Hello! I'm new to this forum and a total novice at plants. My ivy is not variegated so I guess I'm not sure if it's a golden pothos but the leaves are identical in shape. They are just solid green. I have a vase of water that I have slips in that, while potted, got long and lost lower leaves so I snipped them off. I noticed that one had attached itself to the counter top and wall with a 'pre-root'?. Also some that were in the pot (with soil) next to it had done the same as well as rooted one shoot into a second pot sitting next to that one! My plant is taking over the house! I decided they were asking to be potted so I started the process and then realized that I had no idea what I was doing. I gently pulled the potted ivy from the upside down pot to find that it was just one massive ball of roots. Does this kind of plant get root bound? I've heard that some plants don't mind this but I have no idea about this one. There's no way I could have added these rooted slips to this massive ball. I put the project on hold while I post this and run to the store real quick. I filled a bucket with water and put the roots into the water so they don't dry out and to maybe loosen the mass. I'm not sure if this was the right thing to do but I'm shooting in the dark here. Hopefully I'll have some expedient answers before I've done too much damage. Thanks so much for your help! Shery
Welcome to GardenStew. Solid green leaves on a pothos can mean it isn't getting enough sun, but otherwise the plant is fine. Loosing leaves and becoming long and thin is also a sign of not enough sun. But I have one variegated and one solid and they are both on the same shelf in front of the same window so yours might just not be a variegated one. This is one of those plants that does better when it is pot bound. When you do have to repot it, move it to a pot that is only one size larger. You can use the rooted cuttings to start new plants to put other places or to give away. And those cuttings will live in water for years so don't worry about them being there too long. Pothos is one of the easiest plants to grow, I really don't think they can be killed cause they will take any kind of care....except maybe letting them totally dry out but they will tell you when they need to be watered by drooping. I forgot to add this link to the plant page in our database... Epipremnum pinnatum (Golden Pothos, Devil's Ivy)
Wonderful! Thank you Toni! So I guess since I've removed this from it's pot I should put it in a one size larger pot. I removed it because I figured it was the only way to get the new slips in. From what you've said it sounds like it will be okay sitting in the bucket of water until I get a larger pot for it tomorrow?
Oh, yeah. I have a couple of cuttings that have been growing in water for about 3 years and they keep getting larger.
It sounds like you may have heart-leaf Philodendron hederaceum, rather than Pothos. Care for either is about the same, so not terribly important to decide which. If you feel like adding a pic, folks should be able to tell you what it is.
This is an especially easy and forgiving plant. I don't think you could do much harm, except as Toni said, letting them completely dry out. I think they like to be "pinched" at the tips, or even just given a "haircut" to promote growth. The roots are not fragile, it won't hurt to rough them up a bit. I too grow several in water, because the ones in the pots frequently need to be cut back, and I hate to throw out the pieces. Good luck!
