Do you want a houseplant to literally brighten up your home? Neon Pothos care is easy but there a few things good to know. Here are the care and growing tips for you.
Oh, the color—be still my beating horticultural heart! Very few houseplants have this vibrant color so it’s a good one to add to your collection. Neon Pothos care isn’t too different from that of other Pothos, but there are a couple of good things to know.
Like the other Pothos, Neon is known for its easy care. Mine currently sits on the kitchen counter but I may hang it once the trails really get going.
Size
They’re sold in 4, 6, & 8″ grow pots. I’ve only seen one in a 10″ hanging basket. The 6 – 10″ pots often have hangers that you can remove if you wish to grow it as a tabletop plant.
I bought this one in a 6″ pot & the trails are only about 5″ long. I had 1 in Santa Barbara & the trails had grown to about 2 – 3′. I’m not sure how long they ultimately get but I was told 6′. My Golden Pothos currently has 8′ trails but that one is known for its creeping & crawling tendencies.
Uses
Neon Pothos is a trailing plant & is great in hanging containers. Mine is in a ceramic pot (it’s still in the grow pot) & sits on the counter in my kitchen.
I’ve seen them growing over hoops & growing up a tall piece of wood or moss pole as well as in dish gardens & in living walls.
Growth Rate
In my experience, this one is a moderate grower. If you have it in lower light & the temps are cooler, the growth rate will be slower.
Big Draw
Do I even have to say it?! The jazzy foliage & ample leaf size is what makes this plant a winner. When lined up with a few of my other houseplants, this 1 steals the show. Oh, and I also love chartreuse plants in the garden. How about you?
Check out the highlights of Neon Pothos care!
Neon Pothos Care
Exposure
This is where it differs from some of the other Pothos which can tolerate lower light conditions. Moderate to high light is the sweet spot for a Neon Pothos.
Just keep yours out of any hot, sunny windows. They’ll burn in no time. High light is fine but make sure it’s at least 8′ away from the (west or south facing) window.
If your Pothos is getting light from one side only, rotate it every now and then if you can. Those leaves will really lean towards the light source.
Note: If you want your Neon Pothos to keep the vibrant chartreuse color, then don’t grow it in lower light conditions. The leaves will revert to solid green & get smaller. A Jade Pothos (the one with solid green leaves) is a much better choice for lower light.
Watering
I water mine thoroughly until the water drains out of the pot & let the soil go almost dry before watering again. Here in the desert (I live in Tucson) that’s once every 6-7 days in the warmer months. It’s less often in the winter; maybe every 9-12 days.
How often you water yours depends on how warm your home is, pot size, type of pot, etc. I’ve done a houseplant watering 101 post & video which might help you out. Pothos are subject to root rot so it’s better to keep them on the dry side rather than too wet. In the colder months, water less often.
Note: Because this plant requires more light than to do well than some of the other Pothos, it might dry out quicker therefore you may have to water it a bit more frequently.
Temperature
This isn’t a big deal when it comes to Pothos care. They tolerate a wide range of temps. If your house is comfortable for you, it’ll be so for your Neon Pothos. Just keep it away from cold drafts & heating or air conditioning vents.
Plants grow faster in warmer temps, so if you keep your house on the cool side, your Pothos grow slower.
Humidity
Even though they’re native to the tropics, Pothos handle the dryness in our homes like champs. I live in the desert & my 4 Pothos show little if any signs of stress.
The stress I’m talking about is tiny brown leaf tips which are a reaction to dry air.
If you think yours looks stressed due to lack of humidity, fill the saucer with pebbles & water. Put the plant on the pebbles but make sure the drain holes &/or the bottom of the pot isn’t submerged in water. Misting once or twice a week will help out too.
Fertilizer/Feeding
I give the majority of my houseplants a light application of worm compost with a light layer of compost over that every spring. Easy does it – a 1/4 ” layer of each is enough for a 6″ size houseplant. Read about my worm compost/compost houseplant feeding right here.
