• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
keep your plants alive
  • Plant Care 101
    • Printable Plant Care Guides
    • By Plant Type
    • Glossary of Plant Terminology
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Subscribe!
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Plant Care 101
    • Printable Plant Care Guides
    • By Plant Type
    • Glossary of Plant Terminology
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Subscribe!
  • Shop
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Plant Care 101
    • Printable Plant Care Guides
    • By Plant Type
    • Glossary of Plant Terminology
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Subscribe!
  • Shop
×
Home » Latest Blog Posts » Plant care 101 » Troubleshooting

Why is my pothos not rooting?

Published: Mar 7, 2022 · Modified: Oct 8, 2023 by Morgan · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Pothos cuttings not growing roots? I hate that! Let's diagnose the most common reasons that your pothos not rooting!

Pothos plants are super easy to care for and super easy to propagate.

So, if your pothos isn't rooting, you might feel like a disappointed loser.

Have no fear, I bet we can figure out the problem and solve it together!

Other pothos content you might enjoy:

  • Golden pothos care guide
  • Cebu Blue pothos care guide
  • Baltic Blue pothos care guide
  • Marble Queen pothos care guide
  • Global Green pothos care guide
  • Neon pothos care guide
  • NJoy Pothos Care Guide
  • Why are my pothos leaves turning yellow?
  • Why are my pothos leaves turning brown?
  • Why is my pothos plant not growing leaves?
  • Why are my pothos cuttings rotting
  • How to move pothos from water to soil
  • Should I mist my pothos?
  • How to make pothos fuller
  • Can you propagate pothos without a leaf?
  • Can you propagate pothos from a leaf?
  • Can you propagate a long pothos vine?
  • Where to cut pothos for propagation
  • Pothos vs Snake plants: which is better for beginners?
  • Cebu Blue Pothos vs Baltic Blue Pothos
  • How to propagate pothos
  • How to propagate golden pothos
  • How to propagate a satin pothos
  • How to propagate pothos in soil
  • How often to water pothos plants
  • How to care for variegated pothos
  • How to revive a dying pothos plant
  • Why are my Pothos leaves curling?
  • How to identify and treat common pothos pests
  • How to divide pothos plant
  • How to make pothos grow bigger leaves
  • Why does my pothos only have one vine?
  • Can you grow pothos in low light conditions?
  • How to cut off dead pothos leaves
  • Are pothos plants toxic to cats and dogs?
  • Can you grow pothos in water?
  • Why is my pothos droopy?
  • Why is my pothos plant dropping leaves?

Printable Pothos Plant Care Guide

Join the (free!) KeepYourPlantsAlive+ community to access this exclusive printable plant care guide! Or keep scrolling for more!

Pothos plant care guide
why is my POTHOS cutting not rooting

Why is my pothos not rooting?

There are a few reasons that your pothos cuttings might not be rooting:

  • Your cutting doesn't have a node
  • Your cuttings are unhealthy
  • It hasn't been long enough
  • Your water is dirty
  • Your cuttings are too long
  • The cutting dried out
  • They aren't getting enough light

Your cutting doesn't have a node

Can you propagate pothos without a node? No! Pothos cuttings require a node to root. A node is the bump where leaves and roots grow.

No node, no roots. You can't root just a leaf with no stem.

Take a new cutting and try again.

identify a node on a satin pothos plant

Your cuttings are unhealthy

It is important to take cuttings from healthy portions of your plant, preferably spots with new growth.

If you take a cutting off a sad withered branch, or worse, try to propagate a piece that fell off half dead, you aren't going to have much luck.

It hasn't been long enough

You have to have a certain level of patience - roots don't form over night.

How long does it take pothos cuttings to root? It can take 2 months for roots to really form on pothos cuttings in water.

How do I make my pothos root faster? You can apply rooting hormone to speed up the rooting process. Make sure it has clean water and plenty of indirect sunlight!

rooted satin pothos cutting

Your water is dirty

Dirty water is not conducive to root growth. Change your water when it gets foggy or looks dirty for best results at growing happy root systems.

Your cuttings are too long

Cuttings need energy to make roots. If the cutting has too many leaves - or even too long of stem - it will spend its limited energy keeping those alive instead of on growing roots.

I love a long cutting for the potential of a new big baby plant, but it's better to cut it into sections and root them each separately.

pothos cuttings after 3 weeks

The cutting dried out

Unlike succulents, you don't let pothos cuttings dry or callous over before rooting them. Keep them moist at all times to get root growth when rooting in water.

If your water runs low or you kept the cutting out of water before putting it in, it could be too late, too dry, too sad for root growth.

close up of golden pothos leaves

They aren't getting enough light

Just like a baby plant, cuttings need bright indirect light to grow. They need that solar energy to put into the root growth! Consider moving them to a sunnier spot to encourage your rooted pothos.

Any more questions about why your pothos isn't rooting?

Thanks for reading!

About Me Plant picture

Morgan mcbride headshot
Morgan

Hey there, I'm Morgan, a houseplant enthusiast from sunny Charleston, South Carolina. Growing up surrounded by my mom's lush orchids and African violets, I discovered the magic of bringing nature indoors. Thanks to the pandemic, I delved deeper into houseplants, discovering their power to uplift moods and transform spaces. I'm here to spill all my secrets, helping you pick the perfect houseplant - and make it happy. Let's keep your plants alive, together! 😊

More Troubleshooting

  • Is your snake plant losing color?
    Is Your Snake Plant Losing Color? Here’s Why
  • polka dot plant leaves curling.
    Why are my polka dot plant leaves curling? 
  • Jade plant wrinkled leaves
    Jade Plant Wrinkled Leaves: Top 6 Causes and How to Fix Them
  • Mold on moss pole
    Mold on Moss Pole: 3 Common Causes and How to Fix

Sharing is caring!

Primary Sidebar

About Me Plant picture

Welcome!

Thank you for joining me on my plant-filled adventure here in Charleston, South Carolina! I'm obsessed with my houseplants and keeping my garden green. I want to teach you my secrets and empower you to keep your plants alive, happy, and healthy.

More about me

Popular

  • how to propagate a ficus altissima
    How to Propagate Ficus Altissima in Water (So Easy, It’s Addictive!)
  • the best plants and gardening shopping deals
    Prime Day Plant & Garden Deals (updated list!)
  • how to revive plants using kitchen staples
    How to Revive a Dying Houseplant Using Only Kitchen Staples
  • the best plants and gardening shopping deals
    Black Friday Plant & Garden Deals (updated list!)

Seasonal

  • Monstera Standleyana Plant Care Guide
    Monstera Standleyana Plant Care Guide
  • purple houseplants
    The Best Purple Houseplants
  • facts about jade plant
    7 Things You Didn't Know About Your Jade Plant
  • 9 things to know about jade plant
    9 Things Every Jade Plant Owner Should Know

Footer

Browse by category

Plant Care
Propagation

Plants by type
Troubleshooting

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 keep your plants alive on the Cravings Pro Theme