the conditions you need to plant them in a pot having proper drainage and make sure not to sit them in standing water.
• The plants also get brown spots and to avoid these situations you need to give the plant with enough air flow and make sure to keep the pothos away from direct sunlight.

Is Harlequin Pothos toxic?

The direct answer is yes but this does mean it will kill you. It’s only mildly toxic. But if you have pets in your house who like to nibble on plants then Harlequin Pothos is not the best choice for growing them at home. 

In case the pothos is an adult you need to check the plant munching tendency which will make the plant thrive best.

Harlequin Pothos vs. Manjula Pothos

There are some saying about harlequin pothos that they are variegated cultivars of Manjula pothos but there are some minor differences between them.

They Both does look the same in size and shape. But the harlequin pothos has a high level of variegation. It consists of very little offline green and yellowish hues which can be found on Manjula pothos also.

The leaves of the Manjula pothos are in a round shape when compared to the harlequin pothos.

When we talk about variegation the harlequin pothos are more variegated than Manjula pothos. 

Both of the pothos are exquisiting and growing them in your indoor space is not a wrong choice.

Final thoughts:

Growing Harlequin pothos is the best option in the case of growing plants that add some natural beauty to your home without consistent maintenance. 

The plants do have unique patterned leaves that add a great addition to the indoor space. If you follow all the proper care as mentioned above the can will thrive best with the green and vibrant color of leaves. The growing of pothos provides air purification. According to me, I will suggest you to bring the pothos to your home and add new additions.