With its deep green leaves and silver streaks, the satin pothos, or Scindapsus pictus, provides a spectacular display in any setting or home. Its leaves are beautifully designed with lighter green patches, making the plant unique.
It is easy to maintain a satin pothos, but as the owner of a satin pothos, you must have at least once noticed the leaves curling.
Causes of Satin Pothos Leaves Curling
Why do satin pothos leaves curl? Due to temperature stress, bug infestation, and direct sunlight, satin pothos leaves curl. In addition, low humidity and excessive nutrient feeding may also cause the leaves of satin pothos to curl. You must first recognize the issue to fix it.
The satin pothos leaves may curl up for various causes, one of which is underwatering. Water keeps the cells of plants turgid, which aids in preserving the framework of the plants.
The plant’s cells will contract due to dehydration if water is unavailable. The leaves may curl, droop, and eventually die if they go too long without water.
1. Underwatering
The soil must be kept under control. As soon as the leaves begin to curl, check to determine if you are providing the plant with enough frequent hydration.
Early detection and proper watering will quickly restore the leaves to normal conditions.
The Satin Pothos plants’ soil requires regular, substantial soaking, and the soil must also dry out in between waterings simultaneously. Therefore, ideally, you should water the soil to strike a balance between keeping it dry and damp.
2. Root Rot Caused By Excessive Watering
Too much water can cause the soil to become flooded, which causes its leaves to curl. When water becomes stagnant, and there is poor drainage, the roots will begin to rot.
Dehydrated stems and leaves result from the decaying roots’ inability to deliver vital nutrients and water.
The leaves will curl in an attempt to keep as much water as they can in such circumstances. The good news is that you can prune your plant if you recognize root rot as the root problem of leaf curling at an early stage.
Remove any brown areas from the roots after inspecting them by unpotting the plant, as they are symptoms of rotting roots. Only the white, healthy roots should be left behind. Once you’ve finished, you can replant your satin pothos so that they can flourish in new, drained soil.
3. Thermodynamic Stress
Temperature stress is when the plant is exposed to high temperatures. Satin Pothos leaves curl inward in hot weather; you should store them inside where it is simpler to control heat exposure and maintain temperature control. Your Satin Pothos should be kept in a bright area with indirect sunlight indoors.
Avoid the sun as much as possible because it can cause leaf burn. Place it anywhere inside the house where the temperature is comfortable, and there are no sudden changes in the degree of heat or cold. The ideal temperature range for satin pothos plants is between 18 and 30 °C (65 to 85 °F). Your satin pothos might become displeased with anything inside or outside of this range.
4. Stream Quality
The caliber of the water is also essential. Regular tap water, sometimes known as “hard water,” is frequently salty and hurts satin pothos leaves.
It prevents water use of filtered or rainwater; additionally, you can catch rainwater to utilize on your plant.
If filtered water is unavailable, you can take tap water and reserve it for 24 hours; this removes fluoride and chlorine from the water as it is used for your plants.
5. Insect Infestation
Like all indoor plants, satin pothos can become infested with insects. You’re more likely to encounter certain pothos pests attacking the foliage and hiding these pests there. As a result, inspecting the satin pothos for insects is imperative. The leaves will begin to curl when the houseplant is infested.
Examples Of Pests That Affect Satin Pothos Plants
- Arachnid mites. They are pretty tiny and unable to notice. These spider mites like to remain concealed while sucking the fluid out from plant tissue on the bottom of satin pothos leaves, and the leaves begin to curl.
- Blight gnats. The soil of plants like satin pothos frequently has fungus gnat infestations. They can consume the roots of satin pothos, and the plant may die if not noticed on time.
- Aphids. These insects have cornicles on the abdomen and are about the size of a pinhead. They pierce the satin pothos leaves with a couple of tube-like protrusions.
- Whitefly. Despite their name, satin pothos is infested by wingless insects called whiteflies. They remain in groups under the leaves and have small, triangular bodies.
- A soft scale giant insect called soft scales attacks satin pothos plants and eats the leaves, sucking their sap out. They sometimes resemble lumps on the plants since they try to adjust to their surroundings.
How To Fix Satin Pothos Leaves Curling
You can fix curling leaves on pothos by supplying enough lighting, eliminating the infestation, reviving plants, and repotting impacted plants.
1. Have A Good Watering Schedule
Checking your watering plan needs to be one of the first steps you do because both over- and under-watering may be among the main causes of your pothos leave curling.
Underwatering is pretty simple to correct, but it’s critical to discover it early before your plant is irreparably damaged.
Overwatering, however, may require a little more effort. Allowing your plant to dry out will assist if the problem is beginning, but you might need to re-pot your satin pothos in new soil as a pleasant reset. If you discover root rot has taken hold, intervene appropriately as soon as possible.
2. Provide Adequate Light Your Satin Pothos Needs
The longevity of indoor plants like satin pothos is significantly influenced by light intensity. Despite their love of light, they have particular needs. When there is little light, satin pothos leaves curl toward the illumination source. Similar to how your satin pothos leaves could curl upward when there is insufficient light for them,
On the other side, too much light causes your pothos leaves to curl inward. Because of this, it’s essential to take notice of the light exposure to ensure pothos receive enough indirect sunlight. To avoid sunburning pothos, choose a location with ample natural light but not so much sun that it will damage the leaves.
3. Separate diseased Plants
Diseases like fungal and root rot can affect satin pothos. Take quick action when you see a plant with root rot since it can spread. Start by moving the diseased satin pothos to a separate room or outside. Later on, you should remove the affected roots and repot the plant in new soil.
4. Repotting The Plant
If none of the previous remedies work to stop the curling leaves on pothos, repotting is the last resort, and it aids in giving the plant fresh, diseased, contaminated, and pest-free soil.
5. Insect Infestations
It’s simple to get rid of an insect infestation on satin pothos. To clean the leaves, gather cotton balls and alcohol. Each leaf should have its top and underside cleaned with cotton balls and alcohol.
Solid and effective in repelling most insects is rubbing alcohol. Use insecticides, though, if you see some bugs eating the houseplants. Remove all dead leaves from the pot as well.
Satin pothos is a simple indoor plant that even beginners can cultivate, maintain and revive but this does not imply that pothos cannot be killed. Curling leaves result from problems, including excessive or insufficient watering, overwatering, overfeeding, and many more.
Insect infestation, temperature changes, and humidity distress also impact pothos plants.