Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)— schedule & NPK
Also called devil’s ivy, golden pothos, money plant.
About Pothos
Epipremnum aureum · also called devil’s ivy, golden pothos · tropical
Pothos is a trailing aroid from the Solomon Islands and the most forgiving vine in the houseplant world. It tolerates low light, irregular watering, and a wide humidity range, making it the standard recommendation for first-time plant keepers. Toxic if chewed.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) originates in the tropical Pacific (the Society and Solomon Islands region), where it grows as a climbing vine that clings to rough bark with aerial rootlets and trails across the forest floor as ground cover.
Water moderately and feed during active growth, reducing both watering and feeding in winter when growth slows markedly.
Growth habit: Trailing or climbing evergreen vine
Sources: libguides.nybg.org, aspca.org, en.wikipedia.org
What fertiliser pothos actually wants — and why
Pothos is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for pothos: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed pothos, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For pothos:
Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 4-6 weeks from spring to early autumn. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 4-6 weeks — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when pothos is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for pothos
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for pothos: frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water pothos first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the pothos watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding pothos
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for pothos:
- Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering.
- A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge.
- Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed.
- Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself.
Signs you are under-feeding pothos
- New leaves coming in noticeably smaller than older ones.
- Pale, yellow-green older leaves and slow growth through peak summer.
- A general loss of vigour and gloss in a plant that should be racing away.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full pothos care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of pothos with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for pothos
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or fish-and-seaweed feed plus a yearly top-dress of worm castings supports fast growth without burn risk. UK: Westland seaweed or Baby Bio Organic; US: Neptune's Harvest or Espoma Indoor!.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A balanced houseplant liquid at half strength applied frequently — UK: Baby Bio, Phostrogen or Westland Houseplant Feed; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Dyna-Gro Foliage-Pro for steady leafy growth.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising pothos — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does pothos need?
A balanced liquid feed (even N-P-K) or a slightly nitrogen-leaning foliage feed — this is a big-leaved foliage plant putting on real size, so it wants steady nitrogen for lush leaves, not a bloom formula. Pothos is a genuinely hungry tropical — in bright warmth it pushes growth fast and rewards a regular half-strength balanced feed all season.
How often should I feed pothos?
Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 4-6 weeks from spring to early autumn. Balanced liquid feed at half strength every 4-6 weeks from spring to early autumn. For a fast grower like this that means feeding regularly — about every 4-6 weeks — right through spring through early autumn (roughly March to September), tapering off only as light drops in autumn.
What strength of feed for pothos?
Half strength every feed is the sweet spot for pothos: frequent enough to fuel fast growth, dilute enough that it never scorches even when you feed often.
What does over-feeding pothos look like?
Brown, scorched leaf tips and margins despite correct watering. A white salt crust on the soil or around the pot edge. Sudden leaf yellowing and drop shortly after a strong feed. Soft, weak, over-stretched growth that cannot support itself. The mistake here is the opposite of most houseplants: under-feeding a fast tropical in peak season starves it, leaving small, pale new leaves and slow growth — but full-strength doses still burn it, so feed often and weak, not occasionally and strong.
Should I flush the soil of pothos?
Because you feed often, salts accumulate faster — flush the pot of pothos with plain water until it drains freely roughly every month through the feeding season to keep the root zone clean.
Keep reading
- Pothos care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water pothos — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise monstera
- How to fertilise fiddle leaf fig
- How to fertilise philodendron
- All 200 fertilising guides in the Growli library