How to Make Pothos Fuller: 5 Easy Fixes!
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Pothos may be nearly indestructible and thrive on neglect, but they can get leggy and sparse if not cared for using the proper steps.
I’ll admit- life, work, and other concerns have distracted me from properly caring for my pothos ivy, so there’s a personal investment here.
And you’re probably right here with me because you’re wondering how to make your pothos leaves bigger or how to make pothos fuller.
So we’re going to discuss the following techniques for doing just that:
- Proper pruning
- Create group plantings
- Supporting your pothos
- Getting enough sunlight
- Watering appropriately
- Adding fertilizer
Let’s dive in!
1. Prune Properly
The first method of beefing up your pothos is learning how to prune properly.
This houseplant will grow anywhere and across or down anything, especially towards a sunny window! Pruning will maintain shape as well as encourage new growth.
Here’s the why and how behind pruning your pothos:
For Optimal Health
Pothos, like many plants, will channel most of their resources to try and revive a dying leaf, which in turn will make the whole plant suffer. You’ll see less new growth, leading to a leggy pothos that just looks sparse and unhealthy.
Examine the leaves on your pothos, looking for any that are wilting or brown and crispy on the edges. Trim off dead edges and clip off leaves at the base of the stem.
Same with the stems. If they are growing bare or turning brown, clip these where a stem meets the branch and about 1/4 inch above a knot to encourage new growth.
To Regulate Size and Growth
Pothos can get pretty large and leggy if allowed to grow unchecked in optimal environments.
Moving in the direction of a bushy, dense shape may mean:
- Trimming off trailing vines
- Cutting back leaves
- Cutting off older vines that don’t have leaves
The sky is the limit-your pothos will be fine as long as you don’t remove more than one-third of the total foliage and stems.
To Revitalize an Older Plant
As pothos age they can thin out and appear to have fewer leaves, so pruning may include taking off some of the long trails of leaves to promote growth at the base of the plant.
It takes a LOT of energy and resources for pothos to maintain long vines of leaves, so trimming some of these back can revitalize your older pothos.
To Control Insects and Disease
There are a few types of insects that can affect pothos, including:
- Mealybugs
- Scale insects
- Spider mites
- Aphids
Insect-infested leaves can become shriveled or fall off altogether, leaving your pothos looking sparse.
Pruning removes these insects or the damage they leave behind, controlling the spread as well as keeping your pothos healthy.
For Propagation
This is the best reason in my opinion!
It’s so easy to prune a pothos sprig, stick it in a jar of water, and watch the root system start. You can also stick a pothos sprig directly back into the soil to grow a new plant.
Make a cut just below a knot, like the picture shows:

Each knot will grow a root, and each root means potential for a new plant!
Make sure you’ve got sharp scissors or pruning shears and clean before using on your pothos. This will keep your plants healthy and prevent the spread of diseases.
RELATED: In our post on Pothos N Joy, we go into a lot more detail for propagating pothos cuttings. Stop by to learn more!
2. Create a Pothos Group Planting
This solution is great for two reasons:
- Instant gratification
- Pothos plants like having friends in pots
If you’ve got a pothos in a pot that has room, plant another pothos there.
In the first photo, the current pothos only takes up half the space in the pot, making for a sparse look:

And here’s a look at the same pot after adding a new stem cutting (this is where you can put your newly-pruned to good use!).

It already looks fuller! And as this cutting takes root, it will grow into another full-sized plant that will eventually fill in all the empty space.
Want some truly immediate results? Here’s a photo of a newly-purchased Marble Queen pothos that really helps fill the space in another pot:

Be it a cutting or a full-size plant, be sure to leave enough room for the roots of both plants to grow without fighting for nutrients in the soil.
3. Provide Support
Pothos is low-maintenance, so providing support for the trailing stems is not usually necessary.
However, if you want your pothos to appear fuller, it helps to provide them with something to grow on or up.
Trellises, sphagnum moss poles, or any kind of plant stick support can be used to support pothos. Of the three, moss poles are probably the most common.
Here’s a photo of what your pothos can look like supported by a moss pole:

