Are you wondering whether your pothos plant needs drainage or not? If yes, then congratulations because you are in the right place. This article will give you a detailed answer to this question.
Pothos plants are one of the easiest houseplants to care for. They don’t require much light, water, or even soil. But there are some details that you need to take care of when growing this kind of plant. One of those details is drainage. In fact, if you search about pothos drainage online, you will find some people who say that pothos is one of the plants that can grow without drainage. On the other hand, many other gardening websites consider drainage a necessity for pothos. But, here in the gardening talk, we will answer this question directly and present the arguments behind our thoughts.
If you found our content helpful, try to read our latest article on how to Identify root-bound pothos.
Table of Contents
Do Pothos Need Drainage?
Like any other plant, pothos needs drainage to stay healthy along their growth process. Without drainage, water is going to pool at the bottom of the pot, which is going to lead to root rot and many other problems.
When you grow pothos in a pot with drainage holes, you will deal with overwatering problems. But when your pot has no drainage holes, you will need to take action before planting your pothos in it.
The best thing you can do if you are using a pot with no drainage holes is to create them yourself. To do so, you can use a Dremel to create tiny holes in the bottom of your pot. But this will be possible only if your pot is made from plastic or wood. If you have a porcelain pot, you will need some advanced tips to provide your pothos with drainage.
Another thing you need to do before planting pothos in a pot without drainage holes is to create a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. This layer is nothing but stones that will ensure that excess water will go to the bottom of the pot instead of staying at the roots level. In fact, if the water stays at the root level, your plant will start developing root rot.
Another thing you can do when you use a pot without drainage holes for growing pothos is to use a layer of activated charcoal to absorb excess water. You can place this layer at the bottom of the pot before putting your soil. Another benefit of active charcoal is that it can also help fight harmful bugs that can slow your plant’s growth.
One way to determine if you need to give your pothos drainage is by checking its soil moisture levels. If the top layer of soil feels dry, but the bottom layer is wet, your plant needs drainage. Another way to tell if your pothos needs drainage is by checking for brown or yellow leaves. This is a sign that the plant isn’t getting enough oxygen and could benefit from some added drainage.
If you want to provide your pothos with the perfect drainage, use the tips from the following youtube shorts:
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Why do Pothos Need Drainage?
If you grow pothos without drainage, they will wilt and lose their leaves. Not only this, but when you overwater a pothos with no drainage, it will decay and eventually die.
The lack of drainage can cause various problems for your pothos plant, the most common being root rot. When the roots are constantly wet, they will decay and eventually die. This will cause the plant to wilt and lose its leaves.
The lack of oxygen in waterlogged soil can also lead to the growth of fungus, which will turn your leaves yellow or brown.
Improper drainage can also lead to the suffocation of your pothos. In fact, the roots need a good amount of air circulation to help the plant grow properly. But without proper drainage, the roots won’t get enough oxygen, causing root rot.
Wondering about using coffee grounds for pothos? Click here to learn more about this.
Conclusion
So, pothos does need drainage to grow correctly. In fact, proper drainage can help you avoid the most common problems of growing pothos, such as root rot and yellow leaves.
If you don’t have a pot with drainage holes, you can make them on your own using a Dremel. But if you don’t want to use a Dremel or if you are using a porcelain pot, you can create a drainage layer at the bottom of your pot using stones or active charcoal.
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