How to Take Care of a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica

A Scindapsus Pictus Exotica is the perfect houseplant for anyone new to plant care. It is relatively low-maintenance to handle, making it popular to have this as an indoor plant in your home or office. Here are the plant care tips for a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica.

Table of Contents

Common Names

Satin Pothos
Silver Philodendron
Philodendron Silver
Silver Pothos
Devil’s Ivy
Silver Satin Pothos
Satin Pothos Plant

What Soil Works Best for a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica?

Potting soil that contains peat moss, perlite, bark, and vermiculite works best for a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica. In addition to having those organic materials, you want the soil to drain water fast, so place this plant in a container pot with drainage holes. Finally, this plant does enjoy a bit of acidity in the ground.

Sprinkle some coffee grounds into the potting mix to give this plant some additional acidity. The ideal pH of the soil shouldn’t be higher than 6.5, so take a before and after reading of the soil using your soil testing kit before adding coffee grounds to it.

Can You Use a Houseplant Fertilizer?

You can use a houseplant fertilizer on this plant during the growing season, from the spring to the late summer. One tip is using a houseplant fertilizer with nitrogen since this plant enjoys slightly acidic soil.

How Much Sunlight Does a Silver Pothos Need?

Bright and indirect light works best for a Silver Pothos plant to maintain the beautiful variegation on the green leaves. If the plant is not receiving enough bright indirect sunlight, the color of the leaves will dull. Likewise, full sun or direct light for extended periods will cause the leaves to scorch, becoming a problem.

What Temperature Works Best for a Satin Pothos Plant?

Since this is a tropical plant, you will want to keep it warm to a hot temperature. The temperature range for this plant that works is 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit. This plant doesn’t do well with extreme hot or cold, nor does it perform well with random jumps in temperature, so keep the preferred temperature range for this plant year-round.

What Humidity Requirements Does a Satin Pothos Plant Need?

This plant doesn’t need high amounts of humidity, so you don’t need to invest in a humidifier. Instead, you want to keep this plant’s humidity levels around 50%.

To keep a 50% humidity level, you can group this plant with other plants, which helps create a micro-ecosystem that gives off more humidity when their water evaporates from the leaves. You can also mist the plant a bit, which helps give off a bit more humidity while giving the plant some water.

How Often Should You Water a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica?

You want to water this plant during the spring and summer when the top two inches of soil become dry. Overwatering is a problem with this plant, and it comes with giving the plant extra water when it doesn’t have enough time to absorb the initial amount it got earlier. By overwatering the plant, you run the risk of root rot, which will cause the plant to stop growing and wilt.

You can scale back how frequently you water this plant during the winter months since it won’t be growing as much as the spring and summer.

Finally, make sure that this plant is always in a container with drainage holes. Drainage holes allow any excess water to flow out of the bottom of the container, which reduces root rot.

What Size Does a Silver Pothos Plant Get to Typically?

The mature height of a silver pothos plant reaches up to 4-8 feet in length. If the size of the plant starts looking leggy or starts to become too big in a particular part of your home, you can trim and prune back the look.

One tip is that if the plant starts looking too big for an area of your home, you can put it into a hanging basket if it is not in on already. The hanging basket allows the plant to naturally fall off to the side, growing a bit larger than being in a pot on a table.

Most Common Bugs

Spider mites and scales are common bugs that attack this plant. If you notice these bugs are on the plant, you can use insecticidal soap, water, and a clean cloth to wipe down the leaves to remove these sap-sucking pests gently. In addition to that, you can shower this plant to remove any spider webs or any sticky sap that might live under the leaves.

Most Common Diseases

Root rot is a common problem for this plant. If you have root rot, you will need to remove the plant entirely from the soggy soil and get rid of the damaged roots. Once that is complete, it is best to place this plant back in fresh potting soil in a pot with drainage holes and then put it in an area where it will receive more bright indirect light.

Can You Prune a Silver Pothos?

It is best to prune a silver pothos plant during the early spring and summer when there are dead leaves on the plant to promote new growth. You can also prune the plant when it has brown or yellow leaves to help preserve the energy for the remaining healthy dark green leaves.

Can You Propagate a Silver Pothos?

Propagating a silver pothos plant is straightforward and is best to do during the growing season. Here are the steps below to take via stem cutting propagation.

Cut a four-inch part off the plant containing a plant node with clean scissors.
Remove the pothos leaves from the bottom of the cutting. It is best to remove these leaves at the bottom, so the plant doesn’t allow too much water to evaporate. When you make a cutting, you want the plant to retain as much water as possible, and leaves let the moisture escape.
Place the cutting into a bowl or jar of water.
After a week or so, there should be new roots forming from the plant node.
Place the cutting with new roots into a container with good potting mix material like peat moss, perlite, and pine bark.
Place the container with the new cutting in an area with bright indirect light. Direct sunlight during this stage can easily scorch the plant, so be mindful of that.

Can You Repot a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica?

An obvious sign that a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica needs repotting is when the roots are sticking out of the drainage holes. When you notice that, you need to remove the plant from the current container and then move it into a pot no larger than two inches in diameter from the previous home. In addition to that, you can also put fresh potting soil into this new container for the plant.

Also, you can put this plant into a hanging basket if you want via repotting. Placing this plant into a hanging basket is a good idea if you want the plant to have a bit of a dangle and carefree look as it hangs off to the side.

Where Does this Plant Originate from Initially?

A Scindapsus Pictus Exotica originates from Southeast Asia in Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Borneo. This tropical plant is familiar with warmer climates and humidity, so it is best to mimic this environment in your home or office.

What USDA Hardiness Zone Works Best for a Silver Pothos?

A 10-12 USDA Zone works best for a Silver Pothos.

Is it Toxic?

Ingesting this plant’s foliage can lead to swelling and irritation of the stomach.

Conclusion: How to Take Care of a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica

In summary, the care guide for a Scindapsus Pictus Exotica is relatively straightforward. The plant doesn’t need any special humidity conditions, does well with room temperature, and only needs watering when the top two inches of soil become dry. Best of all, you can easily propagate this plant via stem cuttings, which means you can add more of these plants around your home and office!