How to propagate a Satin Pothos plant
We are in love with Satin Pothos plants because of their incredible silver speckles leaves. Although they can sometimes be a little fussy to care for, propagating Satin Pothos plants is a total breeze! It really couldn’t be easier and soon you’ll have so many Satin Pothos plants you won’t know what to do with them all.
In this post, we will guide you through the whole process of propagating your Satin Pothos plant, from tools needed to step by step methods as well as issues you might face along the way.
Why propagate a Satin Pothos plant?
There are several reasons why you might choose to propagate your Satin Pothos. The main reason is probably just wanting to multiply the number of Satin Pothos’ you have without having to shell out any more money on houseplants! Plants and plant cuttings make great gifts for friends which is why we always make sure to take a few cuttings from each of our new plants.
The other reason why many plant parents choose to propagate their Satin Pothos is that their plant is either too long or becoming very leggy. Cutting your Satin Pothos back encourages bushier growth and is a great way to cut back that winter growth which may have become straggly or leggy. But instead of simply throwing away those special Satin Pothos cuttings, why not propagate them and start a whole new mother plant.
What tools will you need to propagate a Satin Pothos plant?
Let’s start off with the easy part. It’s important to make sure you have all the things you need before taking that first cutting.
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Healthy and mature Satin Pothos plant
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Spare pot(s) with and without drainage holes
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Fresh soil and water
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Newspaper or plastic sheet
Propagate a Satin Pothos using stem cuttings
This is the main method of propagating Satin Pothos plants as it’s suitable for all maturities and lengths of Pothos plants. It’s also really easy too as you can create several new Satin Pothos plants just by taking a short stem cutting.
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Locate a healthy stem
When taking a stem cutting you want to make sure that the part of the plant you are cutting is healthy to give you any chance of success. Avoid any sign of disease or pests as they will be transferred onto your new cuttings.
Ideally, you want to locate a stem that has several healthy nodes and leaves. A node is the joint in the stem where the root would grow out from (you will feel a slight bump running a finger down the stem). If you can, try to choose a section of the plant that already has aerial roots as this means it will be a more mature plant and propagation will be quicker.
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Make the cut
You want to use clean scissors/ shears or a knife to make the cut to avoid passing on dirt or any infection to the cuttings. Use your tools to make a clean cut across the stem leaving at least one node per section. If possible try to include 2-3 nodes and leaves on each cutting but it will also work with just 1 so it depends on how much you want to cut off your plant.
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Fill up your container with water
Next, you want to fill up a glass with fresh temperate water to place your Satin Pothos cuttings into. Make sure the water isn’t super cold or hot as this will shock or burn the cutting and weaken your chances at a successful propagation.
It’s best to use purified water so the levels of chlorine and fluoride aren’t as high as in the water straight out of the tap. A great way to do this naturally is to leave the water out for 24 hours to allow the chemicals to evaporate. You can also use filtered water or collected rainwater to avoid this sensitivity.
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Place your cuttings in water
Make sure that the nodes on your Satin Pothos stem cutting are sat in the water so that the roots will start to grow out from them. Place your glass in bright but indirect sunlight. Intense light will damage the cutting and prevent a successful propagation. You can use a light monitor to figure out if you’re Satin Pothos cuttings are getting the right amount of sunlight. You can also supplement sunlight levels by using an LED grow light which are great at encouraging growth in cuttings. We love this one which is available on Amazon here.
It’s at this stage that you might choose to use rooting hormone. This will help to speed up root growth on the new cuttings. We have always found this rooting gel to be successful – you can buy it on Amazon here.
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Change out the water regularly
One of the most important steps in the Satin Pothos propagation process is to switch out the water in your glass regularly (every 2-3 days). This keeps the water free from bacteria and stops it from stagnating which is harmful to your cutting. Stagnant water will also start to smell so it’s something you really want to avoid.
