Leggy Pothos: 5+ Causes of Leggy Pothos And How to Fix Them

Are you looking to add positive vibes, more productivity, and less stress to your area? Add beautiful pothos to your collection. Sometimes, leggy pothos develop in the plant because of the lack of sunlight and other main reasons. Hey folks! I’m Anna Scott, a Gardener by heart and Profession, started my Journey 15 years ago and Now I am teaching other gardeners as well to achieve their goals.

Pothos plants are even famous by another name, Devil’s ivy and belong to the Arum family. It is grown in almost everyone’s yard. Briefing on it, pothos is described as an evergreen plant with a thick and waxy texture. Its leaves are heart-shaped with thin layers of yellow color. Lack of sunlight plays an important role in the leggy pothos. Other causes can be temperature issues, over-fertilization of plants, pot size, and many more explained in this guide. 

So, what are you waiting for? Are you ready to know why there are leggy pothos? If yes, then stay connected with this guide till the end for proper understanding. 

What is Leggy Pothos?

Leggy pothos contain long vines with fewer leaves on the plant. It will not produce new leaves in the plant. Rather the plant focuses on developing long stems in the plant. This process of putting the growth in extending the length is known as Etiolation. 

This is a form of growth which is not normal for the plant. It shows that the plant is not meeting its basic requirements to grow healthy. Being a fast-growing plant, leggy pothos can be easily fixed. So, need not worry as I am here with the causes of leggy pothos so that you can fix the plant. 

Causes of Leggy Pothos

Leggy Pothos shows the stressed plant in your home garden. This plant will continue to grow till the end. But sometimes the plant does not meet its basic requirements to grow healthy in your area. In return, this plant faces various issues. So, let’s move forward to learn about the causes of leggy pothos to fix them as early as possible. They are as follows: 

1. Not getting enough light
2. Receiving too much fertilizer
3. Wants to climb
4. Pot size
5. Temperature issues 

Let’s throw some light on all the segments to fix the issue. 

Not Getting Enough Light

• The first cause of leggy pothos is that the plant is not getting enough light. Pothos likes to grow in bright indirect sunlight. 
• When the plant grows in the shaded location, it will produce long vines to search for sunlight. 
• The plant will not have sufficient energy to grow stems and leaves in the plant because of lack of sunlight. 
• It results in the space between each leaf node that will grow wider and the vines will become thinner. 
• Leaves will begin to become small and have a pale color. This is a process of Etiolation which shows the plant is not growing happily. 

Receiving Too Much Fertilizer

• Another cause of leggy pothos is the excess supply of fertilizers to the plant. 
• It will stimulate the fast growth of sprouts. Plants will make use of more nutrients to grow long vines. 
• The space between the growth nodes will be stretched in this process. The new leaves coming into the plant will have a restricted look. 
• Sometimes, there will be no leaves that will grow from the nodes which ultimately results in the bare vines. 

Wants To Climb

• The Pothos plant is a natural climber. Usually, they use the aerial roots to tie themselves to the tree trunks and then climb on the canopy because there they receive a good amount of sunlight.  
• Photos will begin to produce long vines to find support to climb on if the plant does not receive good support to grow. 
• After a few years, it produces long, bare stems and looks leggy. Few varieties of pothos become leggy than others.
• If the plant does not receive sufficient support, then it affects the foliage in the plant. 
• Satin pothos tend to grow small leaves in the plant and other species of pothos will lose the fenestrations.  

Pot Size

• Pothos likes to be repotted to grow healthy. It is a great way to remove the leggy pothos. 
• When there is root bound, then the pothos will grow best. 
• Pothos will spread in the pot if there is good space for the plant to grow. It eventually results in the vines but with no leaves. 

Temperature Issues 

• Last but not least, temperature issues are another cause of leggy pothos. 
• Pothos like to grow in hot and humid conditions. Heatwaves will give a boost to the plant and produce long vines. 
• So, it is important to keep the temperature proper for the plant. It shows that the pothos is overheating. 

How to Fix Leggy Pothos? 

Trimming Leggy Pothos plant

• One of the best ways to fix the leggy pothos is to trim the leggy pothos plant as early as you can. 
• Deal with the plant by cutting the vines to thicken the plant. It is easy to make the cuttings of this plant. 
• It means that the cutting is planted in the same container as the mother plant. It will make the pothos plant fuller. 
• When the parent plant is already in good shape, then keep the trimmings away from the plant and use them to make another new plant. 

Propagate Pothos Cuttings

It is suggested to propagate pothos cuttings to fix the leggy pothos in the plant. For this, you need clean and sterilized scissors or shears and a vessel of water. 

Step 1 

The foremost thing to do is to see the vines that you have to remove. I suggest to cut through the growing point. Choose the node that has two to three nodes on that cutting. 

Step 2

After that, keep the new cutting in a container. Remove all the leaves from the bottom node. Let the aerial root on the bottom node wet as it will promote the development of the root. Glass vessels will be good to use as they will stimulate growth. 

Step 3

Then, keep the vessel in any warm location with a good amount of bright indirect sunlight. After a week, new growth will be emerging that depends on the variety you have grown. Keep checking the water regularly and when it becomes green, then change it. 

Step 4

Last but not least, another step is the time to plant the cuttings when they have sprouted about 2-3 inches long. 

Use a spoon to make a small hole for the cutting if you want to replant them in the same container. Keep in mind to plan that cutting gently by covering the root.

Water the plant well and after a few weeks, new leaves will have emerged in the plant. 

Using the Proper Pot Size

• At the time of repotting, choose a pot that is about 2-3 inches bigger than the current pot, it will stretch out the plant’s legs.  
• These plants grow well when they become rootbound. Repot the plant after every 2-3 years if the plant becomes large. 
• Make use of fresh soil mix for the plant without harming the plant. 
• Pothos will not grow in the wet soil, so choose a pot that has a good amount of drainage holes, so that the excess water flows out from the plant. 

Repotting with the Correct Soil

• If you have chosen the right pot, then another thing to see if you are choosing the right soil for your plant. 
• Pothos likes to grow in the light and chunky soil mix that is well drained. 
• Soil that holds moisture will restrict the plant’s growth and it also leads to various problems. 
• Make your soil mix by mixing one part of orchid mix, one part of perlite, one part of coco coir, and one part of potting mix. 
• Coco coir will help in keeping the roots moist, orchid bark will keep the structure good. 
• Pinch the tips of the vines to keep them in control. It will stimulate the growth of new leaves in the plant. 

Give Enough Light

• Provide a good amount of low sunlight to the plant. But leggy pothos show the plant needs more sunlight. 
• So, provide more sunlight to those species who need it. 

Wrapping up the Context 

In this guide, you come to know that Pothos plants are even famous by another name, Devil’s ivy, and belong to the Arum family. It is grown in almost everyone’s yard. Briefing on it, pothos is described as an evergreen plant with a thick and waxy texture. Its leaves are heart-shaped with thin layers of yellow color. Lack of sunlight plays an important role in the leggy pothos. Other causes can be temperature issues, over-fertilization of plants, pot size, and many more explained in this guide. 

Leggy pothos contain long vines with fewer leaves on the plant. It will not produce new leaves in the plant. Rather the plant focuses on developing long stems in the plant. This process of putting the growth in extending the length is known as Etiolation. So, read the whole guide fo rit proper understanding. I will come back with another informative guide for you soon. Till then safe gardening. 

Thanks for reading! Happy Gardening! 

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