Brown Spots on Pothos Leaves – Causes and Treatments

Pothos is a great indoor plant, that can grow in bright light. Its scientific name is Epipremnum Pinnatum cv. Sometimes, you find brown spots on pothos leaves that can be due to pest infestations, fungal diseases, improper fertilization, low light, and many other environmental factors that make the plant unhealthy.

This problem is common everywhere, you can get rid of it by providing well-drained soil and selecting the correct watering schedule. You need to take care of pothos leaf tips and their other parts so that your plant can grow healthy and fast.

Brown Spots on Pothos Leaves – Causes and Treatments

Brown spots are not specific to a particular reason behind the pothos disease or problem. But it is a sign that something is affecting your plant and you need to overcome those causes and have to find the solution to keep your plant healthy. 

Phytophthora Root Rot

If you are a gardener, you must know that root rot is the most common problem for pothos. So you can call it one of the causes of brown spots on pothos leaves. Water mold is the biggest reason behind this problem. In it, usually the fungi and bacteria spreads to the leaves and stem which results in brown spots appearing on the leaves.

An excessive amount of water commonly causes it, but it is not only the reason, the poorly drained soil can also be the reason for it. Diseased pothos looks weak and filthy and starts pothos leaves curling due to over watering.

You can treat this issue by removing the diseased leaves and stems, and improving their maintenance factors. So in this way, you can save the rest of the plant.

Direct Sun Exposure

Pothos brown spots can also be caused by the direct sun. The pothos can gain brown spots if they take too much sunlight. Actually, they prefer to have moderate sunlight. It does not mean that they can’t bear the direct sun, they can bear it but usually results in burnt leaves.

You can trace its similarity with humans in that they can get sunburnt when exposed to a lot of sunlight. In this situation, they start to turn yellow and then properly turn in brown color. 

You can treat this issue by replacing your plants in a new location where they don’t have to bear too much sunlight. Do it early as soon as possible when you notice a slight change in your plant.

Lack Of Humidity And Harsh Drafts

When you put your plant in a low humid area, this can cause brown spots on pothos leaves.  You can consider the low humidity another cause of the issue namely brown spots on pothos leaves. Pothos plants prefer high-humidity areas for their growth.

You should only prefer growing this plant when you live in a high-historic area. If you live in a hot climate area then you should invest in a humidifier to increase the humidity around your plants.

If you want to treat this problem move your plant to a different location in your home where it will be protected from drafts, so you must need to maintain an appropriate level of humidity in the air. Misting your pothos can be a viable solution as long as it doesn’t leave the leaves wet. 

Lack of lighting

As the direct light affects the pothos leaves, lack of light affects it too. This is true it is a low-light plant but it needs light to survive. That’s why a lack of lighting can cause this issue. But it is possible to fight this issue, you can easily resolve the problem.

If your pothos is in a location where it gets direct sunlight, try moving it to a shadier spot. If the brown spots are severe, you may need to cut off the affected leaves. In this way, you can cure your plant.

Pests

Pothos are sturdy but they can become prone to various types of pests when under stress, in particular spider mites. These pests attach themselves to the leaves and survive there. This is considered to be the most common problem infesting potholes in homes. 

Mealybugs appear on the lower surfaces of leaves and on the roots. These pests can develop copious amounts of honeydew, so the leaves and nearby surfaces may be sticky, and sooty mold produce.  

One of the Causes of Brown Spots on Pothos is the Pests. The fungus named powdery mildew appears as white powder on the leaves of plants. You can treat the plant with an insecticide or fungicide according to the label directions.

Sunburn

This is another cause of brown spots on pothos leaves. When the plants have to bear the extreme sunlight, it has a negative impact on the plant’s health, it may be susceptible to sunburn. When the temperatures exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit, they cause brown marks, this is similar to sunburn.

You can get rid of sunburn by moving your pothos to the indirect light or the filtered sunlight. It will give a sign by its shadier spot. Then you will notice the brown spots on the leaves. You need to take care of all the main factors to secure your pothos from death

Incorrect watering

Another cause of brown spots on pothos leaves is an incorrect schedule of watering. This can be divided into two sub-categories.

Overwatering

An excessive amount of light or too much sunlight can cause an issue, similarly, overwatering is another factor that can cause problems for your pothos. When you overwater your plant, it makes the soil waterlogged which creates brown spots.

It is not good for the health of your plant as it tells the plant is fighting some issues. Give your pothos a sufficient amount of water. It can be checked by putting a finger into the soil and if it feels dry, then is time to water the pothos.

Underwatering

Only overwatering does not affect the plant, The plants also get affected by the underwatering schedule. The pothos plant needs a moderate amount of water to survive which prevents the plant develop brown spots on Pothos.

You have to resolve this issue by giving them with good amounts of water. It is necessary to water the plant when the soil is completely dry. It will fix the Brown Spots on Pothos.

Natural process

Natural processes can happen to any plant, as all plants have their own life span then sometimes, some plants have to face problems. If the plant is aging then you cannot do anything about it. They will produce brown spots on pothos. 

How to Treat the Brown Spots on Pothos?

It can be difficult to prevent the brown spots on pothos plants. You should treat the plant at the early stage of the issue. You have to be careful about some components that are:

You should be choosy about selecting the soil that should be well-drained. This plant does not prefer dry soil, it always prefers well-drained and perfect wet soil. 

The second thing you have to do is water your plant regularly but need not overwater the plant because pothos get disturbed by overwatering it.

Last but not least you have to be careful about providing a sufficient amount of light to your plant. Pothos plants prefer bright, indirect light but can also tolerate low-light conditions. If your plant is not getting enough light, the leaves will start to turn brown.

Conclusion

This is normal to find brown spots on pothos leaves that can be due to pest infestations, fungal diseases, improper fertilization, low light, and many other environmental factors that make the plant unhealthy.

This problem is common everywhere, you can get rid of it by providing well-drained soil and selecting the correct watering schedule. You have to take care of your plant if you want your plant to live long.

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