If you’re looking for an easy maintenance house plant that’s very beginner-friendly, look no further than glacier pothos. This is a relatively small variety in the market and is easily confused with the more common Pearls and Jade Pothos or the Njoy Pothos varieties. However, it is sure to give a unique touch to your living area.
Stick around to learn more about what a glacier pothos is and how you can care for it.
Characteristics of a Glacier Pothos
A glacier pothos is adorned with white and green foliage. It’s also speckled with some silver and gray streaks.
It mainly contains four different colors, green, dark green, white, and silver. This color assortment differentiates it from other pothos species. The heart-shaped leaves are smaller when compared to other popular pothos plants.
If you find yourself not in your home for long periods, a glacier pothos is perfect for you. It can be scarcely watered yet still survive. The plant would give your home a reviving and energizing element.
Are Glacier Pothos and Other Pothos the Same?
Since there’s a wide array of pothos to choose from, you’re probably wondering what makes a glacier pothos any different from other pothos.
Well, there’s barely any difference to be found between this glacier species and other pothos, such as the NJOY and pearls and jade pothos.
Check out some of the specifications and characteristics of both those pothos below.
NJOY Pothos
As with any other pothos plant, the NJOY pothos variety is low maintenance. It can survive in closed offices with artificial lighting.
The appearance of this pothos is simpler than the glacier pothos. The NJOY carries two contrasting colors only, green and white. Both colors aren’t mixed or speckled together, they are, rather, blotched on their spade-shaped leaves.
That being so, the only difference you may find between the NJOY and glacier is their variegation.
Pearls and Jade Pothos
The foliage on a pearls and jade pothos might trick you into thinking it’s of the NJOY or glacier variety. Nevertheless, you can easily identify the difference from one main trait in its color appearance.
The pearls and jade pothos have the same two colors as the NJOY, green and white. You can compare them by looking closer at the white areas in the Pearls and Jade pothos. It’ll contain specks of green.
Whichever species you choose, you won’t have to trouble yourself with their care as long as their soil is well-drained and they’re exposed to some indirect light or office lighting.
How to Care for Glacier Pothos
To make things easier and more organized, we believe it’s best to categorize each area of care for your upcoming houseplant. For instance, you can research how much water this plant needs and the soil requirements.
In this instance, your glacier pothos will be a piece of cake. Making sure you follow all the care tips will ensure you a longer lifespan for your pothos.
Without further ado, here is how you can care for your glacier pothos.
Light
Compared to other pothos plants, the glacier pothos is going to need a bit more attention when it comes to light. Even though it would survive low light conditions, it wouldn’t have as much of a consistent growth pattern as it would with more indirect sunlight.
The reason being is that the white areas on your glacier pothos wouldn’t be able to catch much light. It would, in turn, disrupt its photosynthesis process. We recommend providing a moderate amount of light to keep things balanced.
The best area to keep your glacier pothos in is north. A north-faced window would be ideal. Try not to keep it near south or west-facing windows, since the sun is more extreme on those sides.
If you have to face it on those sides, keeping the glacier pothos a few feet inside away from the scorching sun is best.
If you’ve got a hanging glacier pothos, then always try to keep the light near the base of the plant and not only on the dangling leaves.
Water Intake
While watering your glacier pothos, you want to make sure there’s a moist layer on the soil. You can maintain that moisture by watering your pothos every week.
If you notice the first two-inch layer in your pot is dry, it’s time to water it. You’ll also notice whenever your glacier pothos is in dire need of water. It’ll have its leaves curled up to conserve moisture and prolong their humidity.
If you’re keen on watering your glacier pothos, we recommend that you be cautious. Overwatering can make your pothos prone to bacteria and root rot. To avoid that, you can use a port made out of a porous material to absorb any excess moisture.
Humidity
Pothos plants come from all sorts of tropical backgrounds. Glacier pothos originated from Southeast Asia. They’re just south of the equator making their living conditions humid and warm.
Although their origin is on the extreme humid end, they can adapt to average humid environments. That being so, for maximum growth expectancy, keeping them in your most humid area, such as your bathroom can be a good idea.
Since their leaves are slightly thick, they can survive dry conditions. If possible, we recommend keeping them in a moist-rich area to develop a longer lifespan.
Fertilizer
Fertilizing your glacier pothos can make a significant difference to its growth process. The recommended fertilizing schedule for this pothos is around once or twice a week. Although they don’t necessarily need fertilizing.
If your glacier pothos is hanging, it might need the extra nutrients that come from fertilizer.
How to Know if Your Glacier Pothos Needs Fertilizing
Since glacier pothos are low maintenance when it comes to fertilizing it may seem confusing to know when it would need the added nourishment.
In some cases, your glacier pothos soil might already be supplied with some fertilizer. You’ll only need to fertilize once the dosage runs out. We recommend consulting your glacier pothos seller about the soil’s specifications and fertilizer amount.
