If you like pothos plants, you should grow Silver Satin Pothos. It is also famous as Scindapsus pictus. Satin pothos has green leaves with silver markings on them. This trailing plant is a slow grower and is easy to care for. If you like to grow Silver satin pothos then read the below silver satin pothos care guide.
Grow it in hanging baskets and make your home more beautiful.
For Scindapsus pictus care, grow it in filtered sunlight, 50% or above humidity, between 65 to 85 Degrees F temperature. Monthly fertilizer applications are required in its active season.
In this article, every single growing detail is explained in simple words.
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About the Scindapsus pictus
Silver Satin Pothos (Scindapsus pictus) is a tropical plant. It develops heart-shaped leaves and the vines grow up to 3 meters long. To make it more beautiful you need to develop it into a bushy style. Pruning is the only way to develop vine-type plants in a bushy style.
When you grow this plant indoors it will not reach the maximum height. A bright location is required with well-draining soil. There are many species of Satin pothos. You can follow this guide to grow any type of satin pothos plant.
Quick Care Guide
| Common Names | silver pothos, silver satin pothos |
| Light | Bright light in Shady Place |
| Water | Moderate |
| Humidity | Above 60 % |
| Soil | Well-aerated and lose |
| Temperature | 60 to 85 Degrees F |
| Max Size | 3 meter long |
| Pests and Diseases | Aphids, Spider mites, a Plant fungus |
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Silver satin pothos care guide
Follow the below-written techniques and advice to grow healthy satin pothos in containers or in hanging baskets.
Light
As you can see in the image above this plant has green leaves with silver marks. Every dual-color leaf plant needs bright regular light to maintain its color. But one thing that you need to keep in mind is the extra bright light can burn the plant leaves. Direct sunlight is necessary for growing ground covers and outdoor plants.
Whereas all indoor plants need filtered light. Some need bright filtered light where others grow in low light.
For good silver satin pothos care put the plant pot in the bright light location. The source of light can be Sun or a grow light. If you are placing it near the sunny window then make sure you install the sheer curtain on the window. Because this plant needs bright but indirect light.
In case of grow light put it directly under the grow light. When you use artificial grow lights then make sure the plant does not get indirect sunlight. This will result in extra light and the plant leaves will get burned.
Soil
Water clogging is the main problem in the care of silver satin pothos. You need to use the best possible soil to prevent soil-related problems. The soil that drains well and is rich in organic matter is best for growing and caring silver stain pothos.
If you can make your own potting mix it is good for plants. I use the below formula and my plants are thriving like crazy. They are free of disease and pests.
4 parts peat + 2 parts perlite + 1 part bark + 1 part compost.
If this is not possible for you then you can buy all-purpose houseplant potting soil. This soil is commercially made to grow plants. It is well aerated and well-draining.
Soil fertility is another thing. If you are using commercial soil then you need to mix organic compost into it to make it fertile. If you do not like the organic compost smell then use pre-mixed fertilized soil.
This soil is a little costly than the normal commercial potting soil. Because it contains every single nutrient that is necessary to grow plants.
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Water
You need to water your silver pothos plants more on hot days of summer. Because in growing stage every living plant needs more water. They use this water to make food or to control their temperature. Plants store water in their stems and leaves.
The quality of water affects the growth of plants. Low-quality water blocks the absorption of nutrients. And also, contains many bacteria in it.
For watering Scindapsus pictus you need to check the soil conditions. The soil must be dry before watering otherwise this results in overwatering.
Use filtered water for watering houseplants.
Temperature
The ideal temperature for growing silver satin pothos indoors is between 60 to 85 Degrees F. Little bit fluctuations in the temperature are okay for the plant. The plant can adjust its temperature according to the surroundings.
Summer is not a problem because it is a tropical plant and it lives in warm weather. The problem comes in the winter season when the temperature drops below 0 degrees c. To keep the plant warm on winter days you need to change its place.
