Gadenin日本語Get the appIt survives in the dark, but it loses its markings
Pothos is sold as a plant for dark corners, and it does survive there. What it does not do is stay variegated. The pale sections of the leaf carry no chlorophyll, so in poor light the plant simply stops making them and every new leaf comes out plain green.
| Position | Light | Variegation |
|---|---|---|
| East window | Morning sun only | The best markings of any position |
| South or west, behind sheer curtain | Bright, diffused | Good markings, but scorches in summer |
| North window | Soft light all day | Markings hold, growth is steady |
| Ten feet into the room | Bright enough to read | New leaves come progressively plainer |
| A room with no window | Room lighting only | Plain green, and the leaves shrink |
Losing the variegation is not a disease. It is the plant telling you the spot is too dark, so move it rather than replacing it.
Finding bright shade in your own room
Your eyes adapt, so a room feels far brighter than it is. Use a physical test instead.
- Hold your hand up and look at the shadow In the spot you have in mind, hold a hand about a foot above where the plant would sit. A shadow with a soft but visible edge means enough light. No shadow at all means the variegation will go.
- Try reading there With the lights off in the daytime, you should be able to read a book comfortably. If you have to hold it close, it is too dark.
- Measure the distance Within about three feet of a curtained window is ideal. Past six feet, the most heavily variegated plants start turning green first.
- Compare a new leaf with an old one A month after moving it, hold a newly opened leaf against an older one. Similar markings mean the light is sufficient.
By window aspect
The same plant needs a different distance from the glass depending on which way the window faces, because the intensity and the time of day both change.
| Aspect | How to place it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| South | Behind a sheer curtain | Direct summer sun scorches |
| East | Right at the window | The easiest, and holds variegation |
| West | Three feet back | Strong afternoon sun and heat |
| North | As close to the glass as possible | Choose a less heavily variegated variety |
A pot on the floor gets much less light than the same spot at window height. Standing it on a table changes how well the markings hold.
Bringing a plain green plant back
The order matters. Light first, then pruning, then feeding. Done the other way round you get a bigger plain green plant.
- Move it first Put it at a curtained window. Do not go straight into direct sun: raise the light over about a week or you will scorch it.
- Cut back to a variegated node Cut the plain vines just above a node that still has good markings. The shoots that come from there are variegated again.
- Keep what you cut off Plain green vines root perfectly well in water. Being all green they are tougher, so grow them on deliberately as the plant for the dark corner.
- Do not feed it first Feeding a plant in poor light gives you stretched green growth. Fix the light, then start a weak liquid feed again.
The more white a variety carries, the faster it reverts. Decide how bright the position is, then choose a variety that suits it.
Telling scorch from stretching
The two are opposite problems that both make the plant look wrong, so identify which before you move it, or you will make it worse.
- If it is scorching, reduce the light Bleached white patches mean too much light. Add a curtain layer or move it back. Damaged leaves still photosynthesise, so leave them until they look bad.
- If it is stretching, add light Long gaps between small, sparse leaves mean too little. Cut the stretched growth back and move it brighter, and the new shoots come out compact.
- Acclimatize before going outside If you put it out for the summer, start in shade and increase the light over two weeks. Straight outside, it scorches in a single day.
Varieties need different amounts of light
How much white a variety carries decides how much light it needs, because the pale parts of the leaf do no photosynthesis at all.
| Variety | Markings | Light needed |
|---|---|---|
| Golden | Yellow streaks scattered through | Standard. Fine at a north window |
| Marble Queen | White over half the leaf | The most light, and the slowest growing |
| Compact white variegated | Blocks of white, smaller leaves | Brighter than average, stays neat |
| Lime or golden leaved | No variegation, whole leaf yellow-green | The brighter it is, the better the color |
Making a dark room work
You do not have to accept plain green leaves just because the spot you want is dark. Any of these keeps the markings without moving the plant permanently.
- Add a grow light A grow light about a foot above the plant for around ten hours a day keeps the variegation even well away from a window.
- Rotate two plants Swap the plant in the dark spot with one at the window every fortnight. You get to keep the plant where you want it without losing the markings.
- Turn the pot weekly A quarter turn each week stops all the leaves facing the window and keeps the vines growing evenly.
- Use a pale wall Reflected light from white walls and furniture is real. The same distance from the window is noticeably brighter in a pale room.
If you add a light, still give it a dark period. Running it continuously does not improve the color.