However, with its trailing leaves, a Jade pothos isn’t the ideal choice for a home with curious pups or kitties. This plant is toxic to both people and pets.
Light
Although Jade pothos prefers bright, indirect light, it adapts well to a range of light conditions, with some people even growing it in offices with artificial, fluorescent lighting. Just watch for scorched leaves if you position your Jade pothos in a very bright spot. Sitting on a north-facing window or in the middle of a room with a south-facing window will likely result in a thriving plant with lush foliage. This cultivar might not have the striking foliage variegation of some pothos varieties. However, another advantage, is its solid colored leaves have a greater photosynthetic capacity, meaning it’s an ideal choice if your home has more limited sun (which may result in fading variegation in other varieties).
Soil
Epipremnum aureum ‘Jade’ does well in most potting soils, providing they’re well-drained. However, one thing this plant won’t appreciate is wet feet. Adding perlite or peat moss (or the more sustainable coco coir) can help improve drainage if you have concerns.
Water
Your Jade pothos doesn’t have a high maintenance watering schedule. One of the biggest reasons this hard-to-kill plant goes into decline is overwatering. So, never leave your Jade pothos to sit in standing water. If, after irrigating, there is any water left in a run-off dish below the pot, make sure you immediately drain this away.This drought-resistant cultivar prefers the top couple of inches of soil dry out fully in between watering, especially in low light conditions.If you’re unsure when to water, look out for the leaves just starting to droop (but not shrivel). Even in the summertime, you might only need to water once a week, and in the winter, considerably less.
Temperature and Humidity
These plants enjoy living in warm households between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In the winter months, temperatures around 60 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal, but anything lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit is a problem. Most of the time, Jade pothos will cope with standard home humidity levels. Even though these tropical plants are lovers of high humidity, they can still survive in low humidity rooms. They’re perfect plants for humid bathrooms and kitchens—even if the rooms don’t get a lot of light. Just keep these cold-sensitive plants away from drafty windows and heating vents in the winter.
Fertilizer
They aren’t heavy feeders and can survive without fertilizer if you pot them in a good soil mix. But, to promote the most vigorous growth and deep green foliage, you can opt to provide a bi-monthly feed of half-strength, balanced houseplant fertilizer or an organic fish emulsion.
Pruning
These low-maintenance plants don’t need much in the way of tidying up. However, you might want to trim the vines in the spring if they’re getting too long for your living space. Removing any yellowing leaves or less healthy vines helps direct energy to the most vigorous vines and encourages new growth.
Propagating Jade Pothos
While this plant can’t really be grown by seed, if you want to add new plants to your collection or gift one to friends, it’s great to know that Jade pothos is easy to propagate from stem cuttings. Here’s how: You can skip the submersion in water step, but starting in potting soil takes longer, and the cutting will be more at risk of root rot in those early stages.
Potting and Repotting Jade Pothos
These vigorous growers don’t appreciate being too pot-bound, and you might find you need to repot as often as annually. A sign that they need repotting is foliage that is drooping even after regular watering. You can also check to see if the roots are escaping the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Repot in a container one or two sizes bigger than the existing pot, making sure you use fresh, well-draining potting soil rich in organic matter and that the pot has good drainage holes. You want to disrupt the roots as little as possible when repotting, so try not to transplant them too early. If they haven’t filled their existing pot properly, the soil around the root ball might not attach so well.
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
Jade pothos doesn’t have any major problems with pests, but if you’ve been guilty of leaving your plant a little too damp, keep an eye out for mealybugs (which thrive on unhealthy plants in stagnant conditions). Applying a biodegradable soapy water mixture to the leaves can help kill them off and then take care not to leave your plant too wet going forward.
Common Problems With Jade Pothos
Jade pothos are low-fuss houseplants, and they don’t suffer from many problems. However, that doesn’t mean you can totally neglect them. Getting it wrong in terms of water and lighting can lead to certain (usually easily resolved) problems.
Leaves Turning Yellow
Steer clear of giving your Jade pothos too much water and prolonged direct sun exposure if you want to avoid unattractive yellowing leaves.
Brown Tips
While overwatering is a bigger problem for Jade pothos, prolonged dry spells can result in the edges of the foliage turning brown. Rather than letting the soil dry out completely, rewatering after just the top couple of inches are fully dry is better—you don’t want to let the rootball dry out completely.
Jade pothos has solid green foliage free from the speckles and stripes you see on the golden pothos. Their leaves are also slightly smaller and narrower. Jade is also known to be very vigorous and a little more drought-resistant than its relative.
