Why does Pothos Plant Get Yellow Leaves and Bare Stems

My pothos plant was thriving and strong for a few months, but then I left my home for a week and came back and it was not doing well. The leaves are curling, droopy, soft, and some are turning yellow. The soil is dry at the top and moist near the bottom of the pot. How do I fix it! And how do I prune so it grows more around the pot and spreads out?

Hi Lila,

If you ever want the plant to look full again you are going to have to be very brave and start cutting back the long bare stems (and I mean WAY back). You can do this to one or two stems at a time. As the pruned stems start to produce new leaves move on to cut back two more stems. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your plant will look better. If your pothos had gotten very dry while you were gone, once you returned and watered it the plant gets yellow leaves; that’s just what a pothos plant does. Is there any way you can water through the drip holes in the bottom of the pot? Watering in this way helps a stressed pothos plant.