I’m a longtime Pothos fanatic. Presently I have many Golden Pothos, Marble Queen Pothos, Neon Pothos, and Satin Pothos. When you have so many it can be hard to find the optimal spot for them all. That can cause your pothos to have small leaves or stretched-out leggy growth. Follow these tips below to learn how to make Pothos leaves bigger.
How to Make Pothos Leaves Bigger
If you’re reading this post you probably fall into one of two categories. Your Pothos has really small leaves and leggy growth overall and you want to find a solution so that the new leaves return to normal size like the rest of the plant. Or, your leaves are all a similar size but you’ve seen pothos can make really big leaves like a Monstera Deliciosa and you want o find out how. I’ll address both here.
Pothos Leaves are Small
If your Pothos leaves are small then something related to its environment or care needs to change. Take a look at the picture below to see if you relate. You can see that the growth toward the bottom two vines is sparse and the leaves are much smaller than the rest of the plants.
Inadequate Light
If you are trying to make Pothos leaves bigger, you need adequate light. Pothos are known for being very tolerant in terms of light. They are very popular office plants and can even do fairly well with little actual sunlight. However, if you want to grow your leaves bigger, then your Pothos needs more than just a survivable amount of light. This one above gets a little light from a west-facing window but is about ten feet from the window, which is likely not enough to thrive.
You should keep your Pothos in a window if you want to grow bigger Pothos leaves. If you want to be certain about the amount of light your plant is receiving, then you’ll need a light meter. Some can be quite difficult to use and overly expensive for hobby home use. The best one I have found and enjoy using is this plant monitor. I have a complete write-up on using it as a light meter. The reason is like it is that it pairs with an app and tracks the light reading 24/7, rather than giving you a single reading like a lot of other meters. The app also gives you optimal light, temperature, and soil moisture ranges for thousands of plants, including Pothos.
Water Issues
Too much or too little water could be causing your Pothos to have small leaves. Most likely too little water. Pothos are known for being forgiving with watering. They can handle soggy and even dry soil, but it’s not optimal. You definitely will not get big Pothos leaves if you are watering too much or too little. It’s a tropical plant so it’s better to err on the side of moist. My favorite moisture meter is just the cheap one you can get from a home improvement store. I’ve had it forever and it works just fine.
Fertilizer Issues
Your Pothos could be under or over-fertilized if it is developing leaves that are very small and you have ruled out water and light issues. It should be easy to know if you have overfertilized. If you have been fertilizing your plant, check that you have been following the instructions on the bottle regarding frequency and dose (many fertilizers require dilution). You might be under fertilizing if you haven’t been fertilizing. If you want to be sure, you can use these soil test kits.
If you have overfertilized, you can try flushing the soil by pouring a lot of water through the soil. Be careful that your Pothos can fully dry out from this. You don’t want to end up overwatering it. If you have been under fertilizing your Pothos you can use some indoor plant fertilizer. Look for water-soluble fertilizer because it absorbs faster. You can also freshen the soil by repotting your Pothos.
Really Big Pothos Leaves
If you have normal sized Pothos leaves but you still want to know how to make Pothos leaves bigger, then read on. First, you have to make sure you’re providing the optimal care that I have mentioned above. Second, you need height. Vertical growth will give you bigger leaves. Pothos is a vining plant. I generally grow mine as hanging plants, but the ones I have given moss poles or something to climb, are the ones that get big leaves.
Have questions? Share them in the Comments.
I'm a long time plant lover on the quest to happily coexist with as many plants as I can. Let's grow!