Pothos are stunning tropical houseplants that, with the right care, can grow rather large in size.
In fact, there are even some varieties that are considered giant pothos, which can produce a pothos leaf over 2 feet wide. That doesn’t mean, however, that all pothos can grow these large and impressive leaves..
Let’s take a look at the giant pothos out there and how you can encourage your pothos plant to grow bigger leaves.
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How do I make my pothos have bigger leaves?
If you want to encourage your large pothos to grow bigger leaves, you will need to meet its lighting requirements, stake the plant, and feed it.
1. Provide the pothos with the right type of light
Bright yet indirect sunlight is the best light conditions for pothos. Even if you’re not interested in large pothos, providing this type of light encourages healthy growth. And when your pothos is growing strong and healthy, it is more likely to produce a pothos leaf of an impressive size.
2. Support the large pothos
Large pothos plants typically have larger leaves, which can weigh down the plant. Staking the plant helps to stabilize its base and allow for it to grow to its maximum size.
Additionally, when a pothos is trained to climb a trellis or stake, it can help encourage the leaves to grow much larger than if they were left to grow outward.
Use a stake, trellis, poles, or other support to encourage the pothos to climb upward. Additionally, you will need to ensure the support is of adequate size to help maintain the structure your giant pothos needs.
3. Feed the pothos
Fertilizer is a useful tool for gardeners growing houseplants since it gives the plant vital nutrients that it needs to produce bigger leaves. For the best results, feed the pothos a 10-10-10 water-soluble fertilizer once a month from March to September.
You may also be interested in: Best Pothos Fertilizer for Your Plant to Thrive
4. Water the pothos, but not too much
The amount of water you give the large pothos will have a direct effect on how large their leaves can grow. A pothos that is overwatered or underwatered will experience a slew of health problems, including stunted growth.
To ensure your plant gives you those large pothos leaves you desire, you will need to water the plant whenever the top two inches of soil feels dry.
5. Recreate its natural environment
Pothos are tropical plants that grow the best when they have warm temperatures and high humidity levels. If you can recreate these tropical settings indoors, you will give your giant pothos its optimal growing conditions, which encourages strong, healthy, and fast growth.
This will, however, require keeping the temperature near the pothos between 70 and 90 degrees with a humidity level of around 60 percent.
Furthermore, make sure the pothos are not in an area where the temperature fluctuates drastically. Areas such as near exterior doors, drafty areas, or heating and cooling vents are not a good location for large pothos.
Related: Do Pothos Like Humidity? (6 Tips to Boost It)
6. Repot when needed
While repotting is not something that should be done regularly, it is necessary when the pothos has outgrown its pot. The plant’s growth will start to slow down when it outgrows its pot, which is not a good thing if you are trying to get your pothos to grow bigger leaves. So it is important to choose the best pots for your pothos.
Ideally, you want the container to be 2 to 3 times the size of its rootball. Only repot the pothos plant during its active growing season, and make sure to thoroughly water the large pothos after transplanting.
How big can a pothos get?
The Hawaiian pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Hawaiian’) is the variety with the largest leaves, with its ability to produce leaves that are over 30 inches wide. In comparison, the Global Green pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Global Green’) grows leaves that are only about 4 to 8 inches in size.
As you can probably tell from this, the maximum size of a large pothos varies from one variety to the next. Some types of pothos, like the Hawaiian pothos, feature large foliage, while others are much smaller. How well you care for the pothos can also affect how big this houseplant can get.
Pro tip: If you want to grow a giant pothos, you must first select a variety that has the ability to produce such large leaves. There is no way to encourage a Global Green pothos, for example, to grow foliage that is over a foot wide because this variety just isn’t built for that type of growth.
What is the largest pothos plant?
The largest pothos plant on record is a golden pothos that is known as Ester. This plant is said to be about 100 feet long and it resides in the Elko County Recorder’s office in the state of Nevada. It has been growing in that office since 1960.
The pothos variety with the largest leaves goes to the Hawaiian pothos. This giant pothos can produce foliage that is several feet wide, which is more than double the average size of other pothos varieties.