How to Propagate a Pothos Cutting in Water
Grow a new pothos plant from a healthy stem cutting by rooting a node in water, then moving it into a draining pot. Learn where to cut, when to replace the water and how to avoid common rooting problems. Pothos is toxic if chewed by pets or children.
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Choose a healthy pothos stem and prepare a clean workspace
Identify a firm, healthy vine of Epipremnum aureum with at least two leaves and a clearly visible node, the small bump where a leaf and aerial root can emerge. Avoid stems with rot, pests or yellowing leaves. Wash your hands, clean the scissors and jar, and keep the plant and cuttings away from children and pets because pothos is toxic if eaten. Plan to leave the parent plant with enough healthy foliage.
1. Choose a healthy pothos stem and prepare a clean workspace
Instructional illustration generated with AI for Howmigo. Identify a firm, healthy vine of Epipremnum aureum with at least two leaves and a clearly visible node, the small bump where a leaf and aerial root can emerge. Avoid stems with rot, pests or yellowing leaves. Wash your hands, clean the scissors and jar, and keep the plant and cuttings away from children and pets because pothos is toxic if eaten. Plan to leave the parent plant with enough healthy foliage.
2. Cut the stem just below a node
Instructional illustration generated with AI for Howmigo. Locate a node on the stem, then use clean sharp scissors to make one tidy cut about 1 cm below it. Choose a cutting roughly 10–15 cm long with one or two nodes and at least one healthy leaf; nodes, not loose leaf stalks, are needed for rooting. Do not crush or tear the stem. If the original plant is sparse, take only one cutting and allow the parent to recover.
3. Remove leaves that would sit underwater
Instructional illustration generated with AI for Howmigo. Hold the cutting beside the empty jar to see where the waterline will be. Gently remove any lower leaf that would otherwise be submerged, keeping at least one upper leaf intact. The node must be below the waterline, but the leaves should remain in air; immersed leaves can rot and cloud the water. Check that the stem end remains clean and firm.
4. Place the node in clean water and indirect light
Instructional illustration generated with AI for Howmigo. Fill the clean jar with room-temperature water and lower the cutting so at least one node is submerged while all leaves remain above the water. Stand the jar securely in bright indirect daylight, away from harsh direct sun, cold drafts and strong heat. Do not add fertilizer or rooting powder to the water. Mark the starting water level mentally so you can top it up without covering the leaves.
5. Refresh the water and watch roots develop
Instructional illustration generated with AI for Howmigo. Check the jar every few days. Top up evaporated water and replace it with clean room-temperature water about once a week, or sooner if cloudy or unpleasant-smelling. Gently rinse the jar when changing water, without pulling on new roots. Roots often appear after one to several weeks, depending on light and temperature. If the stem turns soft, black or slimy, discard that cutting rather than planting it; do not confuse healthy brown aerial-root tissue with rot.
6. Pot the cutting once roots are established
Instructional illustration generated with AI for Howmigo. When several healthy roots are about 3–5 cm long, fill a small pot with drainage holes using lightly moistened indoor potting mix. Make a shallow hole, position the rooted node and gently settle soil around the roots without bending or crushing them. Water until a little drains out, empty the saucer and keep the pot in bright indirect light. For the first week or two, check the mix often and keep it lightly moist, not waterlogged, while the roots adjust from water to soil.
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