I give my Neon Pothos a watering with Eleanor’s vf-11 2 or 3 times during the warmer months. We have a long growing season here.
You don’t want to fertilize your houseplants in late fall or winter because this is their time for rest.
Don’t over-fertilize your houseplants because salts build-up & can burn the roots of the plant. This will show up as brown spots on the leaves. Avoid fertilizing a houseplant that is stressed, ie. bone dry or soaking wet.
Soil/Repotting
I’ve done a post & video on repotting Pothos & the soil mix to use which applies to all the varieties.
I’ve also done a repotting basics guide which you might find helpful, especially if you’re new to the world of houseplant gardening.
Pruning/Trimming
You can prune your Neon Pothos to control the length. Then can get leggy over time so doing this will stimulate new growth at the top too. Pinching or pruning off the tips of the trails (1-2 nodes back) will also help with this.
I’ve seen other Pothos plants with a bit of growth at the top, no growth in the middle & a bit of growth at the ends. Cut those ends to propagate them & then plant back in the pot. It’s best to take off the bare middle stems too. This will help rejuvenate your plant.
Propagation
I plan on doing a Pothos propagation post & video within the next few months so keep your eye out for that.
Propagating a Neon Pothos from stem cuttings is so easy to do. I do it in water with great success but they can also be rooted in a light mix. Roots form off the nodes of the stems so they’re already on their way for you.
You can see me pointing at the nodes in the video in case you don’t know what they are. As your Pothos starts to trail, you’ll notice small brown bumps on the stems. Those are the emerging roots.
Here’s what to do: remove enough bottom leaves off the stems so you can get them in water. Be sure to keep the leaves out of the water. Fill your glass or jar with enough water to cover 2 nodes or so. Keep the water around this level & refresh it as needed (no green slime please!). The roots will be growing in no time.
The longest I’ve kept Pothos stems in water was 8 months & they looked just fine. I’ve heard that they can grow in water for a long time if given nutrients.
You can also divide a Pothos into 2 or 3 smaller plants. It can be tricky to do if the stems are intertwined but is another option.
Pests
My Neon Pothos hasn’t gotten any. When I lived in Santa Barbara my Pothos Marble Queen got mealybugs. I spotted them early on & took action with rubbing alcohol & a cotton swab.
When I worked as an interior plant technician, I also encountered quite a few Pothos with spider mites & scale. I’ve done posts on mealybugs, spider mites & scale so you can identify them & treat accordingly.
Pests can travel from houseplant to houseplant fast so make you get them under control asap.
Pet Safety
The Neon Pothos, like other plants in the Aracae family, is considered to be toxic to pets. I always check out the ASPCA website for my info on this subject & see in what way the plant is toxic. Here’s more info on this (even though the site says Golden Pothos, it applies to all Pothos) for you.
Most houseplants are toxic to pets in some way & I want to share my thoughts with you regarding this topic.
A Few Points
If the leaves of your Neon Pothos are turning a solid green, then it’s not getting enough light. Low light = more green & smaller leaves. The one that does the best in lower light is the Jade Pothos.
If yours is starting to get leggy, then pinch the tips. If it gets out of control (more stem than leaves) then you’ll have to cut it back & propagate.
A Neon Pothos can grow in water but they do best when grown in a soil mix. If you plan on growing it in water, then change the water frequently & occasionally add nutrients.
If you don’t want yours to trail down, then train it to climb up a piece of wood or a small trellis. I’ve also seen them growing up & over bamboo hoops.
Pothos are in the top 5 when it comes to easy-care houseplants. The Neon Pothos is no exception. And oh that gorgeous foliage makes it a winner!
Happy gardening,
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I didn’t know they need more sun than others! I’ve had mine in less sun for 2 weeks now and noticed it went dull. Will it get neon again if I provide it with more sunlight?
Lauren – Yes, especially the new growth! Nell