Skinny, viney pothos

Question

I have many pothos vines and was wondering if I could wrap the vine inside the pot if the plant would thicken up, as they are just flat and viney. If that would not work, how do I thicken up my plants?

Answer 1

You can wrap the vines around the top of the soil, and pin them down with paper clips or bobby pins, but you’ll have an unlovely mass of stems and a chancey shot at new leaves. A better plan is to reduce the number of stems first. Start by cutting back the vines, or just the long skinny ones that don’t have leaves, where they emerge from the soil. Cut each one just past a node — that’s the bump where leaves and roots emerge. Then take the pieces you’ve cut off, and cut them to lengths with 2 – 4 leaves and a bare node at the bottom, and stuff these back into the pot. OK, don’t just stuff them, dig a little hole first with a pencil or your finger, and press the dirt around them nicely.
You might want to repot the plant before you start pruning and replanting. You can also make several new pots by replanting your cut pieces of vine into new pots of soil. You can also keep the pothos from getting all thin and viney in the first place by improving light — enough so you can read a book, but no direct sun — and watering — don’t let the plant get so dry that the leaves start to wilt.