Pothos are a plebeian houseplant mature for their stunning leaf , and their tracking stems make them an idealistic choice in hanging baskets .
As with any other plant , however , pothos are not resistant to issues that can leave the plant life await worse for wear . One of the first signs that something is wrong with the plant is that the Scindapsus aureus leaf look eat .
While dirt ball can stimulate this appearance , so can various other issue . In fact , there are several different thing that can causeholes in pothos leaves . The good newsworthiness is that , if caught too soon enough , your pothos works should make a full recovery .
So if you ’ve noticed that you ’ve got a golden pothos with holes , keep read to find out just what you could do to get your industrial plant back to its well-chosen , thriving ego .
Table of capacity
Easy Pothos Care Guide 💚
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💧 Water : Water when the top inch of soil feels dry . Pothos are forgive and tolerate occasional drying out but do n’t let the territory stay soggy .
🌱 Soil : utilize a well - draining potting mix -I personally usethis potting mix . This stock indoor one works great , specially with its added perlite for aeration .
☀ ️Light : Bright , collateral light is good , but Pothos can adapt to lower lite conditions . fend off prolonged direct sunlight , as it can scorch the farewell .
🌡 ️Temperature : Pothos thrive in temperatures between 65 - 85 ° F ( 18 - 29 ° C ) . Keep them forth from dusty draught and sudden temperature changes .
🌿 Fertilizer : Feed with a balanced , water - soluble fertilizer ( my top pluck isthis Miracle - Gro one ) once a month during spring and summertime . Skip fertilize in fall and winter .
Why are there holes in my pothos leaves?
There are several reasons why your ivy arum leaves have holes in them , include pests , diseases , and improper care . The most common understanding , however , forholes in ivy arum leavesis that the soil is infest with the folio mining rainfly known as Liriomyza melanogaster . These germ create hole and damage by tunneling into the leaf ’s tissue .
We ’ll execute through each of the choice in more detail below , to help you figure out just who the culprit is in your case .
1. Leaf mining flies
leafage mining tent flap are the most common cause of holes in golden pothos leaf , and these nasty little creatures can attack even the healthiest of plants . If you ’ve comment that your pothos foliage look use up , it ’s probably these irritating critters .
Their feeding outcome in an abundance of holes in the pothos leaves , and can even make the plant to go into stress and cause yourpothos not to spring up . What ’s even bad is that these annoying insects can be unmanageable to get rid of and quickly spread .
2. Other insects
While not as common as leaf mining files , there are other insects that can make brown holes in golden pothos leaves . These pest include :
With the exception of mealybugs , the other pests list above are not as vulgar for indoor houseplants . That ’s not to say they can not make their way inside your menage and feast on your golden pothos .
Rule of thumb : More often than not , if the leaf holes are because of an insect , the finger can be pointed square at liriomyza melanogaster , the leaf mining fly .
3. Diseases
Bacterial , fungal , and viral diseases can have equipment casualty to your pothos plant , leave unsightly hole in its foliage . broadly speaking , leaf spot disease and dead reckoning hole diseases are the two independent culprits when it come to diseases resulting in leaf jam .
Bacterial leafage spot disease in your pothosstarts out as humble fix that will get progressively bigger . Shot maw disease , however , first appears as purple or reddish spots that become more prominent to produce a gunshot - looking appearance in the leaf .
4. Accidental damage
Sometimes , the caregiver of the works is the cause of leaf gob – yep , it could be your fault . Constantly moving the flora , or changing decor around the pothos can result in foliage impairment and holes .
Similarly , letting small hands and paws touch or irritate the works , or placing the works in a in high spirits dealings domain can lead to your pothos having damaged leaves . This damage is usually have while the industrial plant leave are still affectionate , young , and roll up .
5. Too much fertilizer
feed all plants , not just pothos , is crucial to aid keep them strong . However , kick in them too much plant food can result in rapid ontogeny , which will induce the works ’s leaves to unroll too quickly , resulting in cracks and even pocket-sized holes .
In fact , you may be surprised to hear that over fertilization is more of a common problem than under fertilization . This is because the excess salt in the plant food pulls wet away from the roots .
Miracle - Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food
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Thebest fertiliser for Pothos , helping to keep its leave vivacious and vine growing strong . deliver essential nutrients to encourage lush , trailing growth
6. Exposure to direct sunlight
verbatim sunlight is a big no - no for pothos . This works needs partially shaded or collateral sunlight to obviate yourpothos having sunburned leaves .
Excessive exposure to direct sunlight can create brown spots that turn into brown holes in Scindapsus aureus leave . This can peculiarly be a problem for anyone who desire to have theirpothos exist outsideso , if that ’s you , make certain your flora is protect and the light disseminate by something like a tree or terrace roof .
7. Improper care
Even though pothos are not difficult to take care of , not providing them with the right lighting , temperature , humidness , grime , piddle , and alimentation can result in poor ontogenesis , increase the hazard of pests and diseases , and even create holes in their leaf .
