Last Updated on December 4, 2022 by Plant Mom Care
Neon Pothos is a popular low-maintenance plant that is grown almost everywhere. It grows well indoors and brightens up any room in your home. It is characterized by heart-shaped, neon green leaves with a vining growth behavior and can reach a size of 10 feet long and 3 feet wide when grown indoors.
They easily adapt to a wide range of light settings although they like regular watering, they easily bounce back if you don’t water them every once in a while. When growing indoors this plant can grow vines up to 10 feet long, so while pruning isn’t necessary you might want to prune down the vines occasionally to keep them under control.
Neon Pothos Light Requirements
It grows naturally as an understory forest plant as mentioned, this plant can adapt to different light conditions although it prefers indirect light to help its leaves stay healthy and sustain their bright color.
Too much sunlight will make the plant leggy, place it near a bright window but not in direct sun.
Neon Pothos Watering
Let 2 – 3 inches of the topsoil dry out before thoroughly watering it again. It is prone to root rot if its roots are standing in water – always ensure the plant is growing in a pot with satisfactory drainage so that the roots don’t get waterlogged.
Neon Pothos Humidity
Average household humidity is adequate for this plant, although providing it with extra humidity by a pebble tray or humidifier encourages more strong growth.
Neon Pothos Temperature
This plant grows in warm temperatures in its native environment making it well-suited to grow indoors. Temperatures between 55 – 90°F will keep it happy and healthy.
Neon Pothos Soil
Overall, this plant isn’t picky when it comes to what kind of soil it grows in as long as it is loamy and moist but also drains well.
Regular potting soil is good enough for this low-maintenance plant or if you want you could create a slightly airier mix by combining 1 part each of potting soil, orchid bark, and perlite for a nice organic mix that the plant will love.
Neon Pothos Repotting
Fast-growing plants like this one have to be repotted regularly every year to give the roots more space to stay healthy and growing. If the plant becomes root-bound without repotting, the roots will spread around the inside of the pot becoming more tangled and will affect its health.
In addition, the soil can become compacted preventing the roots from absorbing nutrients and water. Compacted soil also doesn’t drain well, so it will retain water for too long. This will lead to problems caused by both root rot and dryness.
Invert the pot or tip it on its side and gradually work the plant out and untangle the roots carefully just don’t yank the plant out or some stems might be damaged.
Place 1 – 2 inches of potting mix in a clean and slightly larger pot, place the plant standing straight in the pot adding more soil mix along the sides to fill any gaps. Leave around 2 inches between the topsoil and the rim of the pot.
Water the plant until excess water runs out of the bottom. The soil might settle, so add a little more soil to the top.
Neon Pothos Propagation
This plant is easy to propagate from stem cuttings. This is also a neat way to reuse cuttings that you took when pruning the plant and could help create a denser plant by planting them back next to the original plant.
Take 6 – 7” cuttings from a healthy stem with at least 4-5 nodes each, remove any lower leaves leaving 2 leaves on top of the cuttings.
Insert the cuttings in a small plastic or glass container of water and make sure the exposed nodes on the cuttings are submerged, keeping the leaves above the water. Keep the container in a location with medium or bright indirect light and change the water weekly to keep it fresh.
Roots will begin forming in a week or so once the roots are about 1 inch long, the cuttings can be transplanted into a suitable soil mix. Keep the soil constantly moistened for 1 – 2 weeks until the roots acclimatize.
After about 2 weeks establish your regular watering schedule and they can be cared for as new plants.
Additional Care
Fertilizer is not needed particularly if the soil is rich in organic matter, but regular feeding during the growing period helps encourage strong and healthy growth. A diluted balanced fertilizer can be applied once every month from spring to summer.
Neon Pothos Common Problems
This plant is seldom bothered by any particular pests or disease however some common pests can become an issue if the plant gets infected. Sap-sucking pests such as scale, mealybugs, fungus gnats, and spider mites are some common pests that can affect this plant.
This low-maintenance plant is generally problem-free, but improper lighting and watering can result in a few problems sometimes over-watering or compacted soil can lead to root rot, an ailment that starts in the roots but can move upwards, causing discoloration on the stems and leaves, ultimately killing the plant.
Mild cases of root rot can be treated by scaling back watering and using a Root Supplement to heal the roots but if the rot is severe or due to compacted soil, repotting the plant is the best solution. Remove the plant and rinse the roots thoroughly removing rotted portions and repot the plant into fresh well-draining soil.
Drooping leaves are an indication that the plant is thirsty and needs watering. Under watering or very arid conditions can make the leaf tips turn brown. Water the plant more frequently and move the plant if it is near any drafty windows or vents.
If the plant starts looking straggly or leggy with long vines and very few leaves, this indicates that it needs more light try moving it to a brighter location.
Types of Pothos Plants
Does Neon Pothos grow fast?
Under optimum growing settings the plant can grow almost 12” every month. If it grows indoors some judicious pruning might be necessary to keep it looking neat.
Should I mist Neon Pothos?
This plant can benefit from regular misting to increase humidity particularly in hot summers, this helps provide water to the plant by the leaves and also gives you an alternative to feeding the plant with fertilizer.
Does Pothos like bathrooms?
Yes, since this plant is tolerant of different lighting conditions, it’s the ideal plant to grow on a bathroom counter or shelf. While it doesn’t need extra humidity, its tolerance to lower light conditions and irregular watering makes it perfect to add some color to your bathroom.