Pruning Pothos:15 Common Mistakes To Avoid

“I have a pothos that just needs trimming. I hear that they are good for indoors, but since mine is doing so well I got lazy and stopped pruning it.”

It may sound like a boring task, but pruning your pothos is one of the most important things you can do to keep it healthy and looking good. With a little pinching or hair-tie coordination, pothos just grows and grow. Without pruning, the plant can quickly become leggy with long, exposed stems. If you have a large pothos plant, pruning can help keep it tidy and under control.

There are two main types of pruning your pothos should be concerned with - hard pruning and soft pruning. Hard pruning is used to encourage new growth by cutting off the stem just above a leaf node, while soft pruning is used to remove excess growth or shape the plant.

Pothos plants (Epipremnum aureum) tend to grow quickly and can reach heights of 20 feet if they aren’t pruned regularly. I’m sure you don’t have anywhere near that amount of space, so clipping often will keep your plant from getting too big for its container.

If your plant isn’t already very large, pruning regularly will encourage branching and produce a fuller appearance.

The other reason to prune is so you don’t have a jungle in a pot. Unlike most plants that produce runners which can be easily controlled with a little pinching or hair-tie coordination, pothos just grows..

Without pruning, the plant can quickly become leggy with long, bare stems. This makes the plant less attractive and also less healthy.

Now that you know why it’s important to prune your pothos.

Choose a time when the plant isn’t flowering. This will help ensure that the flowers (if your plant produces them) are not damaged.

Pruning your pothos is an important part of keeping them healthy and looking good. 

Here are a few tips on how to do it:

1. Prune your pothos when it’s actively growing - typically in the spring and summer.

2. Make sure the plant isn’t flowering before you start pruning. This will help ensure that the flowers are not damaged.

3. Remove any dead or rotting leaves from the plant before you begin pruning to help prevent the spread of disease.

4. Use sharp clippers and cut at a 45-degree angle when you’re pruning. This will help the plant heal faster.

5. Only remove a few inches of stem at a time while pruning.

6. Be careful not to over prune your pothos, as you only need to clip off a small amount of foliage each time.

7. Keep your pruning tools clean and sharp to avoid damaging the plant.

8. Sterilize your pruning tools after use on diseased plants to prevent the spread of disease.

9. Do not let the plant become overgrown, leggy, or diseased.

10. Fertilize your pothos regularly to keep them healthy and looking good.

11. Pinch off runners when they appear on your pothos to keep it tidy and under control.”

15 Common Mistakes To Avoid While Pruning Your Pothos

1. Pruning your pothos at the wrong time

2. Not pruning your pothos often enough

3. Pruning too much of your pothos at once

4. Not clipping the stem at a 45-degree angle

5. Clipping off leaves that are not dead or rotting

6. Damaging the flowers with your pruning tools

7. Pruning branches that are too thick or brittle

8. Not cleaning your pruning tools after use

9. Using old, dull clippers or scissors

10. Failing to sterilize your pruning tools after use on diseased plants

11. Doing nothing at all with overgrown pothos plants

12. Letting the plant get too leggy

13. Pruning only the top of the plant

14. Not taking into account the size of your pothos plant

15. Cutting off more than a few inches of foliage at a time.

 It’s important to prune your pothos regularly to keep it looking its best. Follow these simple tips to make sure you’re pruning correctly: