Hi there. I am a relatively black-thumbed keeper of house plants who wishes not to kill this latest batch. I have had a few hardy varieties that have stayed with me for some time, but I would like some information on my long and stringy pothos.

Does anyone out there know how I might make my pothos a bit bushier? It has some very long pieces (almost three feet) and a lot of growth on stem ends closest to the pot. I have a very bright apartment and my pothos has been in the living room. I recently relocated the plant to the bathroom, which is also very bright. I water it well when it begins to wilt and fertilize it rarely. Every so often, some leaves turn yellow and drop off, but somehow it survives.

I would like to know how to cut and re-pot bits of the vines so that they will fill out the top of the pot that the plant is currently in. Is this possible, or am I deluded in my bushy, luxuriant pothos fantasies? Thanks in advance for any advice.

B.G.

I have a question about rooting pothos too. I have a little piece that has been sitting in a cup of water for about three months and it won't grow roots. Should I just plant it like it is?

Pothos tend to become stringy looking if they don't get enough light and/or they are not pruned back regularly. In greenhouse light you can grow long, health vines. In home light, long strands eventually start to lose leaves at the soil end.

In general, when a stem grows more than 12 to 18 inches long, it should be cut back to a length of 3 to 5 inches. New leaves will then start to grow at the end of that shortened stem, close to the soil. That will keep the plant full and compact looking.

Pothos cuttings can be rooted in water or in moist soil. Tip cuttings that have no more than 4 leaves will root more readily than longer cuttings. Cuttings have about a 75% rooting rate. That means about 25% of the time, the stem rots before roots develop.

For cuttings rooted in water, wait for roots to grow about an inch long before transferring them to soil.

I have written an article on plant propagation that I will email to anyone who sends their request to me at wcreed@HorticulturalHelp.com