Question
Hi Will.

In the office where I work I'm keeping a pothos plant in a 6" pot.  I'm probably watering it every 6 or 7 days.  This time of year that's how long it takes for it to dry an inch or so down.

Over the Christmas holiday, all the staff will be out for 10 or 11 days.  Should I take the plant home to care for it while we're off work, or do you think it would be ok to leave it where it is and give it a good soaking when I come back?

The maintenance person told me that he keeps the building at 55 degrees during the break and all the flourescent lights stay on.  The plant sits maybe 5 feet below the lighting and about 8 or 10 feet away from a south facing window.

Answer
Hi Amanda,

I care for over a thousand office plants and I run into the same problem over the holidays and when I need to take a week's vacation.

If you let your Pothos go for 10-11 days without water, it will probably survive, but it will also probably wilt and lose quite a few leaves.

I suggest that you set your Pothos in a saucer or dish large enough to hold about the same amount of water that you add to the soil each 6-7 days. Just before you leave, water your plant thoroughly and then add the same amount of water to the saucer/dish.

Ordinarily, it is not a good idea to allow a plant to sit in water for more than 24 hours. However, if it is done only occasionally, it is okay. The purpose here is to provide your Pothos with a reservoir of water that it can wick up as needed over the 10-11 days. It also presumes that your Pothos is in a pot with drainage holes at the bottom.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]


Happy Holidays!