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Why is my neon pothos growing slowly?

Is your neon pothos growing slowly? Read our blog to discover why this may be happening, including tips on how to fix it!

Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a beginner, you’ve likely wondered, ‘Why is my neon pothos growing slowly?’

These amazing plants rely on you for their needs. For proper Neon Pothos care, they need plenty of nutrients, especially if they have a lot of stems and leaves.

Yet, they might not always grow as well as expected.

Sometimes, they will struggle to thrive as they should and will seem like they have been living on a diet.

If you’re busy, you’ll understand this challenge.

Well, we’re here to tell you not to be sad or afraid and that there are as many solutions as there are issues to this.

If your neon pothos is growing slowly, it can be caused by several factors:

  1. Not enough light
  2. Underwatering
  3. Cold temperatures
  4. Not enough nutrients
  5. Disease
  6. Insects
  7. Root issues

Many of these can cause various negative results – one among them is stunted growth.

So, without further ado, let’s take a deeper look at these problems and their solutions!

Why is my neon pothos growing slowly?

7 Reasons why neon pothos growing so slowly

Not enough light

You’ve probably guessed this one – too much light can burn your plant’s leaves, but not enough of it will do the exact opposite.

To make things even more challenging, pothos plants can easily thrive in low light, so you may need some time to realize that your plant is unhappy with its location.

They will look less vibrant and will start to lose color.

So how much light does neon pothos need?

For proper neon pothos care, provide them with a little bit more light.

Don’t just place them near a sunny window – do that gradually over a week or so. Make sure it gets about 6 hours of indirect light a day.

watering plants neon pothos

Underwatering

Needless to say, water is incredibly important for all plants on this planet, and these ones are no exception.

Believe it or not, it might just be the biggest reason why your neon photos are growing slowly!

If it doesn’t get the water it needs, it can’t move nutrients all through the stems and leaves, resulting in a lack of growth.

Other signs may include wilted leaves, brown and yellow leaves, and a severe overall look of the plant.

Having an incredible ability to mess up the growth of your plant means you need to have a very good knowledge of how to bring it back to life and thrive.

Check and re-examine your watering schedule. This plant needs water, but not too much.

Check the top inch (2.5 cm) of the soil; if it is moist after a week or so, don’t water your plant just yet.

wilting neon pothos plant

Cold temperatures

Neon pothos prefer moderate temperatures, similar to humans.

But, if you constantly leave them in rooms that are 50-65 °F (10-18 °C), they will not be happy about it.

Doing this will make your plant look wilted and exhausted because it has constantly tried to keep itself warm.

For a neon pothos that’s not growing, try to add it in a warm and toasty place.

Always go for the warmer option. If a room feels too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pothos.

dying neon pothos plant

Not enough nutrients

Neon pothos aren’t highly demanding in terms of nutrition, but they still require sufficient feeding.

You can take a small soil sample and do a quick test to see if it needs something.

Then, according to the results, you can add a little bit of fertilizer that is filled with whatever your plant needs.

Keep in mind that there is no need to add fertilizer if your plant has a sodium buildup (and this is probably what has caused the stunted growth in the first place).

Disease

Many people think a sign of disease is obvious, but not for this plant.

If you notice your neon pothos aren’t growing, then it might be because of a certain disease.

One of the most common in this case is root rot.

On top of the stunted growth, you might see small brown spots on your plant.

Saving your plant, in this case, is essential.

Remove it from the pot, knock away as much soil as possible, and rinse the rest, leaving only the roots.

Then, remove the dead and diseased ones, add some fresh soil, and place it in a new and clean container.

neon pothos - leaf reverting back to emerald green

Insects

Some insects suck the life out of your plant, resulting in a neon pothos that’s growing slowly.

They feed on the sap of the stem, leaving no room for the plant to grow.

Identify the issue by thoroughly inspecting the plant.

Remove them using neem oil and insecticidal soap if you notice signs of pest activity (mealybugs, aphids, red spider mites, scales, etc).

very rootbound plant

Root issues

The plant has become rootbound. That means that it has completely spread in the current container and has no room for further growth.

Simply put, there is no more room or soil for the roots.

Logically, this will result in stunted growth, though sometimes, it can be hard to notice.

If it is rootbound, pull the plant from its container and give it some more room if needed.

You can either transfer the whole plant to a new, larger container or divide it into two halves – put one back in the old container and the other half in another.

Before you go…

Now that you’ve learned the reasons why your neon pothos are growing slowly, all that’s left is to put your newfound knowledge into action!lg

Simply follow the solutions we have added here today, and you will end up having the most incredible pothos plant in your home!

Keep on reading – we have many informational blogs for you!

Thanks for reading!

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