I’m Nishad Suba from Bangladesh, and I’m dealing with a problem with one of my Epipremnum or pothos plants. This plant is almost dying. It has lots of brown leaves, yellow leaves, dried leaves, as well as dried stems.
The stems are becoming dehydrated. It happened due to the lack of water. I forgot to water this plant and it has been underwatered for the last 3 weeks.
Still, this plant is alive. Since the plant was out of moisture, it absorbed moisture from the leaves and stems. That’s why it has lots of yellow and dried leaves.
If you are also seeing crispy tips, check the common causes of brown leaf tips on pothos and how to fix them. I have been soaking this plant for the last 2 days, and the apical stems or the starting points are bouncing back a bit. I’m hoping this plant will grow again and get healthy.
1. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – First Steps
I’m going to share how I deal with this type of problem. First, I remove all the dried and yellow leaves. Then I uproot the plant and check the roots.
If I find anything viable like healthy roots under the media, I repot the plant. Otherwise, I take cuttings out of it. That is the plan.
2. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Remove Dead Growth
First, I remove all the dried, brown, and yellow leaves as well as the dead dried branches. This clears the plant to send energy to what is still alive. It also helps me see the structure clearly.
You can see these branches are still alive. They are thick and have enough energy to grow back. That’s a good sign to proceed.
3. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Inspect the Roots
I check the roots because the root structure of a plant will tell you what to do next. These were the dried roots that rotted. The dried roots first dried up due to lack of water, and when I watered back, the dried roots came in contact with water and ultimately rotted.
I remove the soil around the roots to get a visual idea about the roots’ health. There are lots of healthy roots, but the plant has lost lots of leaves. Overall it’s looking quite leggy.
Read More: Essential Tips Aloe Vera Care
4. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Decide Your Approach
I detangle the plant and then cut the plant into small parts. I take some cuttings because I don’t know if the plant will live or not, but I’m pretty sure I can save it. I also separate the stems that have viable roots so I can grow them directly in the soil.
This plant has two leggy stems. I can directly plant them in soil but I’m going to cut off these two branches. I will propagate these branches in water and only plant the base.
5. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Prep Base and Cuttings
Although the base has no leaves, it has roots and many viable nodes which will push new growth. I plant the base into the soil. I propagate the cuttings in water.
Pothos are very resilient plants. This plant was in extreme underwatered condition but it is still alive, and there is a chance to save it. Pothos are very easy to take care of, and they can grow back from a single node.
When pothos struggle, I provide an appropriate solution and also suggest taking cuttings and propagating. It’s very easy to grow, and by this you can have lots of plants. That’s a reliable backup plan.
6. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Pre-Soak and Hydrate
I put all the rooted stems into water and leave them for a day to soak water properly. After repotting, as soon as the roots are growing, the leaves can wilt. This pre-soaking keeps them hydrated.
I put the cuttings in clean water to propagate. Each cutting has two or three nodes. That increases the chance of successful rooting.
Read More: Essential Asparagus Fern Care Tips
7. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Potting Mix Setup
After a day, I repot the rooted plants in soil. For the potting mix, I mix 1 part coco peat, 0.5 part soil, and 0.5 part compost. My plant struggled from underwatering, so I increased the quantity of coco peat.
This supplies sufficient moisture and keeps the plant hydrated. For overwatered plants, try a more airy and chunkier mixture. Tailor the mix to the problem you are solving.
8. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Placement and Watering
I keep the container in a cool, bright place until I see new growth. I water when the upper 2 in of soil dry out. That prevents both stress and rot.
This gentle environment helps the plant reestablish. Light that is bright but indirect works best at this stage. Avoid hot sun until growth stabilizes.
9. Reviving Underwatered Pothos – Early Signs of Recovery
This is the update after 3 days from repotting. The plants have started to open up their new leaves, and the growth points are quite steady and green. That tells me the roots are reactivating.
I still keep the plant in the cool bright place, otherwise these new leaves can wilt or dry out. After a week, I will gradually shift them to a brighter place. Move slowly and let the plant adjust.
Final Thoughts
Pothos can survive long periods of neglect and still bounce back. Remove dead growth, check roots, and split your bet between repotting viable bases and propagating cuttings. Pre-soak, use a moisture-retentive mix for underwatered plants, give bright gentle light, and water only when the top layer dries.