Why My Pothos Has Brown Spots & Brown Leaves? (Causes & Fix)

Pothos plants could have several issues due to the misconduct in their caring regimen. However, what commonest problem they often face in their entire growing session is discolored leaves.

Reasons for Pothos Brown Spots and Browning Leaves: Overwatering, whole-day bright direct sunlight exposure, infected roots, humidity, fungal attack, and Overfertilization. Fixing these would help your pothos back with lush leaves.

We frequently find that any kind of negligence in their maintenance routine leads to some unwanted ugly spots on their golden leaves.

You can also see that the striking golden-green foliage can turn entirely brown for similar causes. So, here we emerge with a detailed discussion of what causes these kinds of leaves discolorations and how to deal with them expertly-

Table of Contents

Why My Pothos Leaves Have Brown Spots?

Reasons

The most typical causes of having a brown spot on the beautiful surface of pothos leaves are-

Excessive Watering:

Overwater or excessive water could be the greatest danger your pothos plant could witness in its entire lifespan. If you water your plant more than its actual requirement, it can’t drain entirely and thus, gets obstructed in the soil. This sort of soggy soil would initiate some ugly brown spots on the leaves soon.

Sun Exposure:

Your pothos plant can only stand direct sunlight for only 3-5 hours. But, if you put your plant under the full sun exposure for several hours or the entire day, it will have these unwanted spots on the foliage. This plant belongs to the tropical rainforest and thus, tolerates constant sunlight only if it comes with partial shade.

Fungal or Bacterial Diseases:

If you don’t use fresh potting soil for the plant or use any unsterilized garden tool during the plantation, a fungal or bacterial infestation could occur. This kind of disease makes the roots unhealthy and causes root rot sometimes. Damaged roots can’t cater proper nutrients to your plant, and they will have unhealthy brown spots on the leaves inevitably.

Improper Climate:

This tropical ornamental plant likes subtropical humidity levels along with a moderately warm temperature. To let your pothos plant thrive well, you must keep your plant in a high-humid place and away from cool temperatures. If you put the planter in a cold spot with low humidity, it will soon start having an ugly spot on the foliage.

Overfertilization:

Pothos are low feeders and thus try to avoid feeding your plant frequently. Extra fertilization than the proper needs could increase the salt buildup in the plant unavoidably. Pothos are delicate to extra salt. Consequently, this kind of overfeeding could lead to brown spots on the leaves of your pothos plant.

Pests and Bugs:

Scales, spider mites, aphids, etc. are some common nuisances that hamper the health of your growing pothos plant immensely. These insects suck saps from your plant and make them nutrient deficient. This problem can initiate damage in the form of brown spots on the leaves of your pothos plants.

How to Fix Brown Spots on My Pothos

To treat these issues and eliminate the possibility of having brown spots on the leaves of your pothos plant, attempt these hacks quickly-

Look for a proper watering routine. Your pothos plant needs averagely moist soil that must not be soggy. So, water your plant once every 7-10 days and let the soil dry between watering.
Keep your plant disease-free. To maintain this, always use fresh potting soil, sterilized garden tools, a planter with good drainage holes, and a well-drained growing medium.
Place your plant away from too much direct sunlight. Try to put the planter where your pothos plant could get 5-7 hours of bright but filtered sunlight every day. Never place the plant near open windows.
Maintain the perfect climate. Keep the growing temperature between 70° to 90° F. Make sure the humidity level stays between 45%-50% of the room to provide your plant with the best growing condition.
Feed your pothos mindfully. Try to cut back on excessive feeding of your pothos plant and make a proper schedule for this. Fertilizing twice a year is enough. Apply any balanced liquid fertilizer rich in nutrient content like Epsom salt.
Treat pests’ infestation efficiently. If you find a single insect on your growing pothos plant, be alert and apply the remedy immediately. Sometimes, they occur only once or two at first and then, infest rapidly beyond your control. Apply simple organic homemade remedies like rubbing alcohol or soapy water spray to get rid of them harmlessly.

Why Are My Pothos Leaves, Turning Brown?

Causes:

Like brown spots or brown tips, some particular reasons also work behind making the leaves of your pothos plant entirely brown. The most common causes of this issue, are as follows-

Watering Schedule:

It occurs when you-

Overwater your plant like watering more than once a week
When you keep your plant underwater or dehydrated for long
Or when you use normal tap water or any unfiltered water for watering your plant

Fertilizing Issues:

This could happen when-

You feed your plant more than 4 times a year
When you apply high-nutrient normal fertilizer to feed your pothos plant
Or when you fertilize your plant with a huge quantity more than its proper requirements

Sunlight Exposure:

It will arise when-

You place your plant under full sun exposure
When you cater unfiltered sunlight to your pothos plant
Or keep your plant far away from the reach of minimal sunlight

Climate Issues:

This may happen, when-

You put the plant in a spot in low-humidity
When the growing temperature is below 70° or above 90° F
Or when your plant goes under temperature fluctuation frequently

Soil Issues:

It may occur, when-

You use soil with poor drain quality
When the soil or potting mix is not freshly prepared
Or when the soil has any kind of fungal or bacterial issues previously

Planter size and Root Rot

It will hit you when-

The plant has already damaged roots
Your plant is root-bound due to oversized or small-sized planters
Or when the roots suffer from the water-logged growing medium

Pests:

This may happen, when-

If you keep your plant untreated for long
When you let the common pests and bugs take a bite at the plant
And when you keep those irritating insects untreated for long

How to Fix Browning Leaves in Pothos:

To fight all these misarrangements and get rid of the brown-leaves issue permanently, follow these tips considerately-

Use a planter with a good drainage system, and only 1-2 sizes bigger than the root ball of your pothos plant
Always use fresh potting soil as the growing medium
Prepare a potting mix combining peat moss, perlite, sand, and shredded pine bark well in a 4:2:1:1 ratio
Water your plant thoroughly after the plantation and water only once a week after that
Use filtered or distilled water all the time, when you water your pothos plant
Place the planter in a warm, high-humid place, exposed to bright but indirect sunlight
Feed your plant 2-3 times a year with Epsom salt or any granulated fertilizer
Repot your plant once every 2-3 years and prune 2-3 times a year with a clean pruner
And finally, give your plant a quick visit every week, to stay updated about any kind of pest infestation. This will help you to apply remedy methods faster either.

FAQ: Is This A Good Way to Treat Brown Leaves By Only Cutting Them Off?

Cutting only leaves with brown spots unfortunately won’t save you from having this issue further. This way you can only hold a presentable look of your pothos plant for a long while. So, we recommend finding out the real cause of this issue and treating it well to get rid of the issue enduringly.

Can You Revive Brown Pothos Leaves Green Again?

If you detect the real cause of brown leaves in a pothos plant at its earliest stage, it is sometimes possible to turn them greenback again. However, if the leaf has already turned half brown, it is next to impossible to turn it green again. Hopefully, you can save the remaining leaves from turning brown with our preferable tips.