Roots in the glass: is your pothos ready for compost?

A glass on the windowsill can be the beginning of a new plant. The photographs show both the pothos leaves and its roots in the water. If your cutting has reached the same stage, it is time to prepare the next step: a small pot with room for the roots.

Let the roots guide you

Pothos can be rooted in water and planted once roots have developed. Go by your cutting rather than a set number of days. If it has no roots yet, it needs more time.

From glass to pot

1. Prepare a clean pot with drainage holes and moist, airy houseplant compost.
2. Make room for the roots before putting the cutting in. Gently fill around them and support the stem.
3. Place it somewhere bright, out of strong direct sunlight. Keep the compost evenly, lightly moist while it establishes, never waterlogged.

Keep an eye on the pot at first

Roots grown in water need to adapt to compost. Feel the compost and watch how the cutting responds rather than following a fixed watering schedule. Too much water leaves too little air around the roots.

Once the plant is established, the compost can become almost dry between waterings. Let excess water drain away. A pothos should not be left with its pot standing in water.