How to propagate pothos plants and create stunning new house plants for free

Learning how to propagate pothos plants is a handy skill if you want to quickly fill your home with extra greenery for free. Not only are they easy to grow, they're one of the fastest-growing houseplants and virtually unkillable.

If you already know how to propagate a monstera plant or snake plant it won't come as a surprise that the process is quite straightforward. All you need is a pothos stem to start propagating your new plant and if you invest in a propagation vase or station it can also look beautiful while it's in the process of growing.

To keep your home stocked with nonstop pothos, then, look this way for our guide on how to propagate like a pro...

What you will need

When it comes to propagating pothos plants, you will actually need very little in terms of equipment – although plenty of patience and curiosity will see you in good stead.

• a healthy plant with lots of leaves growing from long stems
• a sharp pair of secateurs (try the Spear & Jackson 56418P Pink Garden Snips from Amazon
• a glass of clean water or propagation station
• a sunny spot, like a windowsill
• a pot filled with soil or Miracle-Gro Premium Houseplant Potting Mix Compost from Amazon.

Step-by-step guide

If you're new to the world of propagation, Christopher O'Donoghue – one of the co-directors at Gardens Revived – has a word of warning for you: it will involve taking a pair of sharp (and very clean) secateurs or pruners to your beloved plant baby.

'Yes, you'll have to cut bits off,' he says. 'No, it won't hurt it!'

Christopher O'Donoghue

A gardener with over a decade of experience under his belt, Christopher set up Gardens Revived with his brother, Andrew, in 2018 to create a thriving family business. Together, they have worked on residential gardens, listed buildings and gardens, flower shows and large estates with some exceeding 70 acres – many with historical significance.

1. Choose a healthy vine

The most important step when propagating a pothos plant is absolutely the first: choose a healthy stem, or you'll find yourself fighting a losing battle later.

'You want one with vibrant leaves and several nodes (small bumps where leaves grow or roots can emerge),' says Christopher.

2. Make your cut

Those aforementioned nodes? Well, they're a vital part in our How To Propagate Pothos Plants programme, as you'll need to select one in order to guide your cutting.

'From the tip of the stem count back to a minimum of 3 nodes, giving you about 10cm of plant material,' says Kelly Dyer, in-house plant doctor at Patch Plants.

'Make a clean cut just below the node and trim off the remaining bit of stem to just above the next node on your parent plant (otherwise it will die back and look ugly).'

3. Strip the leaves

Christopher says that you should strip off the leaves closest to the node, leaving just one or two at the top.

'You don't want any of your leaves to be submerged in water later,' he says, noting that this will cause them to rot and the specimen to fail.

4. Use the water method

The most popular way to propagate a pothos plant is by submerging your cutting in fresh, clean water.

'You want to make sure the nodes are submerged but the leaves stay above water,' says Christopher.

Change the water every 5–7 days to keep it fresh, and be sure to position the jar in bright, indirect sunlight (taking care to adhere to the one golden rule for keeping houseplants alive).

Then, sit back and wait: the roots should develop in 2–4 weeks.

5. Plant your cutting

Once your pothos cutting has rooted, you'll want to wait until the roots are 1–2 inches long, according to Christopher.

Then, and only then, should you transfer them to soil.

FAQs

Where do I cut a pothos to propagate it?

If you're not sure where to cut a pothos to propagate it, experts advised that you cut just below a node (essentially the notch-like point on a stem where a leaf or leaves have been growing from).

'Ensure there are 2–3 leaves on the cutting and at least one node exposed,' adds Christopher O'Donoghue of Gardens Revived.

Is it better to propagate pothos in water or soil?

It is genuinely considered better to propagate pothos in water rather than soil. If you do want to try the soil method, though, it's simple enough: just dip the cut end in a rooting hormone and plant it in moist, well-draining potting mix.

Then, all that's left to do is pop it in a sunny spot and wait a few weeks for the roots to establish themselves.

Now that you know how to propagate pothos plants, all that's left to do is grab a clean pair of secateurs and set to work creating a beautiful family of thriving houseplants.