You can place a moss pole can in the middle or side of a pot, with trailing vines wrapped around and up in whatever shape you like.
If using sphagnum moss poles, use some florist pins to attach the vines to the poles.
If you like the idea of a small trellis, check out this leaf-shaped one from PeerBasics. And for plant sticks, this green-toned set is an Amazon fan favorite!
Also, be sure to talk to your pothos at once a week for emotional support!
4. Get Sufficient Light
As a native to the rainforest floor, pothos prefers indirect sunlight and a temperature between 65o and 85o F.
Good spots for pothos include:
- That space above your kitchen cabinets
- On your bedroom dresser across from a sunny window
- A plant stand next to your couch
However, your pothos still needs some light to produce healthy, full foliage. If your plant isn’t getting the sunshine it needs, it may drop leaves or dramatically slow leaf production.
If you think low sunlight might be the case, move your pothos to a brighter location. An east or north facing window is a great option for bright but indirect light.
You may see that the leaves and new growth will be directed towards the available sunlight in the room, so be sure to turn your plant to give all sides equal sun exposure.
5. Water Appropriately
If your pothos is getting too much or too little moisture, you may see leaves starting to drop off, leaving you with bare spots and a thin appearance.
Most importantly: Don’t water too frequently or allow water to stand in the pot. Pothos does not like wet roots, and they are vulnerable to root rot, a fungal overgrowth that can weaken or kill your plant.
Before giving any water, check the soil using the finger test to see if water is needed. If the soil feels dry to your touch about an inch down, it’s time for a drink!
For pothos in water, make sure the water level is above the base of the stem and no roots are above water. If the water becomes cloudy, pour it out and replace it with fresh water.
I’ve got my pothos on a watering schedule so I don’t over- or underwater anyone (I’ve got 7 pothos of different varieties-5 in soil and 2 in water).
6. Fertilize Carefully
Pothos are not very fussy and fertilizer is not usually necessary for this low-maintenance plant.
However, getting a nutrient boost can help your pothos produce new, denser foliage and more vibrant color.
When choosing your fertilizer, look for one with a balanced formula. This means whatever form you use (liquid, granular, etc.) needs to have the same amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (i.e. 10% Nitrogen 10% Phosphorus 10% Potassium).
Follow the manufacturer’s directions for dilution and application to prevent burning your pothos.
My neglected and leggy pothos have started getting this indoor plant food from Miracle-Gro!
RELATED: Fertilizer can help stimulate new growth, but overfeeding your pothos could lead to a new problem: leaf curling. Learn more in our post on how to fix curling pothos leaves.
Bonus: How to Make Pothos Climb
I know we’re addressing the topic of encouraging your pothos into a bushier growth habit. But as a natural vining ivy, pothos can also look fantastic while doing its natural thing: Climbing.
So let’s talk about how to make pothos climb in a controlled and beautiful manner!
Your pothos will grow long vines of leaves, but unlike some other vine varieties it will not really cling to anything on its own.
A decorative trellis, like this customizable set, can be both an attractive decor feature as well as a support for your pothos. Loosely tie some garden twine around each vine to hang them on the trellis in your preferred pattern.
Another method is putting hooks on your cabinets or walls where your pothos is growing to support the vines and create a jungle-like effect.
You can also put hooks across a kitchen window to create a pothos curtain or frame a doorway!
The great thing about pothos is it will grow wherever you direct it. As long as it’s getting what it needs (sunlight, water, etc.) it will return the favor with long, leafy growths we know pothos for!
Frequently Asked Questions about Pothos Growth
Final Thoughts
As a (somewhat) responsible plant owner and lover of pothos, I am taking my own advice. Whenever I utilize these steps with my own pothos plants, I see great improvements in plant growth and size.
Most of these tips require little time or money and can really make your pothos happy and full.
So if your pothos needs some help and revitalization, take the steps above and in no time you’ll have a fuller, brighter and happier pothos.
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Hello
I didn’t know pathos grew so fast or I would’ve wrote earlier. I was given a propagated one last summer. It had 5 leaves on it. Being new to growing plants.. I’ve done extensive research since.. I potted Polly (her name) in a 5″ pot. My daughter was in the hospital.. I lost 2 leaves then. Now I have 3. I’ve had3 since last summer. They look healthy. Over the weekend I repotted her back into her pot. I wanted a look at her roots. She has about a foot root. Thin, but not noodle or mushy and a few shorter ones. I repotted as stated earlier. She gets indirect light from a south facing window. I’m still not liking how she looks. I took her down and talked with her.. I’m one of those people. After much talking, I’ve decided to cut off one stem that the leaf looks healthy, but not liking the looks of the stem later today. I was going to repot her again in a 4″ pot and leave her be for a while. Now, I’m wondering about propagating her. What do you think? Also, this is plants in general. When there is a spot that needs cut off, do you cut straight across or try to save most of the leaf and cut as in an outline? One last thing..I got a dracanea from my Daddy’s funeral. I made alot of mistakes, but as I’ve said I have researched plants for hours since. All that is left is a mushy stem. I repotted it into a smaller pot after checking his root system. His name is Drac. I have 8 plants..all named. Anyway, the root system was good. Nice and white and thick. Multiple roots. He is currently under a grow light. Will he bounce back? My plants are Polly..pothos/Janet..dracanea Janet Craig/Mags..dracanea mag something/Lily..diffenbechia/fancy pants..bird’s nest fern/Corn stalks 1 @ 2..dracanea corn stalk and Drac..dracanea margineta. I look forward to your response.
Bonnie J. Howell
Hi Bonnie! It sounds like you really love your plants and want to do right by them- good job!
As for the pothos, I would hold off on taking any cuttings or repotting right now. The best time to propagate is when you see new growth emerging- this lets you know that the plant is directing lots of energy to stem/foliage growth. But do be careful with your watering since a 5-inch pot is fairly large for a single rooted stem. Wait until the top 2 inches of soil feels dry before giving any water. It sounds like your lighting should be fine, and it’s good to hear that you have healthy root growth. If I was in your shoes, I would try leaving things alone for now and watching for new growth.
If your plant has a leaf that’s damaged/brown/yellow, the entire leaf will have to come off. Plants can’t save just a part of a leaf- it’s one whole thing that’s either healthy or unhealthy. But if it’s just a small brown spot, I leave it as long as the rest of the leaf looks healthy. Unless it’s problem with a pest infestation or obvious disease, I let my plants take care of shedding old leaves on their own- I just take them off when they’ve totally dried out. 🙂
As for the dracena, it’s good that the roots look healthy. Typically, a plant will struggle to bounce back if it’s lost all its foliage, but I wouldn’t want to give up yet. Be sure to not overwater- wait until the top half of the soil feels dry before watering. And keep the pot in bright, indirect light. Hopefully, he’ll pull through and rebound.
Hope this helps. Thanks for asking, and good luck!