If your pothos’ leaves start to turn yellow after repotting it can be quite discouraging, especially if you have only just built the courage to transplant your pothos to begin with.
This is most often due to repotting into a container that is too large, but it can also be due to using a different soil mix or simply changing the position of the plant itself.
In my experience, it is usually very easy to identify what has got wrong, and in this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps you can take to reverse the problem and how to identify what that problem is in the first place.
Contents
4 Most Common Reasons For Yellowing Leaves After Repotting
1. The Container Is Too Large
When you transplant your pothos into a larger container the generic advice is to water the area thoroughly to promote new root growth, but you need to be careful if you are transplanting into a much large container.
Pothos does not require a huge amount of water, and you should aim to only water when the top 2 inches of soil feel dry to the touch. If you overwater straight away after transplanting the water will sit in the soil where the roots have yet to grow.
This can lead to root rot over time, and when the roots finally reach this area they won’t be able to process enough oxygen from the soil which leads to the yellowing of the leaves.
2. Improper Soil Mix
Choosing the right soil mix is absolutely crucial when repotting a pothos.
Pothos require a well-draining soil mix, and this is something that I’ve touched on in many other articles regarding this popular houseplant.
This might seem trivial, but you should use exactly the same soil mix when introducing pothos to a new pot. If you decide to change the soil it may hold more water, leading to yellow leaves in the same manner as above.
3. Change Of Position
In some cases, you may have done everything correctly when repotting your pothos – from matching the soil to leaving only a few inches on either side to watering properly – but the leaves still start to turn yellow.
If this is the case, it’s quite likely that you have changed the position of the plant in your house. If the amount of sunlight has changed, this can directly impact the health of your plant and cause it to show signs of bad health.
For example, if you’ve moved your pothos to an area with more sunlight this will dry out the water in the soil faster. This can lead to underwatering if you keep the same watering schedule as before, resulting in yellowing leaves over time.
This is something that I am guilty of myself, and when I realised what the problem actually was (after researching for many hours about overwatering and a host of other issues) I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.
4. Transplant Shock
Transplant shock is often used as a broad term to explain why pothos leaves may turn yellow after repotting, but it’s usually a combination of factors that refer to failure of the plant to root well.
This can come from a change in soil, over and underwatering and many other factors.
What To Do If Your Pothos Leaves Turn Yellow After Repotting
The first thing you need to do if your pothos leaves begin to turn yellow after repotting is to look through the 4 points above to determine what the culprit is.
Start by checking how much extra room you’ve added on each side of the pothos, as well as beneath. Remember that you should only add an inch or two on either side, and if you have added more this can quickly lead to yellowing.
Check the top few inches of soil to see how much moisture is in the soil as well. If you’ve changed the position of your pothos it could be holding more or less water than it is used to, which can be quickly remedied by either more water or sunlight.
If you’re confident that you’ve got the conditions right then it could be a case of transplant shock. Leave the pothos for a week or two and this should give it enough time to get used to its new environment and you should notice it starting to thrive once more.
FAQs
Can Yellow Pothos Leaves Recover?
If your pothos leaves have started to turn yellow there is no reversing this process.
This is something that happens to healthy pothos plants as well as those that have been repotted, so don’t worry if you see a few leaves turning yellow on your pothos if you haven’t changed any growing conditions.
How Do You Care For A Pothos After Repotting?
Pothos are super hardy plants, and taking care for them after repotting shouldn’t be any different than before (assuming you have no problems during repotting).
The only thing to think about is sunlight. If you move your pothos somewhere with more sunlight you will need to increase your watering schedule to keep your pothos hydrated.
Should You Remove The Yellow Leaves?
If you’re confident that you’ve identified the issue that has caused the leaves to turn yellow after repotting and remedied it you can remove the yellow leaves.
The best way to do this is to remove the leaves once the entire leaf has turned yellow. This will give your pothos chance to recover some nutrients from the leaf before you remove it.