Pothos are natural climbers, but they do not belong indoors. To learn how to train a pothos climb, first learn how they develop naturally and then recreate similar conditions.
Among tropical vine plants like Pothos, rainforests are their natural habitat. As these plants develop towards the dense canopy in pursuit of sunlight, they send out aerial roots that attach themselves to the tree bark.
The good news is that Pothos can be trained to climb indoors or even outside in the garden. In this article, we will discuss how to train Pothos to climb.
Pothos will grow indoors with little attention. They are not picky plants and should thrive as long as they receive indirect sunlight, warmth, moisture and ventilation.
Pothos propagate by sending out shoots that can root in the soil, water, or humid air. They are great plants for the home because they clean the air and do not require much attention.
These plants feature elastic stems that can be sculpted into different shapes. Because these plants tend to grow quickly, training maintains the stems neatly. Because training offers you an underlying shape to cut back to, choosing which stems to trim will become easier.
A Guide on How To Train Pothos To Climb
Pothos plants’ aerial roots serve two roles. They aid in extracting nutrients from the air and serve as anchors by attaching to solid surfaces.
Pothos plants can be trained to climb using a variety of things. Train it to climb a wall, expand across the wall from a ledge, or dangle from the ceiling in a hanging basket.
If you want to cover the entire wall, use a combination of colors. Pothos only climb to seek light when necessary and when they have anything to cling to. Indoors, the walls might serve as a stronghold. You’ll need to offer a proper anchoring mechanism if you want to grow away from a wall.
Train Pothos To Climb by Pole Training
- It simply provides a central support framework for climbing plants, which helps prevent some larger plants from drooping as they grow.
- Pothos vines will grow naturally to seek out sunlight if they can climb on a trellis or other surface.
- If the vine keeps growing at the same speed as it keeps expanding, you may need to give your Pothos climbing support with a green pole.
- Use green poles that measure 10 feet long and 1 inch in diameter. Remove leaves from the vine’s stem and tie a loose knot around the pole.
- Anchor the pole in the center of the dirt and use gardening wire or twine to attach the plant to the pole at some locations on the stem.
- If your plant’s stems are flexible, you can coil it loosely all-around pole as it develops, securing the stems with wire or thread.
- Be sure to add more layers of knots as you continue to add inches to your pothos’ length.
- You can expect shoots below each leaf node when the plant is fully trained up its support pole.
- Leave the rest to the plant. If your plant is a fast growth, ensure the pole is at least twice as tall as your plant.
Train Pothos To Climb by Hoop Training
- Hoops and trellises can help support pothos vines as they grow.
- Pothos will attach itself to a hoop or trellis frame with aerial roots that form at the leaf nodes of the vine stem. This is known as directional growth.
- Adding another hoop may be necessary as your plant continues to grow.
- Choosing support for your Pothos will depend on how you want it to look in the future.
- A grid trellis with an open weave is ideal for allowing sunlight and air to develop aerial roots, but any hoop or trellis frame could work.
- If you choose a framework with openings, you can add a layer of plastic or another material to limit the amount of sunlight and ventilation your plant receives.
- Some enthusiasts wrap mesh around hoops and trellises to create a greenhouse effect for their pothos vines.
- When attaching your Pothos to the framework, monitor the aerial roots that form at each leaf node.
- Support each aerial root as it forms with twine, wire, or another strong material to support the vine and allow for some movement.
- You can train your pothos vines around a hoop or trellis frame using the same method as you would for pole training.
Train Pothos To Climb by Indoor Wall Training
- Many enthusiasts prefer to train pothos vines indoor and attach them to a wall.
- If you choose an indoor training method, you will need to provide support for your plant while it is young or until the stem thickens and branches out.
- Using wire or twine, tie the vine’s stem loosely to a hoop frame, trellis, nails or another solid framework that can be attached to a wall.
- Attach the hoop, trellis, nails or other frameworks securely to the wall and monitor your plant as it grows.
- Place the nails or hooks in the preferred pattern on your wall and link them with lengths of rope. There’s a lot of room for imagination here. You could use your plant to frame a window, fan out many strands of thread across a wall, or create geometric designs for your plant to hang to.
- Beginning with the longest and making your way down, wrap your vining plant stems all around the thread. Make sure there’s plenty of string for the plant to grow on.
- Be sure to provide your plant with directional support as aerial roots form.
- Continue to attach new shoots as they appear with wire or twine until you have used as much of the plant as you want to.
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- Why My Pothos Leaves Are Are Turning Yellow?
Final Remarks
Before planting your pothos vine, ensure you have planned out your design. Although these plants can be trained to grow in almost all directions, it’s best to choose an angle and plan out your plant’s support accordingly.
Choose a surface to attach your plant depending on how you want your plant to look and the amount of support you can provide.
If you choose to train your Pothos on a trellis or other structure, be sure the pieces will stand up as the plant grows. Remember that it’s more difficult for aerial roots to form as your Pothos reach maturity than they do when they are young.
If you train your Pothos on a trellis or hoop, you will have to wait until the plant fully matures before cutting through the structure and harvesting.
Remember aerial roots need to attach themselves permanently for support, so your pothos vines do not become top-heavy as they grow larger. Continue to lightly train new shoots as they appear, so the plant stays out of your way and looks attractive.
These vines can be trained to grow indoors and attach themselves to a wall, but be aware that these plants do require both light and ventilation. Plants attached only by aerial roots may not produce leaves or flowers if they do not receive enough sunlight in your home.
Be sure to check on your plant every few months and continue to train, adjust and remove any new shoots that form. With the right amount of care and attention, your pothos vines can be grown in any direction as you now know how to train Pothos to climb.