Today I wanted to demonstrate how to grow one of my favorite indoor plants! Yep, that’s propagating Pothos vine! Also called Devil’s Ivy, this plant is one of the easiest plants to grow, earning it a spot on my hard to kill houseplants post, as well as my plants for dark apartments post. But for this post I wanted to tell you all how to grow your own Pothos vine. Trust me, it’s incredibly easy and you’ll have a beautiful, thriving plant in no time!
**For info on how to take care of your Pothos vine, check out my post Pothos Vine Care!**
Basically, there are two ways to propagate Pothos (aka, grow a new Pothos)…. with water, or with soil. But because most of you here are plant beginners, lets talk about water first (which is much easier), and then we’ll move on to the more advanced soil.
**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep providing you with this awesome information!**
Propagating Pothos in Water: Step 1 – Get your cutting
A good plant needs a good start. Select a healthy plant to trim from with leaves that aren’t diseased or yellowing. Cut about 3″ of stem length, making sure that there is at least one leaf node (where the leaf attaches to the stem). Personally, I like to take longer cuttings (they usually root faster) that have about 3-4 leaf nodes. This also makes it easier to keep upright.
Propagating Pothos in Water: Step 2 – Place in water
Now this step is pretty self-explanatory. Just make sure that if there are lower leaves that would be submerged in the container, make sure to remove them. If the leaves are left submerged, they may rot. Which doesn’t look that great. Believe me.
Propagating Pothos in Water: Step 3 – Plant
After a couple of weeks your Pothos vine will have rooted. So easy! I know! Now at this point, you can either plant your Pothos in soil, or you can keep it in water for life. Pothos does well in both water and soil, but make sure that once it is established that you don’t switch the growing media. Switching from water to soil (or vice versa) later in this plant’s life will cause it to decline in health. It might recover, but it might not. Those are the risks. But if you want to switch media later, you can always grab another cutting!
*This image is of some pothos cuttings I rooted last year. These can be planted at this point of development, or they can wait another week or two and planted then (if planting in soil).*
Propagating Pothos in Soil: Step 1 – Get your Cutting
For a soil cutting, follow the exact same directions as for the water cutting. This one is also important to remove any leaves that will be covered in soil, as they will rot. And remember, family members/roommates/friends don’t like to see rotting plants!
Propagating Pothos in Soil: Step 2 – Rooting Hormone
One thing that always helps you have success with cuttings is rooting hormone. Here’s a link to the one that I use! Simply dip the cutting into the hormone and shake off any excess powder. Make sure that you have at least one leaf node (the section of the stem where the leaf attaches) covered with the rooting hormone. I usually have two or three nodes on my cutting (stripped of the leaf) just to make sure that one of them roots successfully.
Propagating Pothos in Soil: Step 3 – Plant
The last step is to plant your cutting in soil. Do not skip this step!!! (Lol.) Make sure that at least one leaf node is submerged into the soil. As for pots, try to use a shallow container that drains well. I also prefer to use a well-draining potting mix in order to limit the chances of the cutting rotting. (I suggest the cactus & succulent potting mix, or regular potting soil mixed with coconut coir). The trick to watering your cutting is keeping it consistently lightly moist. Don’t overwater. If your pot/container doesn’t dry out within 2 days, then you’ve added too much water. You want to have to water it every day or two. This will prevent rotting of the cutting while it still doesn’t have any roots to take up the water. If you aren’t successful with your cuttings, try one of the soil options I listed above, as well as switch to a smaller container with plenty of drainage.
That’s it! It’s an easy, 3-step process, whether you choose soil or water. And like I said, if you are new to this, try the water option. It has a much higher success rate! So have fun growing this awesome, easy vine, and for tips on how to take care of your Pothos, check out my post on Pothos vine care!
Happy Digging!
*Here’s a Pothos that I grew from a cutting less than a year ago!*
Hello!
Thank you for your article! I’ve been attempting to propagate some Jade pothos cuttings in water but just as the root bud starts growing, the part of the stem below the root bud starts getting brown and mushy. I’ve tried sanitizing their jars by boiling in water, changing the water every few weeks and even adding small amounts of hydrogen peroxide as someone else recommended but to no avail. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
As long as it is below the root bud, this is fine. The plant is essentially getting rid of stem to make room for more roots! Just make sure that you are changing out the water frequently and you can even remove this section (if it easily separates). Good luck, and let me know if you have any more questions!
Help! My 1 year silver photos looks horrible. I’m not having any success propagating/rooting my Silver leaf Satin Pothos in water not in soil. What should I do? It was doing wonderfully until I moved it from it’s location and tried propagating it by extending the vine, removing the leafs that I covered with soil. It looks like its dying completely! I also tried propagating in water, but it would rot! 🙁
Loyda, are you sure it’s a pothos? I’ve never heard of a pothos being so stubborn, but I’d have to see a picture to be sure… You can either send me a message through my ‘contact me’ page, or post a picture directly in The Girl with a Shovel Facebook Page.
Where is the best place to ‘cut’ on the plant? should I cut close to the node, or more in-between nodes ??????
It doesn’t matter where you cut the plant, but if you cut it closer to the node, then there won’t be a ‘stub’ of vine that sticks out from the new vine that will grow. I hope this helps!
Hi! I have a vine of my mammy’s plant. She started growing it probably 25 years ago and it went to my aunt when she passed. I’ve been afraid to take a cutting because I only have one vine and don’t want to kill it. Any advice on how I can take clippings without hurting the plant?
Amanda, Don’t be afraid to take a cutting! It won’t hurt the plant. Where you cut the vine, another bud will form and it will continue to grow on the same vine! So you can easily take cuttings without worrying that it will damage the plant. Have fun!
When I cut off of my long vines that I have growing right now to propagate them, will the large plant I have still continue to grow on those same vines I cut?
Great question Ashley! Yes, they will. If the plant is healthy, the vine that was cut will produce a new shoot at the furthest leaf joint. It will have a small kink at that spot, but most people wouldn’t even notice. Have fun with it and let me know if you have any more questions!
Hi!
First, I just want to say that I’ve tried to do so much research on taking care of my many plants, and your blog has have the best and most thorough information yet! So thanks!
Second, I just started propagating a few vines from my golden pothos a little over a week ago. They don’t seem to be making any progress at all. Should I be worried? I know it hasn’t been that long, but I want to be sure I’m not doing anything incorrectly…
Thanks!
Thanks Kristen! You seriously just made my day 😀 … As for propagating, I’m assuming you’re using water. It takes longer to propagate with soil. And yes, it will take a couple of weeks until you see the root buds expanding. About 2 weeks if you’re using young stems as cuttings but sometimes up to 4 weeks if you’re using older stems as cuttings. Just be patient! As long as your cutting isn’t turning brown or mushy you’re doing fine still! Good luck, and happy digging!
Hi!
Can I have rooted in water first and then plant it in soil?
Definitely! In fact I root most of mine in water before potting in soil. Just make sure that you put it in soil before it adds too many new leaves. But it’s pretty forgiving. I’d say as long as it hasn’t grown an additional 12 inches, then you’re still fine to put in soil! 🙂
If rooted in water you could have the soil very wet a slowly let the soil dry till it reaches the normal water percentage for a houseplant.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing Jessica!