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Be patient
Luckily Satin Pothos plants are fairly quick at growing roots and after a week or two, you should start to see them popping through. It can be a little unpredictable though so just make sure your cuttings are getting enough light, warmth and fresh water and you should start to see roots soon.
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Plant your cuttings into fresh potting mix
Once the roots on your Satin Pothos cutting are a few inches long, it’s time to pot them into soil! We recommend using a high-quality potting mix to aid with drainage and aeration. Our top choice for soil would be this potting mix from Miracle Gro. Carefully place your cuttings a few centimetres into the soil, making sure not to damage the newly formed roots as they can be quite delicate.
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Resume usual Satin Pothos care
For the first few weeks of your cuttings living in potting mix, we recommend keeping the soil a little more moist than usual as the cuttings are used to living in water. But after a few weeks, you can go back to usual Satin Pothos care and soon those cuttings will be long enough to propagate again!
Propagate a Satin Pothos through division of the mother plant
This method of propagation only really works if your Satin Pothos is quite bushy and you don’t mind taking a chunk from it to form a new plant. But it’s a great way to propagate your Pothos plant if you don’t want to wait weeks and months for new growth. This way you get two (or more) plants instantly!
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Take your plant out of the pot
In order to propagate your Satin Pothos through division, you need to be able to locate the various vines and separate out the roots. Take your plant out of its pot carefully, trying not to damage the leaves or root system.
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Locate the various natural divisions
When looking for a part of the plant to divide it will become very obvious that there are various different offshoots and stems on your Satin Pothos. The best way to locate them is by following each individual vine and loosening the roots around it.
Shake off the potting mix around the roots so you can see the entire root system clearly. A good way to loosen the soil is to run your fingers through the roots to start to separate them. Don’t worry if a few break or fall out, this is normal and won’t cause much damage to your plant.
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Separate your plant
You may have to trim off the odd root here and there if they aren’t detangling easily but you should be able to carefully pull the sections and vines apart from each other. It’s ok if you have to slice around the plant a little to separate them but just make sure that each section ends up with a good amount of roots to ensure your propagation is successful.
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Place each section in fresh potting mix
Pop your mother plant back into its original pot (or downsize slightly if you have taken away a substantial amount of the original plant). Then pot your new Satin Pothos plant(s) into fresh potting mix.
If the roots aren’t very mature you may want to grow them in water for a few weeks but we tend to always go straight into potting mix when propagating Satin Pothos through division. Never reuse old potting mix from another plant as this can contain pests or bacteria that will transfer onto your new Satin Pothos plant.
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Continue normal care
That’s all, your Satin Pothos propagation is complete! Now your plants are safely in their new homes you want to resume normal Pothos care.
Satin Pothos Propagation FAQs
Here’s some answers to the most common questions we get on this subject, hopefully something here can help!
When is the best time of year to propagate a Satin Pothos plant?
You want to propagate at the beginning of spring for the best chance at a successful propagation. Make sure that there won’t be any more wintery weather as this could slow down any root growth.
Propagating in autumn or winter will mean that your cuttings will be trying to grow in the dormant period and you won’t see much happening as the rate of growth will be very slow. This increases the risk of root or leaf rot which can kill your cutting. Spring gives quite a few months of sunshine and a warm environment which encourages new roots and leaves to grow. It will also allow the mother plant to recover quicker from any shock caused by the propagation.
Should I use a rooting gel or powder when propagating my Satin Pothos?
Whilst it is not essential, you might choose to use rooting hormone to increase your chances of successful propagation. These products stimulate root growth on new cuttings, not only speeding up the process but also producing stronger roots.
Rooting hormone comes in 3 types: powder, liquid or gel. When using a powder rooting hormone you dip the cutting into water and then into the powder before planting directly into fresh potting mix. The moisture helps the powder to stick to the cutting. You only want to cover the bottom section of the cutting. Gel and liquid forms work in a similar way but are great when propagating in water first.
