Pothos are among the friendliest houseplants. They are extremely easy to many and grow without any troubles and even the least care and maintenance is good enough for these plants.
The vine-like houseplants are appreciated for their display qualities and are a major trend of recent day interior décor.
It not only makes your house look more artsy and green but also helps in keeping the surrounding air clear and purifies it from many toxins present in the atmosphere. There are several various types of Pothos available to suit your taste and preferences.
Let it climb up other plants or poles in your garden or just let it hang down your pots, the Pothos never seems to disappoint your low maintenance green garden look. They are the easiest houseplants for busy garden enthusiasts as well.
The scientific name for Pothos is Epipremnum aureum. They are also commonly called the devil’s eye as these do not easily die even when kept away from proper sunlight for a long period.
The Pothos varieties of plants are climbers and are among the most popular garden plants because of their variegated foliage. Different types of Pothos come with different combinations of colors when it comes to their variegation in leaves.
Pothos are often also confused with Philodendrons, but Pothos has more differentiated and particularly variegated leaves which it is primarily identified for.
Pothos although do not require a lot of care, maintenance or time and effort, but to boost this garden-friendly plant of yours, the following tip seems to be proven a useful one.
Table of Contents
Coffee grounds for Plants and how to use them:
Other than being a popular beverage coffee can be great for plant growth as well. On addition of coffee grounds into the soil, it acts as a natural fertilizing agent. Coffee provides the soil with nutrients that enrich its properties and facilitate the better growth of plants.
Coffee grounds make the soil rich in nitrogen which is a necessary element for good growth of plants; it is thus used for composting as well. Coffee grounds also make the soil richer in acid content which is preferred by various types of plants.
Used coffee grounds or even used coffee filters can be directly added to your compost pile. This otherwise kitchen scrap creates useful nourishment of plants.
Coffee grounds, not only in composting piles but also in fertilizers, are a great deal of help. They can be directly added to the soil as fertilizer. It is very beneficial as coffee grounds account for a natural and organic matter for fertilizing the plants.
Adding coffee grounds straight into the soil as fertilizers helps it to provide better drainage, its increases the water retention capacity of the soil and induces better aeration. Coffee grounds also tend to attract earthworms and microbes which are good for the soil and the plants.
Coffee grounds which aren’t washed, when added to the soil can lower the pH level of the soil which is a preferable condition for the growth of many acid-loving plants. Make sure that your coffee isn’t washed before adding it for its acidic quality. Grounds of coffee can be put into the soil or even the leftover coffee can be directly poured into the soil to yield its qualities.
Coffee grounds for Pothos:
Like many other plants the Pothos houseplants also find coffee grounds as a good nutrient-rich food option.
As we already know, coffee grounds when unwashed and added to the soil, enrich it with an acid content, this acidic level of the soil is great for the growth of Pothos plants as well. Addition of coffee’s properties makes the soil more ideal for the Pothos to grow in.
The potting soil when fertilized or composted with coffee encourages plant growth. It is also great to use coffee grounds into the soil while transplanting the Pothos.
Coffee grounds and filters can either be directly added or maybe even diluted with water and made into a before pouring it into the soil.
It seems to work for all kinds of Pothos. This is a very readily available and an approved useful hack to make your Pothos climbers grow quicker and even healthier with hardly any extra effort.
Pothos are already pretty easy-care houseplants which hardly require high maintenance. Feeding these very self-dependent plants with the goodness of coffee only adds a cherry on top of that.
Other benefits of Coffee Grounds in the garden:
– A lot of times coffee is also used as mulch in the gardens which when added to the top layer of the soil can protect the soil.
– Coffee grounds also hold the ability to keep away the growth of weeds in the soil. This is of primary importance as weeds tend to compete with the already existing plants present in the soil for food, water, sunlight and space, hampering their growth.
– It is claimed that the caffeine present in coffee grounds keeps away pests and other animals like cats, rabbits, snails, slugs.
– It acts as an attracting agent for good worms that help in composting and are advantageous to the soil.
– Coffee grounds can be thinly layered into the soil. An inch of coffee grounds topped with some soil helps the soil attain various nutrients like nitrogen and acidifies the soil, promoting the growth of healthy and strong stems, greener foliage and better blooms.
This easily accessible and available nutrient-rich organic fertilizer is highly recommended to be used in your home gardens. But at the same coffee grounds must be used in a balanced way to ensure no side effects due to the content of caffeine which can be harmful to some plants.
Always be vigilant about the kind of soil your plants prefer, be it either acidic or not, and only then proceed with the amount of coffee grounds to be added. Some plants like tomatoes and asparagus do not do well with a coffee enriched soil. Thus, it is always better to find out about the basic rules and not overdo any hack which might have a detrimental result.
More about Pothos plants:
This climbing vine is commonly known by many names like – Pothos, Golden Pothos, silver vine, money plants, devil’s eye, etc. They belong to areas with temperate climatic conditions and thus grow well as indoor plants.
Pothos are known best as interior décor plants because of their flowing structure, heart-shaped and uniquely variegated leaves and low maintenance
qualities. Pothos are very easy to propagate and grow through cuttings. These plants do not usually have flowers.