Or
You can use the plant heat mat. These mats consume electricity and release a very less amount of heat. They have copper wires in them. When they get heated the mat become warm and gives warmth to plant roots.
Fertilizer
The good news is Scindapsus pictus does not grow fast. This clears that the plant does not need fertilizers. Fertilizers are only necessary for those plants that grow fast. But for good growth and to improve plant healthy little bit of nutrient boost is necessary.
For the best possible growth fertilize it in the growing stage. Spring to summer is the best time of fertilization.
Stop giving nutrients to plants in the winter season. Because they do not grow on cool days. This will cause brown leaves due to extra nutrients. Dormancy is the period when plants go into hibernation. They take rest to survive themselves. This their natural protection mechanism.
For healthy foliage use balanced fertilizer. No need to buy any particular fertilizer for this plant. Use normal houseplant fertilizers. Therefore, specific nutrients are made for pothos.
But it is not necessary that plants only need them and do not grow with another type of normal houseplant fertilizers.
Humidity
Because it is native to tropical forests it needs high humidity. All plants can easily grow indoors if the humidity is above 60%.
But for best silver satin pothos care grow them in 40% humidity. This encourages them to grow fast. If you feel that your plants are suffering from low humidity.
The you need to increase it. But believe me, Scindapsus pictus pothos will never complain about low humidity. They can survive in low humid places and show fast growth.
In case they develop brown leaves due to low humidity. Increase it by using a plant humidifier or use humidity tray methods.
Take a tray fill it with pebbles and freshwater, then put the plant pot on it. The hot air evaporates the water in the tray which increases the humidity around the plant. You need to keep eye on the tray water. If it gets empty your plant will again start suffering from low air moisture.
Pruning
Pruning is an important part of Scindapsus pictus care. Because this plant has long vines and you have to trim them to keep it in good shape. First of all, choose the spring season for pruning. Then check the plants for the yellow leaves and extra-long vines.
No need to remove the long vines from the roots. Use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to cut the long vine. Cut them from half and they will again grow in the future.
At a time, you can snip the 10 cm of the vine. Pluck the yellow leaves and remove them from the plant.
Repotting
Plants show aggressive growth in springtime. This is the best time for repotting the old plants. Silver satin pothos is fast-growing plants. Therefore, you need to repot the plants frequently. Repot only if the old pot becomes small and the plant falls over the entire pot. The dense growth is another indication of repotting.
Repotting steps-by-step
- Water the plant to lose the soil.
- Remove the plant from its pot carefully (do not pull it aggressively)
- Remove the old soil from the plant roots.
- Check for any signs of disease.
- Cut the infected part of roots in case of root disease
- Then plant it in the new pot and give some water
- Place it back in its place and follow the silver satin pothos care guide.
Propagation
Stem cutting is the best method of propagation. You can use the cuttings to propagate it in soil and water. Both the techniques are discussed below.
Look for the healthy stem and cut it just below the node.
Then put the stem in the glass of freshwater
Put the glass in the warm location
Change the water once in every week.
It will take 2 to 3 weeks to develop proper white roots.
Once you see roots then you can transfer them to the pot.
Soil propagation
For soil propagation, you need to plant the stem directly in the soil instead of water. Then put the plant pot in the high humid location. To increase the humidity, cover the pot with a plastic cover. Then lift the cover once every 2 days for fresh airflow.
In my experience soil propagation is the best and easy method of silver satin pothos propagation.
A common problem with Silver satin pothos care
There are some pests and diseases that can affect the growth of your plant. Pay close attention to the below part and find out what is the reason behind your unhealthy plant.
Root rot is the only plant disease that can infect the plant. Only in case, you give it extra water.
Aphids, Scales, and Spider mites are the most common pests. You can easily get rid of them by using alcohol and neem oil. The best method is to check the plants every day and look for the signs of pest infections.
If you see them then wash your plants with insecticidal soap after that apply neem oil spray. Do not use pesticide spray on pothos plants. They cannot handle the high strength of commercial pesticides.
