Why are my silver satin pothos leaves curling?
I recently repotted my new silver satin pothos. It was in some pretty soggy soil from the store, so I repotted the day I got it. I used 1 part coco coir, 1 part perilite, 1 part orchid bark, 1 part worm castings, and 1 part horticultural charcoal and a sprinkle of mosquito bits and small rocks for drainage. I rinsed the store soil off of the roots, so I waited 2 days to water it after repotting so I didn’t over-water the roots. This was about a week ago now, and the leaves are curling and very limp. I’m wondering why that could be? I felt the soil with my finger and it’s moist. My moisture meter says it’s a 5 on the moisture scale. I don’t know if I should repot again or maybe it’s just shocked from repotting? But if it was shocked from repotting, it’s been a week I would have thought it would bounce back by now! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!
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Best Answer
The same thing happened to me after I transplanted my Silver Satin Pothos.
▫️Transplant shock is a possibility. The three pictures shows my plants before (picture #1) after (picture #2) and its current status (picture #3). It’s much better now.
I damaged its roots, when I removed the soil off its roots. Apparently, Pothos have fragile roots that can easily get damage during transplanting.
💧This is how I treated transplant shock: When it’s time to water your Pothos, add 1-2 teaspoons of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide per cup of water. This will provide the roots with extra oxygen, which will help them to heal and grow. Since this rescued plant was overwatered, this solution will also eliminate any pathogens that can cause root rot, pest or disease.
⚠️ Don’t use this diluted 3% Hydrogen Peroxide too often because it will harm your plant; it sterilizes the soil; eliminating harmful bacteria as well as the beneficial bacteria. This falls under one of the golden plant rule: Too much of a good thing is harmful to plants. For more info: https://bulkperoxide.com/hydrogen-peroxide-for-plants/
☀️Too much direct sunlight is a possibility, but since it’s 2 feet from an east facing (filtered or unfiltered) window, I don’t think this is the culprit. You could actually move it a little closer to an east facing window.
💧Over and under watering is another reason: You did ALL the right things to save an overwatered plant. Always water your plant deeply to avoid dehydration. This means (when it’s time to water it) keep watering it, until water drips from the drainage holes.
▫️Other reasons: low humidity and temperature stress.
▫️Be patient: During this time of year, when plants are dormant, (their growth rate slows or stop), it may take a little while before you will see results. But, I hope your Silver satin Pothos will make a speedy recovery, live long and prosper.
▫️Transplant shock is a possibility. The three pictures shows my plants before (picture #1) after (picture #2) and its current status (picture #3). It’s much better now.
I damaged its roots, when I removed the soil off its roots. Apparently, Pothos have fragile roots that can easily get damage during transplanting.
💧This is how I treated transplant shock: When it’s time to water your Pothos, add 1-2 teaspoons of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide per cup of water. This will provide the roots with extra oxygen, which will help them to heal and grow. Since this rescued plant was overwatered, this solution will also eliminate any pathogens that can cause root rot, pest or disease.
⚠️ Don’t use this diluted 3% Hydrogen Peroxide too often because it will harm your plant; it sterilizes the soil; eliminating harmful bacteria as well as the beneficial bacteria. This falls under one of the golden plant rule: Too much of a good thing is harmful to plants. For more info: https://bulkperoxide.com/hydrogen-peroxide-for-plants/
☀️Too much direct sunlight is a possibility, but since it’s 2 feet from an east facing (filtered or unfiltered) window, I don’t think this is the culprit. You could actually move it a little closer to an east facing window.
💧Over and under watering is another reason: You did ALL the right things to save an overwatered plant. Always water your plant deeply to avoid dehydration. This means (when it’s time to water it) keep watering it, until water drips from the drainage holes.
▫️Other reasons: low humidity and temperature stress.
▫️Be patient: During this time of year, when plants are dormant, (their growth rate slows or stop), it may take a little while before you will see results. But, I hope your Silver satin Pothos will make a speedy recovery, live long and prosper.
@Bplants this is a tough dilemma: although the plant was sitting in soggy soil so you prudently wanted to mitigate the risk of fungal infections so you repot it right? My observation is that the plant is in shock and potentially dehydrated. I recently had the same thing happen when I repotted a Prince of Orange that for some reason my grocery store bigger better and more beautiful PoOs than any nursery I’ve been to (at less than half the price). Repotted it, watered it, plant went limp. In my case I believe the potting mix has become hydrophobic and was not retaining any moisture. That I indulgently amended the mix with fir bark, perlite, and hydroton and charcoal compounded the issue as they don’t retain all that much moisture. In your case coir doesn’t go hydrophobic; however your chunky mix may have contributed to shock if the plant had been accustomed to more moisture. If there are any vines that look resilient enough to propogate, I would hedge and salvage those by propagating them. Sometimes certain plants can rebound from this state sitting in glass vessel of water. Maybe hedge some more by taking one or two and see if that form of hydration will be effective for those vines. For the rest of the plant since it is shock, disturbing it more would likely be I’ll-fated. But you can address the potential hydration issue by putting a cotton wick in the bottom of the planter through the hole up into the center of the mix and putting the other end in some water. If the plant wants a drink it can do so. I have a pop up cloche which is a mini greenhouse that I use for ailing plants because I find the extra humidity can help. Otherwise, ensure that Greg is giving you the green light as far as light levels go. Shore up any other discrepancies Greg brings to your attention from a fully populated profile and let the plant recover
@TexanExpat thank you so much for your insight! I, too, wondered if it was just accustomed to a soggier soil and my drier mix was causing some dehydration. Especially because the vines have become so flimsy. I had a different satin pothos last month that I bought from the same store, when I repotted, the same thing happened. I propagated the vines I water, and the rest looked as if it had some root rot and was unsalvageable. I don’t know if it was just a bad batch of satin pothos or what! Either way, it’s a bummer! I’ll have to get a cotton wick, that was an excellent suggestion!! Thank you again!!
@Ada3 you’re very welcome!! Thank you for all of your advice, you are so incredibly helpful, especially providing the photos and all of the great suggestions! That made me feel so much better that hopefully they’ll pull through! And the hydrogen peroxide suggestion, I’m definitely going to water the plant that way when it’s time to water again! This was my first time posting here on Greg, and you and John had such great advice, I appreciate both of you so much!!
@Bplants I hope you will continue to stay on Gregs. I can tell you’re very knowledgeable about plants and this is the place you can share your knowledge with many plant parents all over the world. Not only do the friendly Greg family share information, or brag about a new plant or new growth, but it has all kinds of contests, where you can win prizes or get gift cards. I hope you’ll stay with Greg family, keep posting updates of your Silver Satin Pothos and I also hope your oasis will live long and prosper. 🖖