Snow queen pothos is one of the best indoor plants that I often recommend for those who want to start small. These pothos plants are durable yet inexpensive, and they are very easy to take care of. Even better, snow queen pothos makes amazing air purifiers so you can have a whole collection of these pothos plants too. You can begin growing your snow queen pothos as a table plant then expand the pots later if you like. No matter how many of them, the caring and growing tips that I share below will be useful for you.
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1. Basic Caring Tips For Snow Queen Pothos
Snow queen pothos is not only easy to care for but also very pretty to grow in any space. The cool part about this pothos is that it is also a trailing vine that creates a beautiful display in the room. To make this happen, you should know some caring tips for them so that they can flourish and grow. You will find some of the basic tips below, so feel free to check them out.
1.1. Fertilizer
A snow queen needs to eat, and this is why fertilization is important for their life and survival. The good thing is that it is not a big problem to worry about because these pothos needs very little fertilizing. As one of the best indoor greeneries for busy people, you don’t even need to add any fertilizer to them. Some owners add fertilizer to snow queen pothos every two months, especially during the growing season. This is to ensure that it receives all the important nutrients for its growth and health. In case you use fertilizer choose the one that is slow-release like seaweed fertilizer or worm castings. Make sure to not over add it because it can result in other diseases or problems to the plant.
1.2. Humidity
As tropical and subtropical forest plants, these queen pothos plants thrive in mid-humid conditions. You want the humidity in the room to be high enough so that it can live happily. If not, you can mist its leaves every week or ten days to maintain the humidity for the plants. When you water it, make sure that the leaves are not dripping wet with water. That is because it can lead to fungal problems for both the leaves and plants.
Things are more convenient if you have a humidifier in the room to maintain a stable humidity level. The best level should be between 50% to 75%, and your snow queen pothos will definitely love it. You can also create a higher humidity by filing a small tray with water and pebbles. Simply set the pot on top of the tray, and you will be able to provide it with better humidity right away.
1.3. Light
You don’t need bright and direct sunlight for a snow queen pothos to grow because it does not need that. The perfect condition for it should be either indirect light or partial shade, and you must keep them from direct light. A few hours of direct natural sunlight a day will do, and it is very easy and simple. The thing that you should know is that its color and variegation will fade in very low light conditions. However, some people prefer the fade variegation so they keep the plant in low light spots. An area near the window or on the table is good, and this type of location is easy to find. Just make sure to avoid direct sunlight, and your plant will surely thrive even in low light.
1.4. Pot
This is an important factor that many plant owners forget to think about when they first get their plants. You want your pot to have well-draining holes, not just the pretty designs for the room. Choose the ones with drainage holes at the bottom so that there is no water accumulation that can cause root rot. Since repotting is not necessary often for the plants, make sure to choose the right one. Pick the pots that have draining holes to promote proper aeration of the soil, and that is all you need. So when you water the plant, you won’t have to worry about water building up anymore.
1.5. Propagation
Another thing that I like about snow queen pothos is that it is very easy to propagate, even for beginners. All you need to do is cutting the stems that have a node on them then place them in the water. The roots will start to sprout, and you will be able to transplant them into a small pot with soil right away. This process takes just a few weeks, and you will be able to expand your pothos collection in no time. In case you are new to this, there is a video guide that you can follow below.
1.6. Pruning
By regular pruning, your Epipremnum Aureum snow queen pothos will grow in a proper shape with healthy foliage. Another benefit of pruning is that it creates the bushy appearance of the pothos plant that makes it look attractive. The best time to prune the plants is when there are damaged or dead leaves and vines. It is normal for them to have dead leaves sometimes, and pruning is essential because it creates new a room. Then new fresh leaves will grow, and the color of the plant is always green and pretty. However, do not prune it excessively because the leaves will not regrow without any leaves left.
1.7. Soil
Just like all pothos and plants, this one also requires fast-draining and high-quality soil to grow in. You want to make sure that the soil drains well so that there is no water accumulation. Along with that, make sure that the pH level of the soil is between 6.1 and 6.5. You can also mix your own soil by combining one part perlite and two parts soil. This mixture is very ideal for indoor plants, and you can use it with all types of plants out there. Peat moss will also do because peat moss is a good-quality mix that pothos plants love. As long as the soil is well-draining to allows for nice air and water flow, it is good for the plant.
1.8. Temperature
Things can be a little tricky with this pothos plant because it prefers indoor temperatures to be around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. What you need to do is to prevent the temperature from dropping to below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow queen pothos plant can tolerate higher temperatures but not direct sunlight. So they still can do well even if the weather is hot outside and high temperature inside. Since they are not made for cold weather, you want to prevent your pothos plants from experiencing one.