The two main culprits associated with holes in ivy arum leaves have by improper care are lack of humidity and over - fertilization . As such , if you ’ve eliminated the other choice on this list , maybe review your own plant maintenance docket to see if something is haywire .
discover out exactly what yourpothos ’ humidness needsare here !
How do you treatholes in pothos leaves?
The intervention option for dealing withholes in pothos leavesvaries depending on the cause . For insect event , neem oil or insecticidal scoop can assist see to it the bug . disease , however , can have a mountain range of treatment alternative and you will need to first key the disease before the right handling can be apply .
This is why it ’s important to take the metre to go through the list above and specialise down who or what the culprit may be . That fashion , you ’ll know exactly which treatment options you should be focusing on .
1. Neem oil or insecticidal soap
Neem oil or insecticidal liquid ecstasy are two safer options to cover golden pothos taint with leaf mining tent-fly , as well as some other insects . Spray the tops and underside of the leaves with the spray , making indisputable to follow the usage counseling on the feeding bottle . If you have other plants , make certain to spray those as well .
My pick for the in force neem crude oil that ’s worked for me is this one :
2. Remove your pothos’ damaged leaves
Any of your golden pothos ’ damage leaves should be removed by clip them off with a pair of clear pruning shear . Keep in idea , however , that you should never take away more than 25 - pct of the plant ’s leaves at one time .
You should also considerrepotting your pothosin impudent soil , specially if the scathe looks like make by leaf excavation flies , since the filth is where the tent-fly live .
3. Horticultural oil
Most other insects that attack pothos plants can be controlled with horticultural oil , although I ’d recommend try insecticidal soap first . These pesticides are liberally sprayed onto the top and undersurface of the plant ’s leaves .
Some gardeners have constitute that creating a result of apple cider vinegar and water go well as an alternative to keep worm and diseases at bay . This will require mixing 1 part apple cider vinegar with 5 parts weewee in a spray feeding bottle , and thoroughly spray the plant once a calendar month with the mixture .
No matter what discourse option you choose , you will also demand to process any other plants you are grow indoors , since the chance of pesterer infecting them as well is high .
4. Copper or sulfur fungicide
Fungal disease are treated using either a copper or sulfur fungicide , which is spray directly onto the plant life ( I ’ve had success with this copper fungicide in the past ) . Another option is to create your own homemade fungicide by merge ½ teaspoon of hydrogen carbonate of sal soda , which is also know as baking soda , with one gal of water system .
Mix until whole break up and then transpose to a nebulizer bottle . generously obscure the leaf , both the summit and the underside , with the answer .
Repeat the physical process once a day for 7 days to drink down the fungal disease .
5. Avoid physical damage
If the foliage damage is get by it being moved too much , decor getting catch on the leaves , or children and PET bothering the plant , then the treatment is simple : keep off vex the pothos .
While you may need to move the industrial plant to keep it out of the way , make that the last time you move the plant for some clock time as this can stress the plant and leave in legal injury , include the holes in the Scindapsus aureus will you ’ve already noticed . seek to also keep items away from its farewell and stems .
what is more , Epipremnum aureum should be kept out of reach of children and pets – not only to protect the plant , but also becausepothos are toxic to dogs , cats , other pets and homo . Even though they are typically not deadly , Scindapsus aureus do contain insoluble atomic number 20 oxalate crystal in their stems and leaves . These crystals are like glass fragment and can tear and rip peel .
How do you preventholes in pothos leaves?
The proficient way to preventholes in pothos leavesis to provide the works with proper maintenance to insure it ’s level-headed with strong growing . If you do recognize a potential subject , take immediate action and do n’t wait until the potential issue becomes a full blown trouble .
Some other whole tone you should take admit the following .
1. Increase the humidity level
To increase the humidity grade , consider either purchasing a humidifier or placing the Scindapsus aureus ’ pot on a pebble tray . Pebble trays are shallow trays filled with pebbles .
When the excess piss run out of the pot ’s drainage holes , it fills the tray , and the water will vaporise , increasing the humidity horizontal surface around the flora .
2. Grow pothos in the correct temperature
Temperature also plays a big function in how healthy the industrial plant is . For best upshot , keep the golden pothos in a way with an average temperature of between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit .
The plant should also be kept forth from any area where there are extreme temperature fluctuations , such as near a heating volcano or an exterior threshold .
3. Avoid overwatering
Fungal infections are typically triggered by overwatering the plant . The best defense against this problem is to ensure you are not keeping the Epipremnum aureum ’ territory soggy .
To knowhow often to H2O pothos , each time before water the works , insert your finger into the top 2 inches of the territory . If it feel moist , wait a 24-hour interval or two and then check the soil again . Only irrigate the plant when the first 2 inch of soil starts to feel dry .
When you do water , verify to water deep to promote practiced root ontogeny .
Find out the signs that you may have anoverwatered pothos – as well as how to determine it ASAP .