Using rooting hormones when propagating a Satin Pothos plant is definitely optional because they can sometimes stimulate too much growth which harms the plant and actually slows down the whole propagation process so use carefully and sparingly for the best results.
Can I use a grow light for my Satin Pothos cuttings?
Grow lights are great to use when propagating houseplants as they provide ideal light conditions for young seeds and cuttings so we definitely recommend buying one for your Satin Pothos cuttings. They can avoid problems caused by a lack of sunlight and help to stimulate faster growth. LED grow lights are also great to use more generally on your mature houseplants too if they don’t get enough light in autumn and winter so are a great investment for any plant parent.
What is a node?
It’s important that you are able to identify the different parts of the plant so you know where to make the cut on your Satin Pothos plant. A node is where the stem and leaf joints meet. On Satin Pothos plants you will often see very small aerial roots or stubs grow from these nodes. If there isn’t a root there yet, you may feel a little bump in the stem which indicates a node.
Can I propagate a Satin Pothos from a single leaf?
Unfortunately, as with most houseplants, you can’t propagate a Satin Pothos plant just by using a leaf. There needs to be at least one node on each cutting as this is where the root system will start growing from.
Should I fertilise my Satin Pothos cuttings?
Fertilisation is one thing you really don’t need to worry about when propagating a Satin Pothos plant. In fact, we strongly recommend against it until the plant is at least 1 year old. Fertilising too early can slow down root growth and cause a week root system as you are giving the plant nutrients directly. Fertiliser can also shock the young cuttings which can actually kill them or cause a range of issues.
Common problems when propagating a Satin Pothos plant
Propagating plants doesn’t always have a 100% success rate and you may encounter some problems along the way. But don’t worry, below we have all the main problems you may face when propagating your Satin Pothos so you can figure out what is causing these problems to arise and hopefully solve them before it kills your plant cuttings.
Why isn’t my Satin Pothos cutting growing any roots?
You should start to see roots growing on your Satin Pothos plant after a few weeks. They are one of the quicker plants to develop roots but they can still be very unpredictable. As long as your cutting has ample light (but no harsh direct light), enough warmth and fresh water you should see roots develop soon
If you are trying to propagate when the temperatures in your home are quite cool then this may be the cause of the lack of root growth. You can help to speed up root growth on your Satin Pothos cuttings by using a heat pad that you place underneath your cuttings. This warms up the area and provides an ideal environment for new growth.
Why is my Satin Pothos cutting turning mushy?
If your cutting is turning brown and mushy then unfortunately this isn’t a good sign. This is usually due to the cutting rotting in stagnant water. You want to make sure you are regularly refreshing the water (every 2-3 days or more) so that it doesn’t encourage the growth of bacteria. We recommend trimming away the mushy parts of your cutting and hoping that it can still recover and grow roots.
Why are the new leaves on my cutting small?
If your Satin Pothos cutting is starting to grow new leaves but they are much smaller than the leaves on the mother plant don’t worry at all. This is completely natural and simply due to the root system being less mature than that of the larger plant which means it can’t support the same level of growth. Give it time and slowly the new leaves will start to get bigger and you can trim away the smaller leaves if you prefer.
Why is my cutting turning yellow?
If the leaves on your cutting are turning yellow then it may be due to too much direct sunlight which has scorched the leaves. Root rot could be another cause so inspect the roots closely to see if they are mushy. If you have recently moved your cutting from water to potting mix take it out of the pot and see if you can spot a problem with the roots as problems are more likely to occur when the plant isn’t very mature yet.
We hope you have found this complete guide to Satin Pothos propagation useful. You might not get a 100% success rate all the time as some cuttings take longer to root in and sometimes it just doesn’t work. But as long as you are equipped with the right method, care, environment and tools you should have a pretty good shot at growing new Satin Pothos plants. We have had to wait several months before seeing any root growth on plant cuttings so it really can just be a waiting game. But the end result is worth it so be patient!
Check out our full Satin Pothos care guide to find all the information on how to continue to care for your cuttings once they have matured.
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