Do pothos like direct sunlight – You must have knowledge about that.
Pothos is a genus of flowering plants of the Araceae family. China, the Indian Subcontinent, Australia, New Guinea, Southeast Asia, and other Pacific and Indian Ocean islands are home to this species.
If you’re a plant enthusiast, you’re surely aware that each plant species has its own set of requirements. To achieve optimal plant growth, Pothos, like other plants, requires a unique maintenance regimen.
Pothos is typically a low-maintenance plant. You don’t have to put in a lot of time or effort to get the tree to grow. There are, however, exceptions. Plant growth is directly affected by light mode. And this is something you must pay close attention to.
The following article will give you detailed information about Pothos’ lighting requirements. You will then understand how to best care for Pothos.
Do pothos like direct sunlight?
It’s only natural for green plants to require sunlight. No green plant can live in the dark for an indefinite period of time. Pothos lives for 5-10 years, completely reliant on human care or nature.
Pothos is a hardy plant that will draw attention to itself no matter where it is placed in your home. You’ve probably heard a lot about how sensitive it is to light. However, the amount of light your pothos receives can have a significant impact on how well it thrives.
Pothos plants do best in east-facing windows or doors since they prefer bright, indirect light for 12-14 hours every day. Limit your daily exposure to direct sunlight to 3-4 hours. Excessive light causes leaves to become bleached and sunburned.
Too little or too much light might cause your pothos to get stressed. Optimal light will result in the lushest and most elegant foliage. Your pothos will appear untidy, stunted, or scraggly if the lighting is poor. On the other hand, too much light will scorch your plant, resulting in bleached foliage and sunburn.
Why is it so important for the Pothos Plant to get enough sunlight?
The fundamental reason that the pothos plant, like all other plants, requires adequate sunlight is that sunlight is an essential component of the photosynthesis process, which allows plants to make food for themselves.
The pothos plant needs enough sunlight to thrive and grow appropriately. If the plant does not receive enough sunshine, it may become slender and try to expand toward the source of light.
The health and growth of the pothos plant are dependent on adequate sunshine.
Symptoms That Your Pothos Doesn’t Get Enough Light
Not getting enough light makes it difficult for plants to grow. Here are a few signs that your Pothos is lacking in light.
Foliage expanded
Too little light is indicated by elongated stems, prolonged internodes, and lanky growth. When your pothos doesn’t get enough light, it will extend its leaf and stems as if it were seeking for the sun.
You may see that the vining stems are becoming more spaced apart. Your pothos will appear lethargic, scraggly, and straggly as a result. The leaves will be scant and lack the appearance of being robust and luscious.
The distance between two successive leaves is known as the internode. If your pothos isn’t getting enough light, you’ll notice that the internodes are extending, giving it an ugly appearance.
Lean in the direction of the light
If you keep your pothos plant in a low-light environment, it will gravitate toward a door, window, bulb, or another main source of light. To trap as much light as possible, only the leaves will face the source of brighter light in most circumstances.
The entire plant may shift sideways to lean towards the light source in rare circumstances. Meanwhile, the side that faces the light will have more color and leaves. If this pattern continues, the side facing the light source will appear lifeless and barren, with little leaves or vegetation.
This characteristic of growth is a basic plant instinct. It should also prompt you to relocate your pothos to a well-lit location. You can temporarily rectify the lean by rotating your pothos 180 degrees to expose the opposite side.
Small leaves grow
Low light is almost certainly to blame if your pothos is producing little, unimpressive new leaves. Your plant’s health and growth are dependent on the amount of light it receives. It’s necessary for photosynthesis and transpiration, which are the processes through which your plant produces food and energy.
Your pothos won’t have the energy or resources to develop full-sized foliage if it doesn’t get enough light, which is why the leaves are little. You’ll observe little leaves as well as long internodes.
Does not grow
Pothos plants can withstand very low light levels. Thriving, on the other hand, is a different story. If your pothos isn’t getting enough light, you may notice little to no growth for days, weeks, or even months.
Your pothos isn’t getting enough light to make enough energy to grow, which is why it’s stunted. Pothos is often inactive throughout the winter months, with some plants falling completely dormant.
Photosynthesis is required for growth, which necessitates the presence of light.
Leaves turn brown
Most plants, including pothos, display evidence of browning leaf tips and leaves when exposed to insufficient light. Yellow haloes may also be visible around brown spots.
Browning leaves on pothos can be caused by a variety of factors. Sunburns, humidity, temperature stress, transplant shock, overwatering, underwatering, and salt buildup are just a few of the problems that might occur.
Leaf color change
Low light will harm your pothos prized showy leaves. It’s possible that the leaves will turn brown. Alternatively, depending on the type, they may lose their glossy white, gold, or pink variegations.
When subjected to extreme light fluctuations, most pothos becomes yellow. These yellow dots may become brown blotches if they become wet.
When pothos loses their variegation, it’s one of the most evident symptoms of poor light. The foliage returns to its normal green hue in the great majority of cases. To put it another way, they’ve lost that lovely splash of color.
It’s all about photosynthesis, too. When the light isn’t right, your pothos will transfer the chlorophyll to the variegated parts of the plant.
How to provide light for Pothos?
You can overcome the above-mentioned signs so that Pothos can develop more full light.
1. Place them near a window or door
Simply move your pothos closer to a light source to provide more light. This usually entails parking it next to or near a sunny door, window, or skylight.
The amount of light that reaches your pothos is determined by the direction your window faces.
2. Using lamps
One of the best ways to provide light for plants is to use grow lights. Allow 12-14 hours or longer for your pothos to be exposed to grow lights. Use a timer to ensure accurate timing.
Make sure the grow lights are 6-12 inches above the pothos.
LED bulbs surpass fluorescent lamps because they do not shatter, last 5 times longer, and use half the amount of electricity.
Final thoughts
The information provided in the preceding shares has given you a clear understanding of how to provide light for Pothos. In addition, we suggest ways to maintain your Pothos so that it always thrives. I hope this article was useful to you.