Why Holes in Pothos Leaves? Causes And Preventions To Follow 

Are your decorative Pothos leaves getting ruined with the holes in them? Pothos or Devil’s Ivy is a gorgeous vine that makes your area attractive. 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.

Holes in pothos leaves are not a good indication for the plant. There are various causes of holes in pothos leaves. One of the major culprits is the Insect’s attack for holes in pothos leaves. Be happy to know that if you caught this issue early, then it can be recovered and pothos can be saved. During nighttime, Spraying the plant with the help of neem oil, you can eradicate the insects from your garden. 

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started to know more about the causes of holes in pothos leaves in detail. Stay connected with this guide till the end for proper understanding. 

Causes of Holes in Pothos Leaves

There are various causes of holes in pothos leaves such as Disease attacks, pest infestation, accidental damage, lack of humidity, improper care, etc. Let’s move forward to know more about the causes of holes in pothos leaves in detail. They are as follows:

• Leaf mining flies
• Accidental damage
• Too much fertilizer
• Exposure to direct sunlight
• Lack of humidity
• Improper care
• Physical mange
• Poor drainage 

Are you ready to witness these causes in detail? If yes, then follow the below causes: 

Leaf-Mining Flies

• Leaf-mining flies are one of the foremost causes of holes in pothos’ leaves. This pest is also called Liriomyza melanogaster.
• It will reside in the soil and come out of the soil during nighttime to ruin the plants. 
• They tend to cause small holes on the leaves to lay their eggs, then after hatching, the larvae spread on the elaevs. 
• They will suck the plant juice after they go from the plant. It will affect the plant’s appearance but not its health wholly. 
• If the damage is severe, then photosynthesis will be limited in the plant which will cause diseases in the plant by causing yellow leaves. 
• Remove all the damaged leaves from the plant and make use of insecticidal soap to the plant to remove these flies. 

Accidental damage

• Holes in pothos leaves ruin the plant’s appearance, is there any fault of yours in this? Of course yes, but not deliberately. 
• Sometimes when you move the plant or change the decoration of the pothos, it will cause damage to the plant leaves. 
• If you have placed the plant in a high-traffic location, then also it leads to holes in the leaves. 

Too much fertilizer

• As you know excess of everything is bad, so supplying fertilizer to the plant in excess ruins the plant’s growth. 
• Though the plant will grow rapidly, it will cause some cracks in the leaves and even holes. 
• It is more a problem than that of under-fertilization. Fertilizer contains salt which will attract the moisture of the roots which affects the plant’s growth. 

Exposure To Direct Sunlight 

• Pothos’ light needs are bright and indirect as they are native to the French Polynesian jungles. 
• The plant receives dappled filtered sunlight through the canopy of the trees which soothes the pothos. 
• Being a houseplant too, it will not grow in the effect of direct sunlight. Because it will cause sunburnt leaves with time.
• After some time, you will observe dry spots on the pothos that will form holes in the leaves.
• So, Keep in mind not to expose the plant to direct sunlight, if you have kept the plant outdoors in the garden, then put the plant on the porch, or under the tree to protect it. 

Lack Of Humidity

• Pothos plants are in love with humidity. If the humidity in your area is not suitable for the plant, it causes dry leaves in the plant. 
• If you have kept the plant near a hot air vent that blows the air, then the new leaves that emerge in the plant will tear and cause holes.
• Providing a good amount of humidity to the plants is a big task. During winters, the plant needs humidity, but not in excess.
• If the location is then make use of a humidifier or you can add a pebble tray filled with water and keep it under the pot to raise the humidity level. 

Improper care

• Every plant needs good care and maintenance to survive, the same is required by pothos. 
• If the plant does not receive proper sunlight, water, or temperature for its growth, then it results in the poor growth of the plant. 
• It will invite more pests and various diseases to the plant which directly increases the chances of holes in the leaves.
• The two major culprits are the lack of humidity and more supply of fertilizer to the plant. 
• Maintain the plant schedule in a proper way to save the pothos from destructive holes. 

Physical Damage

• Another main cause of holes in pothos leaves is physical damage. It may be caused when Sometimes when you drop the pothos.
• When the kids or pets tend to play with the plant, then it causes damage to the plant. 
• Keep in mind to keep the pothos away from the children and pets like cats, dogs, etc to save the plant. 
• This plant will do wonders in the hanging baskets or the pots (Keep the pots on the shelves). 

Poor drainage

• Poor drainage results in the holes in the pothos leaves. But why so? It is because when the plant becomes over-watered, then if the pot is not well drained, the water will be collected in the pots. 
• This will put the roots in a tough situation where they face rot and some other fungal issues. 
• It causes damage not only to the leaves but also to the whole plant with time by causing holes in the plant. 
• So, be sure while choosing the pot as it should be well-drained. Do not overwater the plant to save yur plant. 

Prevention: Best Practices To Avoid a Pothos Plant With Holes in Leaves and Remain Healthy

As you are aware the causes of holes in Pothos leaves. So about the preventive measures to avoid holes in pothos leaves so that the plant remains healthy. They are as follows:

Light: Place the pothos in bright, indirect, and light so that they grow well. Do not expose the plant to the direct sunshine. 

Temperature: The ideal level of temperature for this plant lies between 65 to 75°F indoors. If the plant is outside, then the plant requires a temperature of about 90°F. The temperature should not go below 50°F.

Humidity: As I mentioned, it is a humidity lover plan and will not tolerate less than 30% humidity. Humidifiers and pebble trays will help in raising the level of humidity in the indoor Space. Good air circulation is needed by the plants to thrive well.

Soil: A mixture of well-drained and loose soil that is mixed with sand, perlite, coir, and peat moss will make the best soil for the pothos. Choose a good-sized pot for the plant that contains a good amount of drainage holes. 

Water: Water is a vital factor that helps a plant grow. Do not overwater this plant. Water the plant only when the soil becomes fully dry. So, check the moisture of the soil by inserting a finger inside the soil about 1 to 2 inches deep and if it feels dry then only water the plant. 

Fertilizer: Fertilizer will help in the rapid growth of the plant, but it should not be in excess. Make use of the small amount of granular small-release fertilizer. Fertilizer plant after watering so that the fertilizer dilutes in the soil properly.

Dilute the fertilizer to its half strength and fertilize the plant 3 to 4 times in its growing season. Last, but not least, do not utilize the plant in the winter as the plant is in its dormant period at that time. 

Pruning: Pruning is done to maintain a healthy shape and size of the plant. Do not prune more than one-third of the plant foliage. Remove the long stems between the nodes. Also, make use of sharp and sterilized scissors. Remove all the dead and damaged leaves from the plant. 

Prevention sprays: Last, but not least, keep your plant at a safer site by spraying the plant with neem oil or any other horticultural oil after 2 to 3 weeks to keep all the diseases away from the plant.  

Summing up the Context 

In this guide, you come to know that Holes in pothos leaves are not a good indication for the plant. There are various causes of holes in pothos leaves. One of the major culprits is the Insect’s attack for holes in pothos leaves. Be happy to know that if you caught this issue early, then it can be recovered and pothos can be saved.

During nighttime, Spraying the plant with the help of neem oil, you can eradicate the insects from your garden. Read the whole guide to understand the causes of holes in pothos leaves in detail. I will come back with another informative guide soon. Till then safe gardening. 

Thanks for reading! Happy Gardening! 

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