Why is my pothos droopy? This is one of the most frequent questions among people who grow this pretty houseplant.
It can be annoying to see the leaves of your lively pothos suddenly drooping. However, there’s no need to panic. It’s a common problem that can easily be reversed.
There could be many causes for your pothos’ droopy appearance. Although this plant is easy to care for, it requires certain environmental conditions to thrive. To keep your pothos healthy and fresh, you should provide it with such conditions.
Read on to learn more about the reasons why pothos become droopy and how to remedy this problem.
Why Is My Pothos Droopy?
You may notice a drastic overnight change in the appearance of your pothos leaves. However, a droopy look doesn’t necessarily indicate a major problem.
There are three main causes of droopy leaves in pothos: improper care, improper environmental conditions, as well as infections and diseases.
The good news is that there’s always a way to fix this issue. Improper care may come in the form of wrong watering practices. Whether you underwater or overwater the plant, the leaves may still become droopy. This is why you should learn when and how to water your pothos.
Moreover, your pothos requires certain environmental conditions that mimic its natural habitat, such as high humidity and indirect sunlight. If these conditions aren’t provided, the pothos may lose its freshness.
In addition, this droopy look may be caused by diseases or pest infections. Don’t worry, there’s still a way to cure your plant.
Knowing the exact reason behind the problem can help you solve it. Every cause will direct you toward certain revival measures that you can easily implement to bring your pothos back to life.
1. Improper Care
Your pothos may become droopy due to improper care, such as watering and potting.
Watering
The droopy look of your pothos may be due to underwatering or overwatering. Therefore, you should water your plant only when the top two or three inches of soil are dry.
Without enough water, nutrients won’t reach the plant’s foliage, making the leaves limp and droopy.
On the other hand, too much water would fill the air pockets around the root, suffocating it. Without a healthy root, the plant won’t be able to perform transpiration. Therefore, the nutrients won’t reach the leaves, causing them to droop.
Potting
The pot that carries your pothos plays a pivotal role in its well-being.
In order to avoid accidental overwatering, you should use well-drained soil and a pot with drainage holes to get rid of excess water. Moreover, you should place the pot on a tray or saucer to make sure the water flows out freely.
Your pothos needs room to grow as well. This means that you should choose a pot that’s large enough to let the roots grow. Otherwise, you risk getting root-bound pothos that can’t get enough nutrients.
2. Improper Environmental Conditions
Pothos thrives in tropical weather with its increased temperature, high humidity, and moist soil. Thus, failure to provide such environmental conditions may be the cause of droopiness.
Low Humidity Level
Pothos prefers humid weather. If the humidity is low, the soil may dry out fast. This prevents the nutrients from reaching the leaves, giving the pothos its droopy look.
You can easily increase the humidity around your pothos by misting the leaves every morning or placing the plant over a humidity tray.
Direct Sunlight
Light is another factor that affects the health of your pothos. Pothos is a houseplant that doesn’t really require direct sunlight.
In fact, too much or too little sunlight can cause the droopiness of your pothos. Too much direct sunlight will dry out the soil, causing the pothos to become underwatered and droopy.
On the other hand, with little or no light, the plant can’t perform photosynthesis. That means that the leaves can’t receive the necessary nutrients, which makes them lose their fresh appearance.
That’s why you should place your pothos where it can get constant filtered indirect sunlight.
3. Infections and Diseases
Before you ask, “why is my pothos droopy?” you should check it for pest infections or diseases. They can be a major cause for concern, so keep an eye on your plant and take fast action in such cases.
Pest Infection
Different pests may infect your pothos and cause its droopy appearance, including:
- Mealybugs: you’ll spot white cotton-like clusters under the leaves or on the roots.
- Caterpillar worms: you’ll notice the worm’s feces on the plant.
- Scales: you should check the stem and leaves for tiny shell-like bumps on the stems or leaves of a plant
- Mites: these tiny creatures leave a pattern of silver dots or stippling on the leaves.
- Thrips: there are several signs of these pests. You may find little flecks that look like rice on your plant. Since thrips feed on the plant itself, you may find discolored or silver spots on the leaves.
Getting rid of such pests depends on the amount of damage done to the plant. If you spot a couple of pests, you can remove them by hand.
However, if the problem is more severe, you should apply neem oil or wipe your pothos with a piece of cotton dipped in alcohol.
Diseases
Some bacterial, fungal, or viral diseases may infest your pothos, causing it to droop and lose its strength and color.
Such diseases are more likely to infect pothos when overwatered or somehow vulnerable. They lead your plant to a deteriorated state.
In order to avoid such diseases, you should apply hydrogen peroxide or any other bactericide, anti-viral, or fungicide solution while watering your plant.
In addition, if your pothos is infected, you should isolate it in order not to spread the disease to other plants.
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Summary
Why is my pothos droopy? Your pothos may become droopy due to three main causes: improper care, environmental conditions, or infections.
Improper care can cause your pothos to droop. For instance, overwatering, underwatering, and improper potting may cause problems and weaken your pothos.
With improper environmental conditions, such as low humidity or too much sunlight, your pothos may suffer and become droopy.
Your pothos may also become droopy because of pest infections or diseases. To avoid such diseases, use proper pesticides or solutions.
Luckily, no matter why your pothos looks droopy, there’s a way to fix it. Don’t worry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you revive a droopy pothos?
Yes, of course. Once you know the cause, you may take the necessary actions to revive your droopy pothos.
There are certain tips that can help you overcome almost all the reasons that cause your pothos to droop. They include:
- Set up a watering schedule to avoid underwatering or overwatering
- Put your plant where it can get indirect sunlight regularly
- Place your pothos on a humidity tray
- Add pesticide solution to the irrigation water
- Use a pot with bottom holes to drain the extra water
- Put your pothos in well-drained soil
- Make sure your pot is large enough to allow the root to grow
How do I know if my pothos is underwatered or overwatered?
Some symptoms of overwatering and underwatering may overlap. However, there are subtle differences that can indicate whether your pothos is overwatered or underwatered.
If you find your pothos with yellow leaves that feel mushy and soft to the touch, it’s most probably overwatered. The leaves may turn brown in some severe cases. Moreover, you’ll notice that the soil never dries off.
On the other hand, underwatering shows through the yellowing of the leaves that are always dry. They may also fall off or feel crisp and wilted. In addition, the soil will always feel dry and cracked in some severe cases.
Although the leaves look yellow in both cases, you can easily identify the problem through the different accompanying symptoms.
Does Pothos Thrive in Direct Sunlight?
Not really, direct sunlight can burn the leaves of your pothos. That said, different types of pothos require varying levels of light.
In general, it’s best to expose your pothos to eight full hours of filtered or indirect sunlight per day.
Hey, I’m Lisa and I’ve been an avid gardener for over 30 years. I love writing, talking and living in the garden! Feel free to connect with me on my socials below
