How do you save your underwatered Pothos?
Underwatering is one of the many reasons why plants suffer a lot in their life cycles.
And no matter how good you're at gardening, you do come across this situation now and then in your garden.
So, is there any way to fix this problem?
Yes, there are a few ways, and that's what we're going to find out in today's guide.
Let's see how you can revive your underwatered Pothos in a matter of few weeks.
4 Essential Tips To Save Underwatered Pothos
Here's a list of tips you should try while saving such plant -
1. Water The Plant Well
This should be your first plan of action!
When your Pothos plant looks underwatered, you should go ahead and water it well.
That's the only resort to keep it growing and hopefully bring it back to its normal condition.
Now, how do you water such a plant?
The best way to do it is by watering the plant until it drains out from the drainage holes.
This will ensure that the roots have received enough water.
Once you are done with watering the plant, do not water again after a few days.
Let it extract all the water from the soil for a week or so.
If you water it again after 3-4 days, it will create an overwatering situation.
And that's something you should try to avoid at any cost.
2. Move The Pot Near Shady Place
Since your Pothos plant is already under stress due to underwatering, there is no point in keeping it in the sun for long.
It will dry out the soil even more quickly.
So, the only thing you should do in such a case is to move the plant to a place where it doesn't receive direct sunlight.
This will help in cooling off the plant.
Once the plant revives, you can move it back to the same place where you'd kept it earlier.
3. Uproot The Plant And Keep It In Water
Tried watering the plant?
If it still can't show any sign of revival, you should uproot it from the soil and keep it in water for a few days.
And don't worry, it won't cause any issue to the plant.
However, don't forget to replace the water after a couple of days.
Otherwise, the stagnant water will invite more issues to the plant.
As for the process, you will have to follow it for a couple of weeks until the plant shows any signs of revival.
When the leaves start to look fresh, you can remove the plant from the water and repot it into a regular planter.
But as I said, you need to wait for at least a couple of weeks before you think of repotting.
4. Mist Your Pothos Plant
If the temperatures are soaring at your place, you should mist the plant.
This should only be done in summer or spring, though, as you don't want the water to remain on the surface of the plant.
If the water stays on the plant, it will attract fungus and bacteria.
So, even if the misting helps freshen up the plant, you should only do it when the conditions are favorable.
Also, your should perform misting in the early mornings only, as it allows the excess moisture to evaporate in the air throughout the day.
If you do it in the evening, there is a possibility that the plant remaining drenched all night.
Hence, try to avoid watering or misting your Pothos in the evening.
Below, I have shared a few insights on how to find an underwatering situation in your plant.
Check out the following section to know more about it.
7 Signs Of Underwatered Pothos
Alright, so, here are the typical signs of an underwatered Pothos plant -
1. Leaf Curling/Droopy Leaves
When the water levels go down in the pot, the first thing you see is the leaf curling issue or the droopy leaves issue.
This is an indication from the plant that there is a lack of water resource in the pot, and it needs water immediately.
If you see a similar issue on your Pothos, you shouldn't wait for too long.
Because it's fairly easy to rejuvenate the plant at this stage.
If you wait any longer, you may have to deal with some of the other issues mentioned in this guide.
2. Brown Tips
Brown tips is another typical problem that arises due to underwatering or irregular watering in your indoor plants.
If you see the tips of Pothos turning brown or black, it's a sign that you have gone wrong with the watering frequency.
Even though this indoor plant can do well with less watering, you shouldn't expect it to look fresh with underwatering.
Ultimately, it's going to affect the plant, and it will start exhibiting issues like the brown tips problem.
3. Branches Falling Flat
Like the droopy leaves, you will also see branches falling flat on the surface.
Initially, they will look dull when the water resource begins to deplete in the pot.
But later, the branches will have no energy to lift them off the ground.
So, this is definitely a sign of underwatering in your Pothos plant.
4. Crisp Leaf Surface
Do the leaves and branches look alright?
Check the surface of the leaves.
Touch some of the leaves with your fingers and feel the texture.
If they feel crisp and dry, you know it's time to water the plant.
You will see this characteristic on the outer leaves of the plant, as they tend to receive water and nutrients in the end.
Also, these leaves get exposed to the sun more often than some of the inner leaves.
So, make sure you check the leaves on the outward growing branches.
5. Yellow Leaves
Seeing yellow leaves on your Pothos?
That's another sign of underwatering!
When the plant gets less water, some of its older and weaker leaves turn yellow.
This also happens when you overwater your plant.
The only difference between the two signs is that the bottom leaves begin to turn yellow when the plant is overwatered.
If it is underwatered, you may see some random leaves changing the color to yellow and brown.
6. No New Leaves Or Branches On The Plant
If you have been providing less water to your plant for an extended period, it will stunt the overall growth.
And you will probably not see any new growth in terms of fresh leaves or branches.
This generally happens when you underwater the Pothos for weeks and months.
When there is not much water in the system, the plant gets into survival mode and stops its focus on growth.
7. Dried Soil In The Pot
Last but not least, check the soil!
Does it look absolutely dry?
If you don't remember when was the last time you've watered your Pothos, you should take a look at the soil.
If you don't see any moisture below 1-2 inches under the surface, the plant is underwatered and should be watered as soon as possible.
How To Avoid Underwatering Situation In Your Pothos Plant
The only solution to avoid this problem is by following the right watering schedule for your plant.
There is no other way around it.
You have to water your plant regularly, and it's the ultimate thing that can save your plant from being underwatered.
If you struggle to follow a specific schedule, you can simply look at the soil.
When the soil appears dry, you can water the plant.
In the next section, you will find the answers to the FAQs by the readers.
FAQs
An underwatered Pothos will look like a limpy plant with most of the leaves and branches falling flat.
You should inspect the soil to know whether your Pothos is overwatered or underwatered.
The dry soil is an indication of underwatering, whereas wet soil with curled down leaves is a sign of overwatering.
When the leaves start drooping a bit, you need to water your Pothos.
Other than that, it would help if you observed the soil condition.
If it seems parched, you need to consider watering the plant.
You can water the Pothos plant every 7-10 days.
In summers, you may increase the watering frequency depending on the humidity levels.
Yes, you can mist your Pothos!
But don't overdo it, and try to avoid it in cooler weather conditions.
Over To You
Underwatering can be a troubling issue, especially if you are new to indoor gardening.
But I'm sure the tips and suggestions shared in this guide will help in solving this problem for you.
In case you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
If any of these tips worked for your Pothos, do share this guide with your friends and family.
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