Where Should I Put My Pothos? (Best Spot+Things To Know)

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Pothos being tropical plants are very undemanding and great for beginners. They have independent vines that support themselves. They can be placed on any of your favorite spots as they tolerate different environmental conditions. But ignoring their needs altogether can harm them, leading to yellow leaves, droopy leaves, leaf drop, brown foliage, etc. Thus, correct placement is crucial.

Pothos can be kept at offices, bathroom, dine-in area, etc. Try to accommodate them towards the central part of your home. They do well in moderate light conditions but can struggle in direct and intense light. So, keeping it away from direct sunlight is the key. You can plant them in the soil or water.

Wrong placement can be identified if you are watering and fertilizing them right, and still, they are suffering. They must not be getting sufficient light or too much light, having inadequate temperature levels and low humidity in the surroundings.

By reading below, you will not only learn about their cultural requirements but also help you find the right spot for you pothos.

Factors determining the placement of rubber plant

The three major factors that determines the placement of pothos are light, temperature and moisture. Let us learn more about it in detail.

Light

Pothos can be grown outdoors and indoors, but make sure they get adequate lighting conditions. They will thrive in low light conditions, but if you want rapid growth, expose them to bright filtered light. However, direct sunlight could be bad for their health.

You can keep your pothos plant at any corner, near the window, over any shelf, or beside your lamp ensuring bright light with low intensity.

You can reduce the light’s intensity by covering your window with curtains or keeping your plant a few feet away from the direct light source so that the plant is saved from any damage.

While keeping them outdoors, keep your pothos under a covering to avoid direct exposure to light.

An abundance of light with proper shielding from the direct scorching sun is what you need to provide for your pothos to stay healthy.

They need enough light to retain their leaf pattern and variegation. If you see pale leaves, sunburn, brown spots, move your plant away from intense light.

Temperature

Pothos tolerate ranges of temperature but thrive best in 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

They grow in their full potential if kept at such temperature levels. While placing your pothos, check the temperature levels in the surroundings.

If your climate condition is cold and it goes below 30 degrees Fahrenheit your plant will suffer. You need to move them near the furnace or wooden stove to enhance temperature levels around them.

Keep them to a distance that their leaves don’t burn due to intense heat from the furnace or stove. Prolonged exposure to low temperatures, pothos plant, might show signs of distress.

Change the pothos’ position according to the climatic change to maintain the ideal temperature levels around them. Partial exposure to sunlight will help maintain a high temperature.

Humidity

Pothos like a lot of humidity. They do well in high-level moisture in the air. Keep humidity levels between 60% and 99%, where you want to place your pothos.

Though pothos can survive in low humidity levels too, so if you cannot maintain high humidity levels in the air, worry not. Your pothos will still grow and glow.

If you want to keep the humidity levels higher, you need to control your temperatures and airflow to avoid any fungal and bacterial infection.

You can take the help of a humidifier to support humidity levels, or you can place your plant on the top of aquariums and allow them to grow their roots down in the water.

Misting every few days will be appreciated by your pothos. You can also group pothos with few high moisture plants, which will do the work for you.

Confine the humidity in pothos through the right pot type or keeping them on a pebble tray filled with water.

Where should I put my pothos?

Pothos can be placed at several spots. Let us have a look at some common spots.

Near window

Placing your pothos near the window will proliferate its growth.

Through the window, enough bright light will pour in, stimulating your plant’s growth. The window will filter the scorching light from the sun making the intensity perfect for your plant.

If you feel the light intensity is too high, keep your pothos a few feet away from the window to prevent your plant from sunburn or brown spots and will also dry out the soil very quickly.

During winters generally, the intensity is low, but the window’s glass is moist and freezing. Keep your pothos away from the window during such time; otherwise, the leaves touching the glass will dry and develop brown spots.

Check the window’s direction while placing your pothos. There should be enough light coming in to brighten your space and plant.

