I moved recently and my two previously happy (1 golden and one neon) pothos are now drooping and losing leaves. They’re in similar light conditions as before—bright indirect light. They get water roughly once a week when the soil starts to dry. I’ve tried repotting to make sure they weren’t root-bound, occasional fertilization, but no changes. Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
Your Pothos plants, Epipremnum aureum may have reacted as we all do, to the stress of moving to a new location. There may be subtle differences: location in a room, level of humidity, watering schedule due to move, stress of re-potting and general jostling during move. Plants are reflections of our environment and the clues you have given can detect possible problems.
Yellowing leaves on Pothos can be due to either under or over watering. Perhaps during the move, the plants dried out more than usual, or received too much water all at once. In your photos, there is indication of some browning on the edges of leaves and overall limp demeanor in the plants.
Pothos are generally hardy plants and in some tropical countries are considered very invasive. In our Canadian climate we try to replicate the humid, lush tropical environment where they thrive. Here are some options to consider:
1) You already re-potted the plants and the soil mixture used should be well-drained, such as a potting soil with perlite. If the container is too large for the plant, excess soil will absorb moisture and cause root rot. Also house plant fertilizer may give them a boost, used according to instructions.
2) Low humidity and dry soil can cause droop, brown edges and loss of leaves. Try misting the plants to increase humidity or place them by a humidifier. If you have an air-conditioning vent nearby, that could affect the plants also.
3) If the top 2 – 3 inches feel dry, you could soak pots in a sink for an hour to replenish overall moisture. Allow water to seep in through bottom drainage hole. Then continue regular watering when top 2-3 inches feel dry to touch.
4) Be aware of the light conditions throughout the day that the plants are exposed to. It may be slightly different from their original spot. As you mentioned, there are in bright, indirect light, but check that the new “bright” location isn’t too much for them.
5) If leaves continue to yellow and fall off, you could prune the longer vines back. A more compact plant has a better chance of recovering its equilibrium.
Like any experiment, we try to change one thing at a time and see what effect it has. Perhaps mist the plants first and be aware of the moisture level in soil every day. Give them some time to adjust.
Toronto Master Gardeners website has a comprehensive guide on houseplants:
Below is a link to Pothos diseases to be aware of:
https://extension.psu.edu/pothos-diseases
Hopefully your Pathos will begin to enjoy their new location and thrive.