Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is one of the easiest houseplants to propagate. A single stem cutting with a few nodes will reliably root, whether you stick it in water or pot it directly in soil. I’ve propagated hundreds of pothos cuttings over the years, and I genuinely can’t kill them—even my most neglected attempts eventually root.

But while both water and soil propagation work, they produce different results in terms of root development and transition success. Here’s what I’ve learned from doing this many, many times.

The Water Propagation Method

How to do it:

1. Cut a stem section with at least 2-3 nodes (the bumps on the stem where leaves attach)
2. Remove the lower leaves, leaving 1-2 leaves at the top
3. Place the cutting in a glass or jar of water, ensuring at least one node is submerged
4. Put the jar in bright indirect light
5. Change the water every 5-7 days to prevent bacterial growth
6. Wait

Roots appear from the submerged nodes within 1-2 weeks. After 3-4 weeks, you’ll have a substantial root system—typically 5-10cm of fine, white roots.

Advantages of water propagation:

• You can see root development. It’s satisfying and lets you know exactly when the cutting is ready to pot.
• Higher initial success rate. Water provides consistent moisture, which is ideal for root initiation.
• Zero soil-borne disease risk during the rooting phase.

Disadvantages:

• Water roots are structurally different from soil roots—they’re finer, more delicate, and adapted to aquatic conditions.
• Transition shock when moving to soil. Water-propagated pothos often experience a setback when potted because their water roots need to adapt to soil conditions. Some roots may die back and new soil-adapted roots will grow.
• Takes longer to establish in soil after potting. The plant essentially needs to re-root in the new medium.

I use water propagation when I want to give cuttings to friends (a rooted cutting in water is easier to transport and more impressive as a gift) or when I want to monitor root development closely.

The Soil Propagation Method

How to do it:

1. Cut a stem section with at least 2-3 nodes
2. Remove the lower leaves
3. Optional: Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder (helps but not strictly necessary for pothos)
4. Plant the cutting in a small pot filled with well-draining potting mix, burying at least one node
5. Water thoroughly
6. Place in bright indirect light
7. Keep the soil consistently moist (not waterlogged) for the first 2-3 weeks

Roots develop underground where you can’t see them. After 3-4 weeks, you’ll notice new growth at the tip of the cutting—this is the signal that roots have formed and the plant is established.

Advantages of soil propagation:

• Roots develop in the medium where they’ll live permanently. No transition shock.
• Faster overall establishment. Once roots form, the plant is already growing in its permanent medium and doesn’t need to adapt.
• Less maintenance. No weekly water changes—just keep the soil moist.

Disadvantages:

• Slightly lower success rate for beginners because it’s easier to overwater or underwater during the rooting period.
• You can’t see root development, so there’s uncertainty about whether it’s working until new leaf growth appears.

I use soil propagation for large batches of cuttings (I recently propagated 15 pothos cuttings to fill a hanging basket) because it’s faster to pot them all at once and wait, rather than managing 15 jars of water.

Root Development: Water vs Soil

The roots that form in water are visibly different from soil roots.

Water roots: Long, white, fine, and delicate. They grow quickly in water because nutrient delivery is easy (dissolved minerals in water) and there’s no physical resistance. But they’re not well-suited to anchoring in soil or navigating soil structure.

Soil roots: Shorter, thicker, more branched, with root hairs for nutrient absorption. They grow slower initially but are adapted to the mechanical challenges of soil (pushing through particles, finding moisture pockets).

When you transplant a water-propagated cutting to soil, those delicate water roots often die back partially, and the plant grows new soil-adapted roots. This causes a temporary stall in growth—the plant focuses energy on re-rooting rather than producing new leaves.

Soil-propagated cuttings skip this step. The roots that form are already soil-adapted, so the plant transitions smoothly into active growth.

Transition Tips for Water-Propagated Cuttings

If you’ve rooted cuttings in water and you’re ready to pot them, here’s how to minimise transition shock:

Don’t wait too long. Pot water-rooted cuttings when roots are 5-8cm long. If you wait until roots are 15-20cm, the transition is harder because the root system is more established in water conditions.

Acclimate gradually. Some people add a small amount of soil to the water over a week, gradually thickening the mixture. This lets roots adapt progressively. I’ve done this and it works, but it’s fiddly.

Use very light, well-draining soil for the first potting. Mix 50% potting mix with 50% perlite or coarse sand. This provides better aeration and drainage, which helps delicate water roots adapt.

Keep soil consistently moist for the first 2 weeks. Water-rooted plants are used to constant moisture. Letting the soil dry out too much immediately after potting stresses the roots. After 2 weeks, transition to normal watering (let the top 2-3cm dry between waterings).

Expect a growth pause. It’s normal for water-propagated pothos to stop producing new leaves for 2-4 weeks after potting. The plant is redirecting energy to root adaptation. New growth will resume once the roots are established.

Which Method Should You Use?

Use water propagation if:

• You’re new to propagation and want visual confirmation of success
• You’re giving cuttings as gifts (rooted cuttings in decorative jars are nice gifts)
• You want to grow pothos semi-permanently in water as decoration (pothos can live in water long-term if you add liquid fertiliser occasionally)

Use soil propagation if:

• You want the fastest overall path from cutting to established plant
• You’re propagating multiple cuttings at once
• You don’t want the extra step of transitioning from water to soil

For my own propagation, I now default to soil because I find it simpler and the plants establish faster. But I still use water propagation when I want to watch the roots develop or when I’m propagating rare/expensive plants and want the reassurance of seeing roots before committing to soil.

Common Mistakes with Both Methods

Water propagation mistakes:

• Not changing the water regularly. Stagnant water develops bacteria that can rot the cutting.
• Placing the jar in direct sunlight. Algae grows in the water, making it cloudy and depleting oxygen.
• Leaving the cutting in water too long. Roots become excessively long and fragile, making soil transition harder.

Soil propagation mistakes:

• Overwatering. Wet, soggy soil rots the cutting before roots form. Keep soil moist, not waterlogged.
• Using soil that’s too dense. Heavy soil compacts around the cutting and restricts airflow to developing roots.
• Planting cuttings without nodes. Roots grow from nodes, not from the cut end of the stem. If there’s no node buried, no roots will form.

Propagation Timing

Pothos propagates successfully year-round indoors, but spring and summer are fastest. Warmer temperatures and longer daylight speed up root development.

In Sydney, I propagate heavily in September-October. Cuttings root in 10-14 days. In winter (June-July), the same cuttings take 3-4 weeks.

If you’re propagating in winter, patience is key. The cuttings will root—it just takes longer. Keep them warm (near a heater but not directly on it) and in bright indirect light to speed things up.

What to Do with Propagated Pothos

Once you’ve successfully propagated pothos, you’ll quickly realise you have more pothos than you know what to do with. Options:

• Pot multiple cuttings together in a hanging basket for a full, bushy plant
• Train them up a moss pole for a climbing display
• Give them to friends, colleagues, and anyone who expresses mild interest in plants
• Trade them for other plant cuttings in local plant swap groups
• Leave rooted cuttings in water semi-permanently as minimalist decor

I have six pothos plants in my apartment now, all propagated from a single plant I bought four years ago. The original plant is long gone (overwatering incident), but its descendants thrive.

The Bottom Line

Both water and soil propagation work reliably for pothos. Water propagation is more beginner-friendly and visually satisfying. Soil propagation is faster to established growth and skips the transition phase.

Try both methods and see which fits your workflow better. Pothos are forgiving enough that even if you do everything slightly wrong, they’ll probably still root. It’s genuinely one of the most foolproof propagation projects for anyone learning plant care.