Okay, so let’s talk about my little pothos plant experiment. I’ve always heard these guys are tough as nails, but I wanted to see for myself just how much temperature swings they could actually handle.
Setting the Stage
First things first, I grabbed a few healthy pothos cuttings and got them rooted in some water. Once they had some decent roots going, I potted them up in regular potting mix. I made sure to use pots with drainage holes because nobody likes soggy feet, not even plants.
The Experiment Begins
I split my pothos army into three groups. The first group got to chill in my living room, which stays pretty consistently around 70-75°F (21-24°C). This was my control group, the lucky ducks.
The second group, I moved them to my unheated garage. During the day, it gets up to about 85-90°F (29-32°C) in there, but at night, it can dip down to 60-65°F (15-18°C). These guys were my moderate temperature testers.
The third group, the brave souls, I stuck outside on my porch. Now, I live in a place with some pretty wild temperature swings. During the summer, it can get up to 95-100°F (35-38°C) during the day, and at night, it might drop to 55-60°F (13-15°C). In the winter, we sometimes get cold snaps where it goes down to 40-45°F (4-7°C) at night.
Observations and Drama
Group 1 (Living Room): These plants were living their best lives. Lush green leaves, steady growth, no complaints. They were the picture of pothos perfection.
Group 2 (Garage): This group did pretty well too. They grew a bit slower than the living room crew, and their leaves were a tad lighter in color. But overall, they were healthy and seemed to tolerate the temperature fluctuations just fine.
Group 3 (Porch): Okay, here’s where things got interesting. During the hot summer days, these plants definitely showed some signs of stress. Their leaves started to wilt a bit, and some of them turned a bit yellow. I made sure to water them more frequently during the heat waves, and that seemed to help. They perked up when the temperatures cooled down at night.
- When winter rolled around, I was really curious to see what would happen.
- During the cold snaps, these plants definitely struggled.
- Some of the leaves turned brown and crispy, and a few even dropped off.
- But, to my surprise, they didn’t completely die!
- When the temperatures warmed up again, they started putting out new growth, albeit slowly.
The Verdict
So, what did I learn from this little experiment? Well, pothos are definitely tough cookies when it comes to temperature. They can handle a pretty wide range, from around 60-90°F (15-32°C) without too much trouble. They prefer it a bit warmer, but they can tolerate cooler temperatures for short periods.
However, extreme temperatures, especially prolonged exposure to temperatures below 50°F (10°C) or above 95°F (35°C), can definitely stress them out. They might lose some leaves, or their growth might slow down, but they’re surprisingly resilient and can bounce back if conditions improve.
One more thing I noticed is that humidity plays a role, too. The plants on the porch, which were exposed to lower humidity levels, seemed to struggle a bit more with the heat compared to the garage group. So, if you’re growing pothos in a dry environment, it might be a good idea to give them a little extra humidity boost during hot weather.
All in all, it was a fun experiment, and I’m even more impressed with pothos now. They’re like the little plant that could! Just keep in mind that while they can tolerate a range of temperatures, they’ll be happiest and healthiest in that sweet spot of 70-85°F (21-29°C). But hey, if you forget to bring them inside during a cold snap or leave them out in the sun for a bit too long, don’t panic – they’ll probably forgive you.
