Most pothos plants will grow a single vine and will not branch out. You can encourage branching by regularly pruning the pothos just above a growth node. This can stimulate the plant to branch out and grow 2 stems from the vine. A more reliable way to grow multiple stems is to plant multiple cuttings. Plug new cuttings in with existing plants to add more stems to your pothos.
You can encourage a fuller, bushier pothos plant by regularly trimming the vines. You can trim them to around a foot long which will encourage the plant to grow more leaves close together.
Pothos plants will grow dense, bushy and fast if they get regular water and at least 6 hours of bright, indirect light. Feed pothos with a good quality indoor plant food in spring and fall and they will reward you will lots of leaves and stems.
This article will explore the best ways to give your pothos the chance to branch off into multiple stems. I have had success with the methods below on my own pothos plants at home.
Will pothos plants split into multiple branches from one vine?
Pothos can split off into multiple branches from one vine. This usually happens naturally but you can increase the chances by pruning it just above a growth node.
There is the chance that the vine will just send out another single stem but you can get the cutting and sprout it in water. You can then plant the new stem into your original pot to create a new plant.
How to grow multiple pothos vines
Here are the best ways to grow multiple pothos vines from one pot. Try these at home to grow a large, bushy plant.
1. Plant multiple cuttings in one pot
The most reliable way to get more than one vine in a pot is to plant more than one stem cutting. Stem cuttings are easy to take from pothos. Simply cut the stem to include a growth node or aerial root. Stem pieces that are at least 6-7 inches long with at least one growth node will work best.
Place the cutting into a jar or glass of water and wait for around 4 weeks for it to grow small water roots. These will be white and will help the stem to strengthen before it is transplanted into soil.
You can place 3-4 stem cuttings into the same pot to grow multiple vines. You can also plant stem cuttings into your existing plant. You can gently plug the stem cuttings into a gap in the soil. Another great way is to repot your pothos and add the stem cutting at the same time. This will give both more room to grow and fresh potting soil.
2. Trim the vine back to reduce the length by 1/3
When you trim the vine, there is the chance that it will branch out into multiple vines. This has happened once when I was taking stem cuttings. There was nothing that I did different so there is not guarantee it will happen every time.
The best thing to do is to prune the vine, grow the cuttings and plant them with your original plant. You can repot the whole plant into new, fresh potting soil and plug the cuttings in as you do this.
I have found that this is the best method to put the new cutting in the pot without harming the roots of the original plant.
3. Rotate the plant to get more light
To encourage multiple vines to grow around all sides of the pot it is important to rotate the plant. This will mean that the vines can reach as much light as possible. You will find that pothos grown against a wall or in a bookshelf will grow all of their vines on the side that gets the most light.
Turning your pothos pot or placing on a pot stand that gets light from all directions can encourage the plant to grow healthy vines all around the pot. It is your choice as to whether you want to plant to grow vines on one side or all around. The key is light and you will see vines head towards it as you turn the pot.
4. Feed and water the plant well
To encourage pothos vines to grow lots of leaves and to branch off they need regular water and nutrients. Water pothos at least once per week in the warmer weather. Water the plant thoroughly and allow the excess to drain through the holes. Tip any water out of the outer pot or pot tray to avoid root rot.
Feed the plant with some slow release indoor plant food in spring and fall to make sure it has the nutrients it needs to grow healthy stems and leaves.
Why Does my Pothos Only Have One Vine? | Summary
Most pothos will grow a single vine from a growing point. They rarely branch off but you can encourage this by trimming the vine back regularly. I have encouraged my vine to branch into 2 by taking a cutting. The cuttings can be rooted in water and then replanted into the same pot to grow another vine.
Pothos cuttings grow easily in water and it is the best way to grow a full plant with lots of leaves. I have successfully planted 4 pothos cuttings into the same pot to get 4 strong, healthy vines.
When you buy your pothos, look out for plants with multiple stems growing from the center. This means that there is more than one vine planted and you will get multiple stems.
Happy growing.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.