If you own a Pothos plant you might have noticed from time to time that it looks like your pothos is crying or sweating. This often leads to the question of “Why is my Pothos dripping water?” The good news is it is a completely normal process where the plant is getting rid of excess water. Read on if you would like to know more about why Pothos plants sweat and drip water.
Check out our Guide for Pothos Houseplants for more info on how to take care of your Pothos.
Why Pothos Plants Drip Water
When a pothos starts dripping water from the tips of its leaves it is doing a process called guttation. Guttation is when a plant releases water and some minerals on its leaf tips and stems. This is a way for the plant to relieve pressure from water that can build up at times, such as it the plant just getting a heavy amount of water in the soil.
This process allows the plant to restore balance to its contents of nutrients and water after the roots have absorbed more water than the plant needs.
So if you see that your pothos leaves are wet, it is only because it was given more water than it actually needed.
Pothos aren’t the only plant that does the process of guttation. You can see it on many other houseplants, grasses, trees, and even garden crops.
When Do Pothos Drip Water From Their Leaves
The most often time that I notice my pothos plants dripping water is after I’ve let the pot sit in water to get a good soaking. More often than not after this for about 4-10 days, depending on the humidity, the pothos will continually drip water from the leaves.
Humidity levels will also play a role as to when a pothos might sweat. With higher moisture levels in the air, it is easier for the plant to get more water in the soil than it actually needs. So you might notice on more humid days that it doesn’t take much of a watering for your pothos to start dripping water.
One other detail I have noticed with my various pothos varieties is that the more variegated the pothos is the more prone it seems to dripping water after I water it. I’m not sure if this is an actual thing for highly variegated plants to have guttation more often, but it seems so at least in my house.
Can You Stop A Pothos From Sweating?
The only way to get the dripping to stop is to allow time to pass and let the soil dry out some. If you want to prevent this from happening in the future try not giving the plant as much water. Overwatering can cause dripping to happen each time you water your plant.
Making sure that you have well-draining soil can also help. If the soil doesn’t retain as much water the plant won’t be taking up as much water.
A pot that has adequate drainage is another way to help with a pothos sweating. Not having drainage in your pot can lead to excess water in the soil. This will lead to the plant dripping. But also on a more serious note, it can lead to root rot which can devastate a pothos plant.
Cut back on adding humidity too. If you see that your pothos is having water drip from the leaves often and you are still keeping it near a humidifier, try turning the humidifier off for a while. Or if you are misting the plant, discontinue doing so as the plant does not need it if you are seeing guttation take place.
Other Pothos Articles:
- Why Is My Marble Queen Pothos Losing Variegation?
- Are Pearls and Jade Pothos Slow Growing Plants?
- How to Propagate Pothos Plants in Water from Cuttings
- Can a Pothos Get Sunburn?
- Marble Queen Pothos Care Guide