4. Grow pothos in the right soil
The soil that the plant is growing in is essentially its lifeline . Pothos are pretty riotous - growingbut without the right character of soil , plants can apace wither by – starting with the holes in your golden pothos ’ get out you ’ve already point out .
This is why you should always growpothos in the best soilfor its want – which is well - draining light mix that ’s rich in nutrients and has a pH spirit level of 6.1 to 6.5 . you could create your own pothos soil mixture by combining adequate parts vermiculite , perlite , peat moss , sand , compost , shredded bark , and coco coir .
Miracle - Gro Tropical Potting Mix
Thebest grease for pothos , designed to sustain lush , trailing growth . Packed with food and lava John Rock for proper drainage , it helps keep Epipremnum aureum healthy and thriving in any indoor space
5. Use pots with drainage holes
Pothos need well drained dirt , but it wo n’t make a difference what character of soil the plant is grow in if the pot does n’t have drain holes . These holes allow for the excess piss to escape out of the spate , and help to prevent water - lumber and soggy soil .
Related : Do Pothos postulate Drainage ?
6. Don’t forget to feed the pothos
Fertilizer is another good pecker that every nurseryman should utilize , even for houseplants . Fertilizer assist to provide the golden pothos with vital nutrients to keep them felicitous and healthy . An all - intent liquid fertilizer works well for pothos , and should be applied once a calendar month as a general dominion .
That said , two-fold check to verify that you follow the employment rate find on the back of the fertilizer bottle . Keep in mind , in especial , that supply too much fertiliser can also cause issues . That is why it is important to never expend more than the recommended amount .
7. Keep the soil below the plant clean
Pests love when plant junk , such as leaves , blooms , and stems , collect on the surface of the soil surround the plant life . This gives them a position to hide and can even lure pests to come on over to the pothos and set up workshop .
Keeping the soil around the pothos tidy by regularly removing any fallen works rubble will go a farseeing way to avail forbid future plague problems . It can also help reduce the chance of mould forming on the top of the soil , and prevent the spread of diseases .
8. Give the plant good air circulation
Poor air circulation can cause a slew of job for the pothos plant , including dirt ball and disease issues . you may guarantee the plant has good gentle wind circulation by not crowding it around with other plants and pruning the plant when call for .
Pruning assist to get aura flow to the leaves that may be hidden near the center of the industrial plant . Not only does air flow help to further health , but it can also go a tenacious style to forbid disease and pestilence issuance that lead in holes in pothos leave of absence .
9. Keep pothos out of direct sunlight
There is such a thing as too much sunlight , especially if that sunlight is direct and not permeate . In terms ofwhat light your Epipremnum aureum needs , they choose bright , collateral light , but can also grow in abject or restrained lighting .
point the flora in direct sunlight is one of the fast ways to burn the industrial plant , causing holes in its leaves . only moving the plant out of direct sunshine will go a recollective way to preventing holes in pothos leave .
10. Avoid overhead watering
desist from watering the flora from above and instead , body of water near the foundation of the plant . Watering overhead causes the leaves to become wet , which can ensue in fungous diseases .
Instead , always body of water at the grime level of the works . This assure the plant does n’t have water just sitting on the surface of the leaf . If the plant ’s leaves become dusty , gently wipe the leaf with a moist cloth , and avert spray the leave-taking with water .
Should I cut off leaves with holes?
Leaves infected with foliage spot disease will need to be removed as soon as potential to help prevent the disease from disseminate . The brownholes in pothos leaveswill get going out little and unassuming , but can actually pour down the plant if the contagion is not cover .
What should I use to cut off the leaves?
When removing the leaves , make indisputable to use a clean and sharp duo of pruning shear . trim down the full foliage off the plant , down to the stem , as soon as possible to help prevent the spread of the infection .
What should I do with the leaves once they are removed?
Once you have take out the morbid leaves , localise them in the trash or cut them . Do not let them stick on the soil of your plant life , and never add them to a compost pile . All diseased leaves will require to be destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading to other plants .
Furthermore , ensure you thoroughly hygienize the pruning shears immediately after using them to absent the pathologic leaves . Not sanitize the shears after each use only increase the chance of spreading the disease .
What if the holes are caused by pests?
If the hole in pothos leaf were made by an insect , removing them is n’t as fearful as if the holes are a result of a disease . With that said , however , you should still remove any leaves with holes that are brownish .
Green leave can , however , appease on the plant life . You should never remove more than 25 - per centum of the plant ’s leaves at one time if the culprit is an dirt ball . This can put unneeded stress on the works .
Final thoughts on preventing holes in your pothos leaves
Pothos is often referred to as the Devil ’s Ivy because this flora is extremely adaptable and surd to wipe out . No matter how tough this plant is , however , not providing it with the proper care will quickly cause the golden pothos to yield to diseases , pestilence , and poor direction .
That is why it is lively for the life of the plant to not only give it the ideal environment to grow in , but also to quickly treat issues that may arise . Doing so will keep pests and diseases at bay , while ensuring your ivy arum plant flourish for many years .