The foliage of these plants has splashes of cream, silver and shades of green in various attractive patterns. The leaves are fleshy and glossy which adds to its display qualities.
Due to similar foliage and appearance, Pothos is usually confused with Philodendrons which are also vine-like garden plants. Although upon closer observation, differences can be found in both the varieties, the most noticeable being the fact that the leaves of a Philodendron climber are longer and narrower at the tip resembling an arrow.
Also leaves of a Pothos show greater variegation, unlike Philodendrons which have only a few species with variegated leaves.
Pothos generally are fast-growing plants. They generally reach a 20m height or even more at times. It is said that a Pothos that is let to climb on other plants in the garden, or poles grow comparatively taller than the Pothos that is let to hang down from pots. Either way, they make your room look much embellished and aesthetically filled with the greens.
How to grow a Pothos a home?
– Pothos are propagated through stem cuttings. Stems of a Pothos have tiny nodes appearing right under the leaves which are the air roots. To propagate a new Pothos plant, a cutting of almost 4 to 6 inches should be taken with around four to five leaves. To begin with the propagation, the bottom-most leaf from the stem must be removed.
– After cutting a healthy stem from the Pothos, it must be put in a glass jar filled with water. The Pothos stem grows ideally in indirect sunlight. It is thus advisable to keep the Pothos in the shade of another plant or by a window with light drapes which will provide enough sunlight that it requires.
– The cutting when kept in water for a month would start growing roots from the nodes. Once the roots are about 2-inch long and healthy-looking, this stem should be transferred to the soil.
– It must be primarily kept in mind that the stem which is used for propagating isn’t kept in water for too long. If it stays in the water for too long, it becomes difficult for the plant to adapt to the soil medium. Thus, as soon as the roots are of a healthy and proper length, they must be immediately potted in the soil for further growth.
– The growing Pothos plant must be kept in indirect sunlight. It can grow even in less sunlight and in the dark. This is the main reason why Pothos are so easy to manage as houseplants. On exposure to direct sunlight, the leaves start to lose their variegation.
– Watering the Pothos is no biggie either! The plant can be watered with a normal amount of water to the soil and on the leaves. When the top layer of the soil starts to look dry, the plant can be watered again. Over-wetting of the plant and the soil must be avoided.
– Regular pruning can be done to remove damaged, discolored, dried and dead leaves. If left without attention, the vines can spread large and wildly in the house. Shaping and trimming depend upon how to want to stylize your Pothos.
Pruning also helps the Pothos stems to grow healthier and longer. Trimming off of unhealthy and damaged parts of the plant stimulates fresher growth.
By following these steps of propagating and transferring the plant, the plant should be ready and healthy in 2 – 3 months. They can be arranged in your bedroom or even in the house garden according to your taste and choice.
These low-maintenance greens although easy to grow do not compromise when it comes to display and décor qualities.
Uses of Pothos:
– As mentioned earlier, this plant not only enhances the beauty of the room or garden with its lush colorful foliage and climbing stems but also purifies the air around it.
It is said to cleanse the surrounding atmosphere of harmful toxins such as carbon monoxide, toluene, xylene, benzene, etc. Thus, these are the best indoor plants to be kept in your bedroom to ensure a fresh and purified atmosphere.
– Pothos also seem to have a very significant symbolism attached to it. The Pothos plants have made their way into Vastu Shastra as well as Feng Shui beliefs.
According to these, a Pothos vine seems to be a sign of luck, wealth, prosperity, positive energy and good mental health. It is advised to keep a Pothos plant in a South-east location to gain the most out of it. Money plants as the name suggests is considered to be a bringer of good fortune and achievements when kept in houses, offices or workplaces.
– Pothos plants also keep the air around it humid. Due to this increased humidity, viruses causing common cold and other germs are kept away. The increased humidity in the air also keeps your skin moisturized, making it a great source of moisture in the room.
Pothos as a houseplant has several varieties to choose from as well. There are well over 20 various types of this plant found and gardened. Some of the commonest and most seen types of Pothos seen in indoor gardens include:
– Golden Pothos
– Marble Queen Pothos
– Pearls and jade Pothos
– Jade Pothos
– Manjula Pothos
– Neon Pothos
– Satin Pothos
– Cebu Blue
– N-joy Pothos
– Jessenia Pothos
Among these very many varieties of Pothos that are available, all have their unique features. These houseplants are so easy to maintain that they become a garden enthusiast’s best friend. Even if you have less time or do not have a green thumb, Pothos is still just the right ones for you and your indoor greens. Happy gardening!
Refrences
https://www.gardenguides.com/85027-water-plants-coffee.html
https://www.thespruce.com/watering-houseplants-with-coffee-3972312
Hi there! My name is Constance and I am a professional botanist. My enthusiasm for organic farming has led me to start this blog about gardening for beginners!
I write articles and tips on improving your home and garden with less work. I also share my own advice from the perspective of someone who loves all things green – like how to grow vegetables in containers or how to make compost out of kitchen scraps.