So, I’ve been messing around with these pothos plants lately, trying to figure out the whole sunlight situation. You know, like how much is too much, or too little. I gotta say, it’s been a bit of a learning curve, but I think I’ve finally cracked the code.
My Pothos Growing Journey
I started out by sticking a few pothos cuttings in water, just to get them rooted. Once they had some decent roots going, I potted them up in some regular potting mix. Nothing fancy, just your standard stuff from the garden center.
Now, here’s where the sunlight experiment began. I’ve got a bunch of windows in my place, some facing east, some south, and a couple facing west. My initial thought was to place these little guys right up against the east-facing windows. They get that nice morning sun, which isn’t too harsh, you know? I figured, “Hey, this is perfect!”
But, plot twist, it wasn’t. After a few weeks, I noticed some of the leaves on those east-window pothos were starting to look a bit pale, even a little yellow. Not a good sign. I did some digging online, and it turns out, even though they were getting a decent amount of light, it wasn’t quite enough. It said they need 10 to 12 hours of light. I guess those windows weren’t cutting it, especially since I keep the blinds half-closed most of the time to prevent direct sun on my other plants, which can be harmful. Pothos are said to grow under the dense canopy, which means they are shaded by large plants and not exposed to direct sunlight.
The Experiment Continues
Okay, lesson learned. Time to switch things up. I moved a couple of the pothos to about 2-3 feet away from the east-facing windows. This way, they still got some of that indirect morning light, but not so much that they’d get scorched. I also put a few others near the south-facing windows, but further back, like 5-10 feet away. Those windows get a lot more light throughout the day, so I figured a bit of distance would be good.
And guess what? It worked! The pothos that were 2-3 feet from the east windows started looking much happier. Their leaves got that nice, deep green color back, and they even started putting out some new growth. Nice!
The ones near the south windows also did pretty well. They seemed to like that brighter, but still indirect, light. And I even tried a couple near the west-facing windows, also about 5-10 feet away. They get that strong afternoon sun, but being further back kept them from getting fried.
Finding the Sweet Spot
So, after all this trial and error, here’s what I’ve figured out about pothos and sunlight:
- They like it bright, but not too bright. Direct sunlight is a no-go, it will burn them.
- East-facing windows are cool, but keep them a couple of feet away. That way, they get the light without the harshness.
- South and west windows work too, but put them further back. Think 5-10 feet, depending on how much light those windows get.
- Low light is okay, but not ideal. They will probably survive, but won’t grow as much and might get leggy, and the color might fade a little.
- Total darkness? Forget about it. No plant can live without at least some light.
Honestly, it’s all about finding that sweet spot for your specific setup. Every home is different, and the amount of light you get will vary depending on the time of year, the weather, and even the trees outside your windows. Just keep an eye on your pothos, and they’ll tell you what they need. Yellowing leaves? Probably not enough light. Scorched leaves? Too much direct sun. It’s a bit of a dance, but once you get the hang of it, these plants are pretty easygoing.
Anyway, that’s my pothos sunlight saga. Hope it helps some of you out there who are also trying to keep these leafy friends happy. Just remember, plants are like people, they need the right amount of light to thrive. Too much or too little, and they will start complaining!
