Pothos Leaves Curling: A Complete Guides To Fix
The Pothos plant is usually low-maintenance and thrives in any environment; however, that does not mean they do not have problems. Curling leaves are a sign of you being careless with your plant.
Thus, what should you do to make them quickly bounce back, or how should you prevent it in the future? We will show you practical ways to avoid leaves from curling on Pothos.
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What Do Pothos Leaves Curling Look Like?
The healthy Pothos leaves are glossy and waxy, frequently green or mottled with yellow, white, or light green, and have a distinctive pointy heart shape.
So, it’s simple to notice curling leaves. As its name suggests, the leaf is somewhat curved and has the potential to curl under, or outward at the tip and margin.
The foliage may sometimes turn yellow or brown and wilt or droop for specific reasons. Thus, you must scroll down to look at all potential causes before applying treatments.
Pothos Leaves Curling: Causes & How To Fix
This plant species is a low-maintenance houseplant that typically survives in most environments. Nevertheless, if the leaves on your pothos begin to curl, they may appear unhappy and unhealthy.
Why are Pothos leaves curling? Here are the most common causes behind this phenomenon. Let’s look through and get some fixes!
Water
The inconsistent and improper watering schedule is among the most common causes of curling leaves in these plants.
Most novice gardeners accidentally overwater or underwater their plants, which is their initial mistake. While these houseplants are hardy and can survive in most environments, you should still pay attention to irrigation.
Overwater
If you overwater your pothos, the soil will be soggy, preventing roots from accessing oxygen.
They can’t effectively take in nutrients and water if oxygen is not sufficient, which causes the leaves to curl downwards and root rot in worse cases. Your plants may die if they develop root rot.
How to fix:
Water your pothos less! Wait until the potting mix’s surface is entirely dry between waterings. Moreover, it’s best to prioritize drainage.
You can use your finger to press into the soil to aerate it. If your plants suffer from root rot, the best solution is to trim any black or brown roots and repot them.
Underwater
How much water you provide for your Pothos may considerably affect their long-term health. Many beginners to indoor gardening sometimes misjudge the water amount required for their houseplants.
While these plants require low maintenance, you should maintain a consistent watering schedule and ensure the potting mix is roughly 1 inch deep and wet.
Pothos will fold or curl their leaves when thirsty to minimize water loss by reducing their contact area.
How to fix:
You can check the topsoil condition using one finger to press into the soil. If it’s dry, you should water your plants. Continue watering your Pothos until water begins to escape from the drainage holes at the pot’s bottom.
Most importantly, adjust the watering schedule depending on the humidity and temperatures in your region. For instance, you may need to water your Pothos more frequently in hot months than in wintertime.
Read more: Why Are My Pothos Leaves So Small? 5 Main Causes
Light
If your trailing vines are healthy, their leaves will be flat and broad and should face toward the light source.
Too Much Direct Sunlight
The leaves may get excessive light if they droop or curl downwards from the light source.
Excessively direct sunlight accelerates the evaporation of soil water and causes foliage to lose moisture more quickly than it could replace it.
How to fix:
You can relocate your plant to a location that doesn’t get as much direct sunlight or gets slightly less sunshine overall.
Too Little Light
Although these houseplants might be minimal maintenance, you still need to give them attention if you want them to grow and thrive.
The Pothos still require a considerable amount of sunlight when planted inside. If Pothos leaves curl or reach the light source directly, they may have received an insufficient supplement of light.
How to fix:
To solve the issue, place your Pothos in a location with more sunlight or one that receives more natural daylight throughout the day.
Disease Or Pest Infestation
Your Pothos’s foliage may get curled due to disease and pest infestation damage. Rotting roots issue is one of the most common diseases in this plant species.
You could notice the stem becoming brittle and the rhizomes rotting when your pothos receive excessive moisture that couldn’t drain.
The symptoms don’t appear immediately when a Pothos plant’s roots start rotting. If the Pothos leaves start to curl, the rhizomes can already be severely harmed.
Moreover, you should admit that you have ignored your plants sometimes. You could have rushed through watering and caring, missing a few signs of severe illnesses. As a result, your Pothos may suffer from pest infestations and get attacked. Bugs and fungi suck the plant sap causing foliage to curl.
Below are some bugs and insects you must pay special attention to:
Spider mites
Indoor Pothos may become infected by spider mites, which resemble tiny spiders. They eat the sap, which causes curling, and live under foliage.
Soft scale
Large insects called soft scales can mimic plant parts. You can see the insects eating the Pothos up close.
Fungus gnats
The potting mix of indoor pothos plants is ideal for fungus gnats. They may consume the roots of houseplants and organic debris for food.
Thrips
Attackers include invasive thrips, which have fringed wings. The backside of the Pothos leaves, where other insects are present, is where they prefer to hang out.
Aphids
Aphids have cornicles on their underside and are about the size of a pinhead. They have two needles that have the appearance of tubes, and they puncture the foliage to enable sucking.
How to fix:
If you detect any insects or bugs on your Pothos plant, it’s best to get rid of them immediately. You can use rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs to wipe the foliage down regularly to eliminate insects and bugs from your Pothos.
It’s also a good idea to use neem oil, insecticidal soap, and fungicide if heavily affected. If your Pothos suffer from root rot, you can trim harmed roots and repot them.
Over-Fertilizer
Every plant needs nutrients to survive. Fertilizer supplementation is usually necessary for Pothos and other indoor plants.
You may consider adding too much fertilizer to your Pothos plant in the hopes that the vines will become stronger.
It, unfortunately, is a grave error because the foliage might now begin to curl due to excessive nutrition. In addition, pothos may have nutritional deficits if you do not provide them with regular nutrients.
A few of them, such as a phosphorus and calcium shortage, can cause Pothos leaves to curl downward.
How to fix:
If your Pothos have received too much fertilizer, consider flushing or rinsing the soil with distilled or filtered water. Moreover, feeding your Pothos plant with balanced houseplant fertilizer and a consistent schedule is best.
Temperature Shock
The foliage of your Pothos plant may begin to curl downward at the margins if it experiences a sudden temperature shock.
High temperatures can speed up the pace of topsoil evaporation or moisture loss from the Pothos leaves. If your plants lose more water than the roots can take in, the foliage will begin to curl.
How to fix:
Temperatures 65 to 85℉ are ideal for pothos. Above and below this threshold, temperatures put more strain on Pothos and raise the risk of issues.
Furthermore, if you place the pots in hot places or near radiators, fireplaces, or furnaces, you should relocate them to another cool area.
Small Pot
The plant gets root-bound as a result of having several big roots stuck in a small room. It indicates that the rhizome system is overly grown for its container.
When the roots develop quickly, the pot has little topsoil left. As a result, the Pothos plant leaves will curl because of nutrient deficiency.
How to fix:
The best solution to this Pothos problem is to repot your Pothos in fresh soil. Ensure you check the container size and your plants before repotting to ensure they fit each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some questions people often ask about pothos:
What Deficiency Causes Curling Of Leaves?
Calcium deficiency will cause the leaves to curl. Plants need this nutrient to generate root tips and young growing points. Lack or without Calcium, new leaves, roots, and buds will appear with stunted growth and curling leaves.
Will Curled Leaves Uncurl?
The good news is yes! If you apply the treatments immediately and correctly, the leaves will grow healthy again.
Should I Remove Curling Leaves?
It’s not necessary. After you identify the root causes and apply the correct and prompt treatments, these curled leaves can recover. If the curling leaf foliage persists after prolonged treatment, you can trim them off to focus energy and nutrients on other new growth.
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