If you’re searching for fertilizer alternatives, using worm compost or regular compost can work well for your glacier pothos. They provide a sufficient amount of nutrients to regulate its growth. Another upside to this method is how it’s natural and eco-friendly.
Disadvantages of Fertilizer
It’s not always a good idea to reach for fertilizer. The substance can leave your glacier pothos with a lot of salt residue, which can inhibit your growth factor. This salt build-up can deteriorate your pothos’ base by causing root burn.
This sort of residue is more common in inorganic fertilizers. If you choose to opt for the organic kind, it can leave you with a hefty bill. What’s worse is that you’ll need to use more of the organic fertilizer, since it’s not as concentrated as the synthetic option, adding on to your costs.
Although natural fertilizers can be more costly, we would still recommend them over using inorganic fertilizers. It’ll prove to be the better option in the long run for your glacier pothos’ health.
Methods of Fertilizing Your Glacier Pothos
Is your glacier pothos looking a little weak and wilted? Fertilizing might be the answer then. Some pothos require that extra support. Remember to always start on a smaller dosage and build up accordingly.
For fertilizer, you can use the 5-5-5 kind, since it’s best for light feeding. Organic fish emulsion fertilizer can also get the job done. For both fertilizers, make sure you dilute them by half to lessen the dosage.
You might be wondering when’s the best time to fertilize your glacier pothos. Their growing seasons are mostly in spring and summer. During the other colder months, they lay off of growing as a sort of hibernation system.
If your glacier pothos is already looking healthy and growing steadily in the spring, you can refrain from fertilizing it in the summer months.
Soil Care
A well-drained soil mixture makes for a happy glacier pothos. While your pothos wouldn’t be too particular about its soil, drainage will prevent further illness and stunted growth.
You can DIY your potting mixture using some perlite and peat moss. Perlite is perfect for ensuring adequate draining.
You can also consider cactus mix. Cacti have similar soil requirements as pothos. They both need a well-drained soil potting mix.
Pruning Your Glacier Pothos
Compared to other pothos, a glacier pothos doesn’t grow as fast. Pothos with less leaf coloration tends to grow faster. Nonetheless, don’t let that trick you into thinking a glacier pothos doesn’t have the potential for high growth.
If you leave your glacier pothos outdoors, rather than keeping it indoors, you’ll start to notice it growing a lot faster. It’ll find its way all over your walls in no time. Pruning your foliage might be the most you’ll have to do to properly care for your glacier pothos.
Pruning will customize the shape and size of your pothos. After all, we’re sure you wouldn’t want it covering every inch of your backyard. When you prune your glacier pothos, you’ve got to make sure you cut out any dead leaves. They’ll look discolored and dried up.
Cutting up the extra growth will also resolve any leggy stem issues, which occur when there’s too much leaf a stem could carry. Try to cut over the leaf nodes to promote better future growth and thicker, fresher vegetation.
Can You Propagate Glacier Pothos?
The answer is yes. Propagating your glacier pothos is a great idea if you’re looking to expand your collection all over your living space. The process is simple.
You’ll need to cut out above the nodes. Once you’ve collected a bunch of them, you can place the cuttings separately in jars of water to expose their roots over time. Using water will give you better chances of your pothos surviving.
After they’ve got enough roots visible, you can start to transfer them into well-draining soil. If you’re not in a rush to move them from water to soil, that’s okay too. You can leave your glacier pothos cuttings in water for up to 5 months.
Tips to Care for Your Glacier Pothos
Owning a glacier pothos won’t be a hassle. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for ways to provide your pothos with a little tender love and care, here are some tips.
- Monitor your leaves. Try to keep them clean by wiping them regularly from any dust or residue.
- Want to see your glacier pothos grow? Use a totem to give it more room to climb higher.
- Rotate it regularly to get an even light distribution.
- Always use a sharp blade when pruning and cutting out dead leaves to get a clean separation.
Problems with Glacier Pothos
Most pothos are susceptible to pests and diseases such as bacterial infections, root rot, and fungal issues. The best way to avoid these diseases is by maintaining your soil’s balanced moisture intake.
Pest problems that may arise could come in several forms. The most common pests pothos face are mealybugs, scale, mites, and thrips. You can keep those insects at bay by spraying some horticultural oil over your glacier pothos to suffocate them.
Another issue that might arise is the toxicity of your glacier pothos. Keep any children or pets away from your pothos. If they get a bite out of the houseplant they can experience uncomfortable symptoms such as diarrhea, mouth irritations, and vomiting.
To Conclude
A glacier pothos will give your home a unique and natural component. This pothos stands out from its fellow species with its colorful variegation containing more color than most other pothos.
After knowing how to care for your pothos, we’re sure it’ll live out a long and healthy life with you. Doing some maintenance will give you better results, whether in terms of foliage, growth, or propagation.