Keeping away from children

Pothos are listed to be toxic to humans, which every pothos grower should know, especially if you have a kid in the house. They are poisonous if ingested by you or your children.

They contain toxic calcium oxalate, causing irritation, burning, or swelling in the mouth, tongue, and lips. They can even cause eczema as a side effect of having their bite and skin irritation if contacted excessively.

So, keeping your pothos away from your child is always good for you; it will also save you from unwanted stress.

Keeping away from pets

Who doesn’t love to have pets and plants living and growing with them? But with some plants, you need to be extra cautious when you have pets, dogs, or cats at home.

Pothos have insoluble raphides and calcium oxalate, which is found to be very toxic for pets.

They can cause vomiting, difficulty in gulping, and oral irritation. If, by any chance, your pets have ingested on them, contact your veterinarian at the earliest in such cases.

Avoid placing near a fireplace

Never keep your pothos near a fireplace; they can catch fire as they are flammable items, without you noticing it. Those flying sparks can give a little burn to your plant leaves.

Since pothos love humidity, they will absorb all the moisture from your plant way too quickly, harming it from within. Over time you will see symptoms through brown spots, droopy leaves, weak plant, yellow foliage, and stagnant growth.

Keeping pothos near a fireplace is not at all a good idea. The heat is too much to stand, and pothos does not like that much heat. Their foliage will wilt or die. Pothos can even die due to excess heat.

If you still want to take pothos near a fireplace, find a spot where your plant cannot feel the heat from the fire by placing your hands in front of your plant and feeling the heat’s intensity.

Temperature of the room

Pothos thrive in wide ranges of environmental conditions you provide but perform best in temperatures between 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Placing your plant where the temperature is below the above-prescribed level will still be fine, but below 50 degrees Fahrenheit may kill them.

That is why it is recommended to avoid planting them if you live in colder regions.

Avoid keeping them near vents or apertures or the direct sun to avoid any growth and dryness issues.

Pothos in bedroom

Pothos can be a beautiful addition to your bedroom. They accompany you giving a glimpse of nature at your comforts. It also purifies the air and is therapeutic for your senses.

Research says pothos or any other plant suffer to produce oxygen at night due to lack of sunlight and instead produce carbon dioxide, which seems harmful.

But further, it is said as long as the room is well ventilated and not full of plants, you can keep them in your bedroom without any risk.

Avoid keeping your pothos opposite to the AC. The Aircon’s dry cold air will reduce the humidity levels in the air and dry out the soil rapidly.

Also, keeping them in a spot exposed to bright light, shielded by windows or curtains are perfect.

If you want them beside you, keep them near the lamp for the indirect light source, that should be not too intense.

Alert: If you have any breathing issues, avoid such plants to be on the safer side.

Pothos in bathroom

Decorate your bathrooms with a beautiful pothos, without any stress.

They don’t need much light. Pothos can thrive in low humidity also, but they love that extra dose of moisture in bathrooms.

Bathrooms are warm and humid areas making it perfect for pothos to survive. You can easily water them without forgetting as you will keep visiting them.

Keep them on the counter or hang near the window; they will purify the air and up your bathroom game.

Some tips on placement of pothos

Keep it easy; don’t stress too much while finding the right spot for your pothos.

• Bright filtered light is what pothos thrives in, keep them exposed to bright light for about 10-12 hours in a day.
• Use a humidifier to maintain moderate to high humidity levels in the atmosphere.
• Wipe their foliage with a slightly damp cloth to remove dust, allow the leaves to absorb moisture, and facilitate the photosynthesis process.
• Variegated pothos needs more light to retain its color and variegation, so in such case, place them accordingly.
• Pothos are sturdy and not easy to break down, but keeping them in colder regions for a longer time will surely give them a hard time.
• Their leaves at first will show signs through droopy, yellow leaves and then lead to their end.
• Prune with sanitized scissors to control and corral the length.

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Sources: Assessment of Indoor Placement of Pothos, House-plant placement for indoor air purification and health benefits