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Troubled with Pothos leaves getting smaller? Don’t worry! It’s surely fixable with proper watering, root care, and a little sunlight.
Pothos has always been the go-to indoor plant for all the busy hustlers. Although it is low-maintenance, sometimes Pothos produces smaller new leaves due to insufficient lighting, nutritional deficiencies, or untimely watering patterns and may need some extra love and care to get back to producing bigger leaves. Let’s learn how to fix your Pothos leaves that are getting smaller.
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Pothos Leaves Getting Smaller – Reasons & Fixes
Insufficient Lighting
Pothos indeed is a hardy plant and tolerates dim light for a longer time. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is thriving. Too little light can make plant leaves smaller and the stem turn long and thick in order to reach out for the light. Yup! The long stem with smaller leaves is your Pothos on a mission to fix that deficit of light.
Fix Low Lighting: Simply, shift your Pothos to a better bright spot. Make sure it’s bright yet indirect. If your indoors lack such a setting, an LED grow light can be your rescue.
Root-Bound Potting
As Pothos grows, its roots penetrate deeper into soil when grown outdoors. However, as an indoor plant sitting inside a pot, the Pothos root soon becomes compacted and lacks space as it fills the pot. It loses its ability to pull in enough water and nutrients for growth, producing stunted leaves.
Fix Root-Bounding: Check your pot’s bottom to see if your Pothos has overgrown roots. If you see traces of roots penetrating from the drainage holes below, it’s time to repot your Pothos in a newer and bigger pot. Fill up a pot with a balanced potting mixture and replant Pothos.
Make sure to keep it under dim light, as the repotted roots are sensitive and can quickly damage the plant on exposure to sunlight.
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Nutrient Deficiency
Another add-up can be your Pothos needing a little more energy boost. Lack of nutrients, especially nitrogen, can trigger smaller leaves in Pothos.
Fix Nutrient Deficiency: In the growing seasons (spring and summer), dosing Pothos with liquid fertilizers to support its growth bust can help fix smaller leaves in plants. However, you can skip fertilizing in winters as plants enter into dormancy and need little energy to grow.
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Watering Issues
If it is not all the above causes, then the problem may be your watering habits. It is either you are suffocating Pothos with excess water or making it all thirsty with little watering.
Fix Watering Issues: Always remember the classic finger test for soil, not just for Pothos but for all the plants under your care. This little trick can be your life-saving gardener hack. All you need to do is press your finger into the soil. If you find the soil to be dampy and sticky, then your plants are good-to-go for a day more without watering. However, if no soil sticks, then your plant is thirsty and it’s time for a watering session.
If you find this to be a hassle, then we got the perfect solution, a self-watering handy can to make your plant-watering routine easier.
Pothos, when under stress due to water, nutrients, or light, can produce smaller leaves but is nothing for you to stress about. With some changes in its light spot, watering schedule, and nutrients, your Pothos will soon begin to produce bigger and healthier leaves in no time.
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