Selecting the best stem
Propagating pothos is one of the simplest ways to expand your indoor collection without spending a dime. The process begins with identifying a healthy, vigorous vine on your parent plant. Look for a section of the stem that has vibrant green leaves and multiple brown bumps along its length. These small bumps are nodes, the precise points from which new root systems will develop. Choosing a section with active nodes is critical, as a cutting without at least one node will never grow.
A healthy donor vine should feel firm to the touch rather than limp. Avoid any sections of the plant that show signs of damage, dry patches, or pale coloring. A veteran gardener once told me, “always choose a section with at least four distinct nodes to guarantee success,” which has proven true in my own experience. Selecting a longer vine allows you to make multiple cuttings at once, which will eventually give you a much fuller pot when you transplant them later.
Making the cut
Before making any incisions, clean your utility shears or kitchen scissors with rubbing alcohol to prevent introducing bacteria to the fresh wounds. Locate a spot on the stem just below a leaf node. Position your blades about a quarter of an inch beneath the node and cut at a clean 45-degree angle. This angled slice increases the surface area for moisture absorption and encourages faster root development.
Once you have severed the vine, strip away the lowest one or two leaves from the cut end. Leaving these lower leaves on the stem is a mistake, as they will sit underwater and decompose, spoiling the water. You should be left with a bare length of stem at the bottom, with two to three healthy leaves remaining near the top to catch the light and support the growing cutting. If you have a very long vine, you can easily cut it into several smaller segments, provided each piece has at least one leaf and one node.
Caring for the cuttings
Fill a small drinking glass or jar with cool tap water and submerge the bare stem, ensuring the remaining leaves stay dry and rest above the rim. Set the container in a warm room that receives plenty of soft, filtered sunlight — perhaps on a desk or a shelf near an east-facing window. Avoid dark bookshelves or deep corners where the lack of light will cause the rooting process to stall.
To keep the environment hospitable for growth, empty and refill the container with fresh water every four to five days. This routine replenishes the oxygen levels that the developing root system requires to thrive. If you leave the water unchanged for weeks, you might notice the development of mushy roots on the stems. Within ten to fourteen days… you will notice tiny white nubs emerging from the nodes. When these new roots reach about two inches in length, they are fully prepared for transition into a pot of soil.
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