If you’ve thought about growing a glacier pathos plant, you might be wondering how to do it. Our guide will show you everything you need to know about growing and caring for a glacier pothos plant.
Glacier Pothos Light
If you keep it away from direct sunlight, it’ll grow in any light condition. It grows best in filtered light, shade, or dappled light.
Due to its white variegations, it benefits from bright, indirect light. It’s because leaves’ green parts collect sunlight and generate energy through photosynthesis. The white parts aren’t involved in this process since they don’t have chlorophyll.
Therefore, it needs more sunlight so the green parts can absorb as much light as a fully green leaf.
Consequently, more variegated pothos need additional bright light.
It tolerates low light. However, you must watch and notice its threshold. If these symptoms appear, move it somewhere brighter:
- Reduced variegations – Depending on the amount of light received, white parts gradually turn green. The plant is adjusting. Because there isn’t enough light, the white parts turn green to compensate.
- Slow growth. Less light means less energy production and less overall growth.
- Smaller leaves. The slow growth also contributes to this.
Similarly, plants grow toward the light. If the light falls mostly on one side, rotate it occasionally so it grows evenly. Otherwise, it’ll bend to one side.
Your pothos can grow in any direction. But remember these things:
- Make there’s enough light in the north since it’s the darkest of the four directions.
- When growing plants westward or southward, avoid windows with direct sunlight.
Finally, if you hang it, make sure it gets light on the top and the leaves. How it hangs makes a difference.
Temperature and Humidity of Glacier Pothos
Glacier pothos can handle many temperatures. It’s happiest between 60° and 90° Fahrenheit. It’s a great indoor plant since you can put it where you feel comfortable.
However, it doesn’t like frost. It’s only for gardens between USDA zones 9b and 11. In colder climates, don’t leave it outside from October to February or it’ll die.
If you live in these places, use a container so it can go outdoors when it’s warm and come indoors when it gets cold.
Avoid drafts, including vents, air conditioning, heaters, and windows with cold breezes.
It also likes low-humidity homes. 50% to 70% is the perfect humidity level. But it can tolerate humidity between 40 and 50%. Make sure your house’s air doesn’t become too dry.
Watering
It doesn’t need much water. Because it’s drought-tolerant, it will survive even if you miss a watering session.
However, don’t wait too long. It starts drooping if it’s thirsty. It’ll also look sluggish and tired and have dull or dry-looking leaves.
Water it immediately. It’ll liven up again in 24-48 hours. However, ignoring it repeatedly will slow its growth.
Follow these rules when watering your glacier pothos:
- Keep it dry. It tolerates dryness. But too much water is bad.
- Remember it can get root rot. Overwatering causes it; it can be fatal if not treated early.
- Stop watering if the foliage turns yellow.
Watering Glacier Pothos
Look at the soil to figure out when to water it. Here’s how:
- You should be able to feel the soil about two inches down. Don’t water if it’s moist. Water it if it’s dry.
- Get a more precise reading with a moisture meter. Stick it in the soil and check the digital reading.
When watering, slowly water until water starts dripping through the holes below the pot and then stop. Let excess moisture drain and return to its place.
Before watering again, let the top two inches of soil dry out.
Soil
It likes standard well-draining potting mixes. It’s not picky about soil type.
However, check if it has fertilizer. You can use this to decide if you should feed it. We’ll discuss fertilizer more below.
Fertilizing
Glacier pothos doesn’t need much food; less is better.
You can choose whether to fertilize your plant.
How to Determine if It Needs Fertilizing
- Soil has fertilizer. Potting mixes often contain fertilizer. If yours does, don’t fertilize until the soil dose runs out. Contact the nursery for the name since different products contain different amounts and kinds of initial doses.
- If you use compost or worm compost – Many amendments make soil healthier. These can replace fertilizer. They’re safe for plants since they’re natural.
- Fertilizer may be too expensive. It also builds up salt residue in the soil over time. The build-up eventually damages the root system.
- Synthetic or inorganic fertilizers leave more residues. Therefore, consider using natural fertilizer. Unfortunately, organic fertilizer costs more. Doses are also weaker than synthetics, so you’ll have to use more, adding to the cost. The plant still benefits over time.
How to Fertilize Glacier Pothos
- If your plant isn’t growing well or looks weak, it needs fertilizer. Be conservative. Take it slow and add when needed.
- Use a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer. 5-5-5 fertilizer is a good choice because it needs only light feeding.
- Dilute it to half strength before applying. Give it a spring feeding and feed it again in summer if it still needs help.
- Since it stops growing in the autumn and winter, don’t feed it again until next spring.
Toxicity
- The glacier pothos is poisonous to humans and animals. Keep young children or pets away from it. Ingesting it causes mouth irritation, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Pests and Disease
- The glacier pothos doesn’t have any major disease problems, but sometimes they get pests. Scale, mealybug spider mites, and thrips are their main enemies. Those bugs will spread to nearby plants. So, early treatment is crucial.
- To avoid root rot and fungal problems, don’t overwater your plant.
That’s what you need to know about caring for glacier pothos. If you follow the advice given here, your glacier pothos will flourish for many years.