How Long Can Pothos Ivy Live?

Growing Conditions

• Adequate light and rich soil are both essential to the overall well-being and longevity of golden pothos plants. Bright, diffuse light is best at preserving the color and vibrancy of golden pothos plants, although they tend to grow fastest in dimmer light. Position the plant within 3 feet of a west- or east-facing window, preferably with dappled sun exposure. Avoid placing them close to an unshaded south-facing window because the high light and heat may cause the plant stress. Because they require moist yet fast-draining soil, golden pothos should be potted in a planter with multiple drainage holes that is filled with a loamy, perlite-enhanced soil. However, they are tolerant of many soil types, and will thrive as long as the soil drains quickly and has adequate nutrients.

Care

• Golden pothos is a fairly carefree plant, requiring only routine watering to help them grow. However, pruning and feeding will encourage lush, more attractive growth and may help stave off common ailments. Water golden pothos plants until water trickles from the bottom of the pot, then withhold watering until the soil feels dry. Reduce watering in winter, providing only enough to keep the foliage plump. Winter is the best time for pruning golden pothos plants. Cut back the stems by roughly a fourth, making the cut just beneath a pair of leaves. Dead or damaged stems should be removed entirely to increase air circulation among the healthy stems. Feeding with half-strength, 20-20-20 ratio fertilizer every month during the summer will bolster the plant's health and vigor; however, it is important to stop feeding before autumn so the plant can enter dormancy.

Problems

• Golden pothos resists most pests and diseases, but they may suffer slow growth or leaf damage if salt builds up in the soil. A crusty, whitish buildup on the soil surface indicates that soluble salts have accumulated, typically as a result of overfeeding or overwatering. Soil with a thick or permeable salt layer should be removed, and the plant should be repotted in fresh soil. Another option is to flush out the soil to remove the salts. Simply scrape off the salty layer and pour water into the pot so it drains freely from the base. Use a volume of water equal to twice the volume of the pot. Prevent salt buildup by watering golden pothos plants in the sink rather than in their saucer, so the water drains away rather than being reabsorbed. Also, apply fertilizer to wet soil so it will be better absorbed and distributed throughout the soil mass, rather than sitting and drying on the surface.

Outdoor Growing

• Despite its reputation as an indoor plant, golden pothos is also widely used as a landscaping ground cover in warm, frost-free areas. It requires bright sunlight with dappled afternoon shade and moist, fast-draining soil to perform well outdoors, as well as shelter from strong winds and salt spray in coastal areas. Due to its rapid growth, golden pothos is sometimes hard to contain outdoors, and it may overtake shrubbery or become invasive. It can be controlled by installing a root barrier and by pruning back any unwanted growth.