Welcome to this post that will be talking about what might cause a pothos plant to start turning white on the leaves. The cause is actually often that it’s getting affected by powdery mildew.
That is a type of fungal disease that if left untouched will have a pretty severe impact on the plant. It will make the plant start to rot where it’s affected. It can spread from the leaves to the stem as well. Further establishing the fungal disease grip on the pothos plant.
Follow along in this article and we will be discussing the role in depth on the issue and what you might be able to do about it. For us, the pothos plant is still a very good houseplant for beginners to start out with.
Pothos Leaves Turning White
Like we said at the beginning of the article here there are a few different things that will be affecting the way the pothos plant grows but above all makes white leaves appear. The presence of a fungal disease known as powdery mildew will cause the plant to have white spots.
This is a pretty clear sign something is wrong and something also needs to be done. The plant will quickly start to wilt down if left untouched. The powdery mildew is in fact a very bad thing to affect any plant.
Thankfully there are a few different things you could be doing to counter the powdery mildew once it has started to appear. We usually use a blend of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water. This will once be applied to the infected spot making the fungus start to diminish. But be careful about the amount that you are using.
Too much of this blend will instead kill the leaf. Since it’s very acidic it will wilt the leaf as well. But there are some things you could be doing to mitigate this horrible fungal disease even appearing in the first place on the plant.
By this, we mean that the plant needs to be growing in a very healthy place where it can keep its defense up at all times. Having healthy soil rich in nutrients and also well-watered at all times will definitely do the trick. But also making sure there is enough sunlight on the plant each day will also keep it healthy. About 8 – 10 hours if you are growing it indoors will be sufficient.
Is your pothos plant starting to grow leggy? In this article, we will be discussing just that, Leggy Pothos Plant.
Why Are My Pothos Leaves Turning White
We have already laid out a few different reasons why a pothos plant might start to turn white on the leaves. We have found powdery mildew to be the cause of this. That is a fungal disease that will appear when the environment the plant is growing in is very bad.
That means a very humid spot where the soil is kept way too overwatered at all times. The roots will start to rot when there is too much water as not enough oxygen gets into the soil.
But these things will also affect the plant’s natural defense system against these diseases. They can more easily establish themselves when the plant is already not healthy.
We find that the best cure for not having powdery mildew appear is to simply make the plant grow in a very healthy environment. Plenty of sunlight each day and soil that is kept damp and also rich in nutrients will definitely make for great conditions to grow in.
If you are wondering about keeping a pothos plant pot bound then we have an article just about that. Find it here, Does Pothos Like To Be Pot Bound.
Why Is My Pothos Becoming Variegated
The reason a pothos plant is starting to become variegated is that it’s lacking a natural and very important element called chlorophyll. Something that is found in almost all plants. It makes them a green color.
But on the pothos plant the leaves that are turning white are often actually a genetic mutation instead of being a leaf that is becoming variegated.
