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How Often To Water Pothos?
Water pothos every 1 to 2 weeks, once the top half of the soil is dry. Learn how to read the leaves and how to grow pothos in plain water too.
Water pothos every 1 to 2 weeks in spring and summer, and every 2 to 3 weeks in winter. Wait until the top half of the soil feels dry, then water until it drains. Pothos forgives a missed watering much more easily than soil that stays wet for weeks.
A starting point, not a rule. Check the soil before each watering and stretch the gap in cool, cloudy weather.
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Pothos, also sold as devil's ivy, earned its place as the classic beginner plant. It grows in dim corners, trails off bookshelves, and tells you clearly when it wants a drink.
In the wild, pothos climbs trees in warm forests, with roots tucked into loose bark and leaf litter. That means it likes moisture, but it also likes air around its roots. Your job is to water well, then let the soil dry halfway down.
Pothos watering schedule
| Conditions | How often |
|---|---|
| Bright indirect light, summer | Every 7 to 10 days |
| Medium light, spring or fall | Every 1 to 2 weeks |
| Low light | Every 2 to 3 weeks |
| Winter, any light | Every 2 to 3 weeks |
Small pots and terracotta dry faster. Large plastic pots can hold water for weeks, so check before you pour.
How to tell when pothos needs water
Push a finger into the soil up to the second knuckle. If it feels dry that far down, it is time. For a deep pot, use a wooden skewer and look for damp soil sticking to it.
Pothos also gives you a gentle warning. The leaves soften and droop slightly when the plant is thirsty, then lift again within a day of watering.
How to water pothos
- Water slowly over the whole surface. Wet all the soil, not just one spot near the stem.
- Keep going until it drains. Stop when water runs from the drainage hole.
- Empty the saucer after 15 minutes. Pothos roots sitting in water start to rot.
- Use room temperature water. Tap water is fine for most homes.
Signs of overwatering and underwatering
Too much water
- Bright yellow leaves, often several at once
- Black or brown spots with a yellow ring
- Soil that stays wet for over a week
- Mushy stems near the soil line
Too little water
- Soft, drooping leaves
- Brown, crispy leaf tips
- Soil pulling away from the pot edge
- Slow growth with small new leaves
Growing pothos in water
Pothos is one of the few houseplants that grows happily in a jar of plain water. Cut a stem below a node, the small bump where a leaf meets the vine, and set it in water. Roots appear in about 2 to 4 weeks.
Change the water every 1 to 2 weeks so it stays fresh, and rinse the jar if it turns green. A few drops of liquid houseplant fertilizer each month keeps the leaves growing.
If you later move a water-grown cutting to soil, keep that soil a little moist for the first few weeks while the roots adjust. Its bigger cousin, the monstera, follows a very similar routine. For an even more forgiving plant, see the snake plant.
Pothos watering FAQ
Should I mist my pothos?
It is not needed. Pothos handles normal home humidity well, and watering the soil properly matters far more than misting.
Can pothos go 2 weeks without water?
Yes. A healthy pothos in a decent sized pot can easily go 2 weeks, and often 3 in winter.
Should I bottom water pothos?
You can. Set the pot in a tray of water for 15 to 20 minutes until the top feels damp, then drain. Water from the top now and then to flush out salts.
We turn horticulture research and real growing experience into plain-English watering schedules you can actually follow.