1.9. Watering
If you want just the best thing for your snow queen pothos, keep it on the dry side. That is because this type of plant prefers to be in soil that is almost dry instead of moist. This is why you should always test the soil before you water the plant with its weekly drink. Check if the soil is still moist before watering, and the water can wait if the soil is still moist. The best time to water them is every two weeks but could be more frequent on hot summer days. Another thing to know is that water is important for them during their growing season which is in spring and summer. This is when you should water them a little more frequently while keeping the soil dry still. As for the winter months, you have to let the water dry out even further.
2. Snow Queen Pothos Plant Common Diseases & Pests
Although it is hardy and robust, it is important to watch out for diseases and pests. Once you can identify the problems early, you will be able to treat your snow queen pothos plant fast as well. There are a few common diseases and pests that your plants are prone to, so let’s see what they are.
2.1. Bacterial Wilt
While propagation is easy, a disease like bacterial wilt usually happens after the cutting process. This occurs when the nodes get infected and fail to root as they lose their propagation ability. Wilting leaves is the first symptom that you will see when your snow queen pothos’ node has the disease. At the same time, the veins inside the leaves will turn black. Since the bacteria travel through irrigation water, it infects root hairs and the entire plant. The only way to fix this is to remove the water and discard the roots. Then you will need to propagate the plant again and make sure to use sharp and sterile shears.
2.2. Curling / Yellowing Leaves
When the leaves of your snow queen pothos plant begin to curl or turn yellow, it could be for various reasons. The most common ones are overfertilizing, overwatering, and underwatering, so those are the first things that you should check. Sometimes the leaves also curl in order to retain moisture in high temperatures to protect the entire plant. You can solve the problem by watering the plant to keep the soil moist if you underwater it. In case you overwater the snow queen pothos plant and the soil is too damp or soggy, repot the plant. You must already know that the pothos plant doesn’t need too much fertilizer, so remove excess fertilizer from the soil. Once you take care of and treat the problems, they will get better and show healthier signs within days.
2.3. Fungal Infections
Fungal infections in leaves of the snow queen pothos plant are quite common, and the fungus can also multiply. A fungal leaf spot occurs when fungal spores grip the pothos plant when they drift through the air. Once it adapts to the new environment and the pothos plant, it will spread in moist and warm conditions. When the disease begins, you will see brown spots spreading across the leaves and turn them brown within days. Even worse, the leaves can also turn black when the infections become more serious. If you detect the problem early, you have to carefully cut the parts and carefully discard them. You want to wrap those parts to prevent the spores from flying around and cause more infections. In case things are extremely serious and you are unable to fix them, you will need to discard the whole plant.
2.4. Mealybugs
If you experienced bug infestation, you will surely hate mealybugs as I do too. For wingless insects, mealybugs are very annoying because they often appear as cottony masses on different parts of plants. A large infestation of these can kill the pothos plant because they feed by drawing the sap from the plant. In fact, they are also one of the reasons that cause the leaves to become curly and yellow. The main cause that attracts mealybugs is either overfertilize or overwater. You can get rid of them by dabbing them with rubbing alcohol or using insecticides. Another method is by using neem oil because it can also kill these pests. Then make sure to regularly wash the foliage with a leaf shine to prevent future infestations.
2.5. Root Rot
The big problem about root rot in pothos is that it does not only affect the plant but also its neighbors. If there are other plants nearby, they will also face the risk of getting root rot as well. The signs that indicate root rot in a pothos plant are the dark brown leaves that resemble decay. During this time, the leaf’s vein and stems do not blacken at all. This is also another disease that occurs during propagative cutting of the leaves and nodes or pruning. To prevent this, you must always use sterile cutting and pruning tools to prevent this infection from happening. And to fix this, you will need to remove the diseased part and properly discard it. Then treat the remaining parts with a fungicide to control the spread.
2.6. Spider Mites
Not different from mealybugs, spider mites are also pests that attack many indoor and outdoor houseplants. The worse thing about them is the webs that they create which ruin the appearance of the snow queen pothos plant. You have to regularly check your pothos plants to make sure that you detect the problems with these pests fast. One of the fastest ways to get rid of them is by spraying these insects using a nozzle hose. The water pressure can remove them and some of their web from your snow queen pothos plant effectively.
2.7. Thrips
Thrips are one of the common pests that feed on the sap of houseplants both indoors and outdoors. These insects are tiny, and their colors can be black, brown, or yellow, and they have narrow wings. So they are able to fly or leap away if you try to get close to them during the inspection. You can easily spot them when you see tiny dark slivers on your pothos plants. They may be tiny, but these pests can damage plants by sucking their cells which stunt their growth. The easiest way to remove them is by shaking the branches and catch them by putting a cloth underneath when shaking. There are actually a few other methods that you can try to prevent thrips, and The Almanac has them all.
Final Words
Don’t worry even if you are new to pothos the plant because taking care of them is fairly easy. I include all the important tips that you need to know about the snow queen pothos plant above already. You also saw some common problems that your pothos are likely to have as well. And if you have more questions regarding the care for your queen, I am always here to help you out.