Pothos is a very tolerant indoor plant that can frequently flourish even in the fluorescent lights of offices. Can pothos plants live outside? Can pothos be grown in a garden? In truth, it is possible to grow a pothos plant outside. Learn more about caring for and growing pothos outdoors by reading on.
Can You Grow Pothos Outdoors?
Table of Contents
If you are planning to plant pothos outdoors, you must first understand where the plants come from and their native habitat. This can give you more insight into whether the pothos plants thrive in your garden.
This understory vine is known as a popular houseplant, but the native plants are perennial evergreen that comes from Southeast Asia, Australia, and French Polynesia.
The Epipremnum aureum pothos lives outside in their wild habitat. The vines can grow up to 60 feet long and around 3 feet wide.
The indoor pathos has the same dangling vines and heart-shaped leaves. However, when pothos vines reach full maturity, the plant produces huge pinnate leaves with holes in the middle stem.
Other plants like the taro, philodendron, and monstera are similar to pothos plants. All of these plants have zero tolerance for winters, and pothos thrives in warm, tropical environments.
As an understory plant, they also like partial shade and indirect sunlight. They flourish in moderate, warm weather, and their need for some shade makes them better as indoor plants.
However, this doesn’t necessarily imply that you cannot grow pothos outdoors.
There are some areas of America where you can plant pothos outdoors. You can keep it as an annual plant, but you have to ensure that the lovely vine is moved inside the house when winter arrives.
If you live in a truly hardy area of 10-12 USDA zones, it can definitely be grown outdoors.
Care Needs to Grow Pothos Outdoors
While it is a popular indoor plant, the pothos thrives outdoors too. However, you have to take care of environmental conditions to make sure it keeps growing.
Needs for Pothos Soil
The native species of the pothos plant live in subtropical regions where the soil is aerated and light.
The soil needs to be well-draining to ensure that the roots of the plant don’t get waterlogged. If they do, it can lead to root rot. The pothos grows well when the soil doesn’t suffocate the roots.
When getting the potting mix for the golden pothos, pick one that is sandy and well-draining. You won’t need any extra irrigation for outdoor pothos plants. They can work well with groundwater and rainfall as long as the region doesn’t experience drought.
If you have planted pothos outside, you still need to keep them in a pot so that you can bring them indoors when the cold temperatures hit. But the potted pothos will definitely use all the nutrients from the soil quickly. No matter the potting mix you use, it will deplete nutrients at a rapid pace.
Hence, you need to make sure you have a strict fertilizer schedule so that the pothos can thrive. If you have planted it directly into the garden soil, it doesn’t need as much fertilizer since the nutrients aren’t used up as quickly.
Water Needs for Outdoor Pothos
When you grow pothos plants in the garden, there is a huge benefit that you cannot overlook. These potted plants can thrive as long as they have access to occasional rainwater.
It can be better for the plant than using tap water. Water from the tap has chemicals like chlorine and fluoride that can have a harmful effect on the pothos plant.
You only need to water the potted plant if the top three inches of the soil around the plant have become completely dry. Put a finger into the soil to check if it’s dry. Just like indoor plants, the pothos will not do well if it is overwatered.
Your plant will probably be fine outdoors unless you get monsoon conditions. Rain is probably enough for the plant, but if the soil seems dry to touch, water it!
If the pothos leaves turn yellow, it is getting too much water. Brown or wilting of the plant’s foliage can mean that it needs more water. The browning is a sign that there is leaf burn that can be dealt with more water.
Fertilizer Needs for Potted Pothos
During the active growing season of summer and spring, you need to make sure to outline a fertilizer schedule, as mentioned above. The outdoor pothos requires necessary nutrients, especially if it is in a container. The fertilizer will boost growth.
If you occasionally forget to give them fertilizer, you don’t need to worry too much. Pothos are hardy plants and will still overcome a little neglect.
Temperature Needs for Golden Pothos
When planting pothos outdoors, you need to make sure that the climate is suitable for it. The pothos thrives in temperatures of 70-90°F. When planting pothos, you should note that they can even take up to a low 45-50°F for a little while.
However, as outdoor plants, they cannot last long in prolonged cold climates. You will have to move the pothos inside to keep it lush and happy.
Since they prefer tropical forests, any conditions that are too cold, too dry, and too hot can be off-putting for the Epipremnum aureum.
Growing the Pothos Plant Outdoors
The reason why people love the golden pothos is that they look quite beautiful when they start to spread. Hanging baskets with the overflowing leaves of this lovely plant can be great. For plants outdoors, you need to make sure that you move the pot or hanging basket indoors when the climate gets too cold.
Hence, if you live in an area where the winter gets a little too cold, we recommend using a frost blanket during the night if you have planted it directly into the soil. Let them get full sun during the morning or in direct sunlight in such cases.
If you grow it in a pot, you can simply move the plant indoors. The pothos can live through the winter this way; otherwise, they will die out, and you will have to re-grow them for the next year.
Since the plant isn’t medicinal or edible, it is better to not waste the energy of growing another plant outdoors for the next year. These ornamental shrubs can brighten up the garden during the summer and add a pop of color as indoor pothos plants during the winter.
You might be concerned about moving a wive, but the pothos grows without clinging to other items. You can plant them in a pot or hanging basket with a trellis stick so that it merely grows without clinging.
In Conclusion
Moving the pothos indoors during winter is extremely important. The golden pothos is a beautiful plant, and pothos lives as hardy plants that aren’t bogged down by much. But you still need to make sure that you have suitable conditions for growing pothos. When you plant pothos, take care of their soil, water, temperature, and fertilizer needs to water the pothos grow.