Question
Plantie the Pothos
Hi, I have an old Pothos plant (cut from my grandmother's wedding plant, 70+ years old). The plant has been slowly dying over the last three years or so. I re-potted it and its never been the same. The plant grows many new stems that are very skinny, then two or three small leaves grow out of the very tips of these stems, then the leaves wither and fall off. As you can see in the picture, most of the stems have these small leaves just at the tips, the rest of the stem is bare. The plant means a lot to me and I dearly wish to save it. "Plantie" sits in a window with southern exposure all day, with lots of light. Its cold so I move him away from the window at night. He did get frozen one time a few winters ago but bounced back when I gave him to a friend who has an indoor greenhouse. He has about 15 stems with one "main" stem in the middle that is straighter and thicker than the rest. Used to be that he'd have several big leaves all over each stem. Right now, the plant looks very bad. I'm afraid to do anything since the re-potting fiasco nearly did him in. Since I've had this plant in my house for 20 years and have not completely killed it, I remain hopeful. I would appreciate your advice. Thank you so much.
AnswerHi Denise,
Your plant is a Dieffenbachia, not a Pothos.
My first concern is drainage holes in the bottom of the planter. If there are none, then that could be the primary cause of its languishing. If so, move the plant into a pot of comparable size, but one that has drainage holes.
Full western exposure is too much light for a Dieffenbachia, which prefers lots of bright, but indirect sun, such as you get on a north windowsill.
You are right about protecting it from cold as it is a tropical plant.
Allow the top inch of soil to dry before watering.
Your Dieffenbachia badly needs to be pruned. That is the only way to get rid of bare, leggy stems. Prune the leggiest stems back to a length of 1-2 inches. If the stems are healthy, new growth will emerge just below the pruning cut and close to the soil. After you have tried this with couple of the stems, you can the proceed to do it with some other stems. As long as the roots remain healthy eventually you will once again have a rejuvenated plant that is full and compact.
I have written articles on Dieffenbachia care and on pruning that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at
[email protected].
Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
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Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC
