What Your Pothos Needs in June for Healthy Growth and Longer, Brighter Vines – 3 Tasks to Do Now
These trailing plants need some TLC this month
I love watching my houseplants have a growth spurt when the summer temperatures arrive, but the likes of pothos require some particular attention to ensure a productive season.
In June, there are a few things to do to care for your pothos correctly, whether you have a golden pothos (like this from The Sill) or a neon pothos. From light pruning, to fertilizing, and even repotting, giving this iconic cascading plant some love this month can boost its growth and help it thrive.
But, you do need to take care to avoid common indoor plant mistakes when doing these tasks. To help you out, alongside insights from a houseplant expert, I've compiled three key things your pothos needs in June.
1. Repot Your Pothos
Now that your pothos is in its active growth season, you can repot it with the reassurance it will respond positively. It's beneficial to repot plants before higher summer temps arrive, to reduce stress, so June is a good time to do it.
You'll know it's time to repot your pothos by looking for a few signs. This includes stunted growth, drooping, and roots poking out of drainage holes, indicating the plant is running out of room to grow.
'You should choose a container that is 1-2" bigger than the previous one, and make sure to use a loose, well-draining potting mix (this houseplant potting mix from Lowe's is a good choice),' says Plantum plant expert Marina Prokaten.
If your pothos has become pot-bound, you may need to prune houseplant roots. Focus on removing any damaged roots (using these sharp houseplant snips from Amazon), keeping the main rootball intact.
Marina Prokaten is a resident plant expert for the Plantum app, which helps users identify plant species, diagnose their conditions, and get specific care advice. She has three years of experience consulting on botany-related topics for Plantum.
2. Fertilize Your Pothos
In spring and summer, your pothos is using a lot of energy to grow new leaves. That's why it's important to support it with a boost of essential plant nutrients.
'In June, apply a balanced water-soluble liquid fertilizer for foliage plants to boost growth. Do this once a month, following the label instructions, and dilute the fertilizer to half strength. This way, you won’t burn the roots by accident,' Marina advises.
One of the best fertilizers for houseplants like pothos is one with a higher nitrogen plant fertilizer number, which encourages more vegetative growth.
You can also opt for a specific pothos fertilizer, like this one from Amazon.
As Marina notes, it's important not to overfertilize your pothos as this can cause root burn and symptoms like your pothos turning yellow.
3. Give Your Pothos a Trim
While pothos does look beautiful cascading from a shelf or bookshelf, it can get to the point where it's a little too long for your liking. June is an excellent time to prune your pothos to fix this.
'To handle your pothos’ summer growth spurt without causing damage, avoid tearing or snapping the stems by hand,' warns Marina.
'Instead, take a pair of sharp, sterilized pruning shears and trim just above a leaf node,' she describes.
A leaf node is where a leaf stem meets the main vine. Cutting here to trim your pothos will ensure it continues to grow.
This is also a good opportunity to remove any damaged foliage, just take care to follow the one third pruning rule. Removing too much of the plant in one go can stunt growth.
What to Shop
Use these pebble humidity trays to boost humidity levels for your moisture-loving houseplants. Simply place your houseplants on top and top up water levels.
These blue ceramic houseplant planters have drainage holes and saucers to remove excess water and aid moisture management.
This soil moisture meter can help you avoid watering mistakes. Simply insert the probe and it will identify how wet the soil is.
As well as these things your pothos needs in June, make sure to increase watering frequency as the soil dries out more quickly. You can water your houseplants using the bottom watering method to ensure sufficient hydration. I also recommend using this soil moisture meter from Amazon to check your pothos' soil to avoid watering mistakes.
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