You need a new pot for your Pothos, but what kind will it like? Planters come in a huge variety of different shapes, colors, sizes, and materials. This post will explain what you should consider when looking for the best Pothos pot. It will also offer some helpful tips on relocating your plant when the time comes.
The best pot for a Pothos is about 2 inches wider than the root mass, with a drainage hole to avoid overwatering. Terra cotta pots are usually best if your Pothos is in dim lighting – it’s harder to avoid overwatering with plastic, metal, or glazed containers. Repot your Pothos every 1-2 years.
Picking the best pot for your Pothos makes it easier to water correctly. But you’ll also need to consider its growth rate, its location, and your own care practices. Here’s our guide to choosing and using the right Pothos pot.
What Size Pot is Best for a Pothos?
You can probably guess that pot size depends on plant size. The best pot for a Pothos should be large enough to give the roots room to grow. At the same time, it should be small enough that the soil doesn’t massively outweigh the roots. The more potting mix is in the container, the longer it takes to dry out. This makes it much easier to smother or rot your Pothos roots by overwatering.
You can strike the right balance by choosing a pot that’s 2 inches wider than the root ball. If you don’t want to uproot your plant until you’re ready to repot, you can usually assume the roots are the same size as the current pot. Pothos grow quickly, and it doesn’t take their roots long to reach the edges of their containers.
You might need to choose a larger pot than normal if your Pothos is badly overgrown. When you take your plant out of the soil, take a look at the roots. Are they wrapped around in circles and squeezed tightly together? If so, your plant has been too big for its pot for some time. Consider potting up 3-4 inches instead of 2.
Alternatively, you could root prune your Pothos before repotting, as trimming back the roots removes the need for a larger pot. You can keep your plant at or near its current size for as long as necessary by root pruning once every 1-2 years. To do this, saw off the bottom ⅓ of the root mass with a serrated garden knife. Disinfect the blade first with a 10% bleach solution or some rubbing alcohol.
What Material is Best for a Pothos Pot?
Clay, ceramics, plastic, and metal are the most common materials for houseplant pots. But you’ll also find plenty of options made of stone, concrete, glass, wood, fiberglass, and even fabric. Most of these materials will work fine for a Pothos. The biggest differences are in their durability and breathability.
Materials like plastic, metal, glass, and fiberglass only allow water to evaporate from the soil surface. That means these types of pots take longer to dry out. That’s fine if your Pothos is in a fast-draining potting mix and getting a good amount of sun. However, if the soil is dense or the room doesn’t get much light, an impermeable pot may dry too slowly. Be extra careful about your watering habits with this type of container.
Porous materials allow water vapor to escape from the sides of the pot so that the soil can dry out more quickly. This is why many people use pots made of unglazed clay, AKA terra cotta. They’re great if:
- the lighting is dim
- your potting mix doesn’t drain very fast
- you have a tendency to overwater
Note that glazing seals up the tiny pores that let clay breathe. A glossy, painted ceramic pot isn’t terra cotta and won’t help with overwatering.
The main drawback of terra cotta is that it’s very fragile. Your pot will shatter if you drop it or accidentally strike it too hard. Concrete is another porous material that’s a little sturdier, but it’s heavier, costlier, and still not shatter-proof. Wooden planters breathe well but tend to decay in just a couple of years.
A less common option is a fabric pot, which is highly breathable but not breakable. They can be a little pricy for their size, though, and the look isn’t for everyone.
Can a Pothos Grow in a Pot Without Drainage?
The best pot for a Pothos is always one with a drainage hole. It’s possible to grow Devil’s Ivy in a container without holes in the base, but it’s a lot harder. The water sits in the soil for longer, increasing the risk of root rot.
What if you find a pot that perfectly fits your personal style but has no drainage hole? If it’s plastic, you can easily drill through the bottom to add a few openings. This is a lot harder with glass or ceramics, though you can do it with a special carbide-tipped drill bit.
A simpler option is to use the solid-bottomed pot as a cachepot. (Pronounced “cash-poe” if you want to be true to the word’s French origins). Find a slightly smaller plastic pot with a drainage hole and plant your Pothos in that. Then hide this pot inside the fancier one, taking it out only for watering.
You’ll still have to be careful not to let liquid build up in the cachepot. The easiest option: when watering, take the smaller pot out and hydrate it in the sink (or anywhere else it can drain freely). Wait for it to stop dripping before putting it back in the bigger pot.
You could also water the plant as normal, then come back in an hour or so to drain the cachepot. Just don’t forget that second part, or you’ll end up with soggy soil!
When and How to Repot
Devil’s Ivy plants grow very quickly with proper care. Most indoor gardeners need to repot their Pothos at least every other year. Once a year might be necessary if yours is particularly vigorous.
How can you tell you’ve waited too long to repot? For one thing, that lightning-fast growth might suddenly slow down. The roots might also start spreading out of the drainage hole since they’re out of room in the pot.
Another warning sign is that your Pothos gets thirsty and wilts very quickly after you water it. You may also notice that the water starts flowing out the bottom as soon as you pour it in. This happens because the overgrown roots have crowded out the moisture-retentive soil.
If you see any of these danger signs, you should repot or root prune your Pothos right away. Otherwise, spring is the best time to give your plant a bigger container. Since the days are getting longer, your Pothos will be receiving more sunlight. That will energize it and help it recover quickly from the stress of repotting.
When potting up your Pothos, you should also change out the soil. Use a coarse blend with good aeration and drainage. Our go-to potting mix for Devil’s Ivy includes 4 parts perlite, 3 parts coconut coir, 2 parts orchid bark, and 1 part worm castings. Moisten it lightly before adding it to the pot. You want it to feel like a sponge you’ve gotten wet and then wrung out.
If your Pothos is highly root bound, tease the roots apart slightly with your fingers. This will help them grow outward instead of wrapping up tighter. For the next 2-4 weeks after repotting, keep your Devil’s Ivy humid, avoid direct sunlight, and don’t fertilize it.
Final Thoughts
The best pot for a Pothos depends on the size, location, and growth rate of the plant. It also depends on your personal style and your habits as a caretaker. But in general, you should look for a container with good drainage that allows evaporation, since overwatering is one of the biggest threats to an indoor Pothos. We hope our guide helps you find a pot that lets your plant thrive.