Last Updated on May 4, 2022 by Gary Stephen
Cebu Blue Pothos is one of the easiest plants to care for. Nevertheless, if you want to amp up your game, choose the more unique varieties of pothos plant. Among the rare and exotic-looking ones is the Cebu blue pothos. This variety is quite hard to find. Thus, it is most valued among pothos growers and enthusiasts.
Pothos, in general, is a trailing evergreen plant which is super low-maintenance that it can thrive even with neglect. Hence, its forgiving nature makes it a popular choice among beginners.
The pothos plant, or devil’s ivy as they call it, come in a wide array of varieties. From the vibrant color of neon pothos to the variegated marble queen and the speckled beauty of satin pothos. This plant offers different looks that will surely tickle one’s fancy.
Nevertheless, if you want to amp up your game, choose the more unique varieties of pothos plant. Among the rare and exotic-looking ones is the Cebu blue pothos. This variety is quite hard to find. Thus, it is most valued among pothos growers and enthusiasts.
If you happen to get your hands on such a rare find, you have come to the right page!
In this article, we will teach you how to properly take care of the Cebu blue pothos. From watering to lighting, propagation, and the best products to use, we got it all covered here. Just keep reading so you won’t ever waste the precious chance to grow this stunning plant.
Cebu Blue Pothos – A brief intro
Cebu blue pothos is a variety of flowering plant that belongs to the Araceae family. Scientifically, it is called Epipremnum pinnatum. But, most often it is simply known as the blue pothos.
The term Cebu blue though is being derived from its place of origin, the island of Cebu in the Philippines. Today, this perennial vine can also be found in some parts of Asia, northern Australia, and even Europe.
1. Growth Phases of Cebu Blue Pothos
The Cebu blue pothos presents itself in two distinct phases: the juvenile and the mature. These stages not only describe the appearance of the plant but will also determine its growth behavior.
2. Juvenile Phase
The leaves of blue pothos during the juvenile phase are not yet fully developed. Thus, it may appear in differing shades from green to blue, bluish-green, or silver. But most often, the silver to bluish-gray coloring is more dominant during this stage.
As for the shape, it acquires an elongated or oval-like form. By this time, a young leaf can measure about 2 to 3 inches in length.
3. Mature Phase
As it matures, the greenish hue of the leaves deepens more. It also develops prominent indentations along the midsection and spreading outwards.
In an indoor setting, blue pothos can reach a length of 4 inches. However, it can grow as big as 30 inches when being grown in the wild.
The Cebu blue pothos is also a flowering perennial plant. However, you should know that it is more likely to bloom when it is being cultivated outdoors.
How to care for Cebu blue pothos
1. Lighting for Cebu Blue Pothos
The Blue pothos plant isn’t that demanding for lighting. It can get by just fine having a medium amount of light. Hence, making it possible to thrive in an indoor setup.
Nevertheless, it would encourage vigorous growth if you place it in a brightly-lit location. However, be careful as well not to expose it to direct sunlight for too long. This is intense enough to cause burns or damage to its leaves.
So always place it under filtered lighting. When indoors, an east-facing window is your perfect spot. If you choose to grow it outdoors, though, make sure to place it somewhere shady.
Even though it can tolerate not having too much light, this is also not healthy for plants in the long run. So when you have low-lighting conditions, it is best to use artificial lighting. The grow lamps will supplement the lack of sunlight in your space. Thus, still allowing your plant to undergo photosynthesis and other metabolic processes.
Grow lamps come in a wide range of selections. From bulb types to color temperatures, wattages, etc, there’s a lot to consider. So, always keep in mind the number of plants and the growing conditions you are trying to achieve.
Our top picks for grow lamps:
Acke Dual-Head Gooseneck Lamp with Clamp
Elaine Sunlike Full-Spectrum Clip On Grow Light
Mosthink Sunlike Full-Spectrum Grow Light Strips
Tmlapy Sunlike Full-Spectrum Growing Light Fixture
Yuhan Tri-Head Sunlike Full-Spectrum Grow Lamp with Adjustable Tripod Stand
2. Watering for Cebu Blue Pothos
The Cebu blue pothos doesn’t require any special watering technique. You can water it the way you normally would in a typical indoor plant. Moreso, using tap water to hydrate it is totally fine.
A good strategy here is to let your fingers decide.
Do this by letting your fingers feel the potting soil. If the top inch feels moist, skip watering and check again after a day or two. But, if the soil already feels dry to touch, then it is about time to give your pothos thorough watering.
When watering, it is best to allow your potting soil to get well drenched. However, see to it that your pot has enough drain holes to let the extra water flow out freely. By doing such, you are ensuring the soil gets evenly hydrated and lessening mineral build-up.
If you are not comfortable digging your fingers into the dirt, you can use a moisture meter instead. This tool comes with a probe that allows you to measure the soil’s actual moisture levels. So, you’ll know exactly when to water or not your blue pothos plant.
Our top picks for soil moisture meters:
Ruolan Soil Moisture Meter Precision test
Marparts 4-in-1 Soil Moisture Tester
Reotemp Garden and Compost Moisture Meter
3. Soil for Cebu Blue Pothos
The Cebu blue pothos is not very picky either when it comes to potting soil. In fact, it can get by just fine with regular garden soil. Nevertheless, if you wish to optimize its health and growth, it is best to opt for well-draining soil mixes.
Oftentimes, such a mixture contains varying ratios of perlite, vermiculite, and orchid bark. These components are coarse enough to loosen up the soil and promote aeration. At the same time, it also has the ability to hold water. Thus, keeping your soil mix happily moist.
You can choose to create your own potting soil by mixing the regular garden soil with either of the soil amendments mentioned earlier. Or, you can also opt to buy premium potting soil mixes for convenience. Just make sure it contains a certain amount of perlite, vermiculite, and orchid barks.
Our top picks for premium potting soils:
FoxFarm Happy Frog Nutrient Rich Garden Potting Soil
The Next Gardener Professional Grower Mix Soil
Espoma Organic African Violet Premium Potting Mix
Our top picks for soil amendments:
Burpee Natural Fine Grade Horticultural Vermiculite
4. Container
The actual pot is equally as important as the potting soil you use. Not only does it add to the aesthetic value of the plant, but it also has a role in maintaining the right moisture level.
The pothos plants are natural climbers. Thus, they are best displayed in pots that allow their vines to either just hang or crawl up onto a structure. So, you have two options here:
Hanging Pot – Placing the Cebu blue pothos on a hanging pot is one of the most common ways to display its beauty. Most people love to hang it from the ceiling or simply put it on high shelving. Letting its vine drape down freely creates a point of visual interest in your vertical space.
Pots with support structure – Another great way to display its trailing vines is by adding a support structure to your pots. This can be done through the use of a climbing pole. The stick will let you expand your pothos vertically while containing it within its pot. You can also let it climb across the wall by using wall fixture clips. These mini adhesive clips attach the vines to the wall without damaging the plant. Moreover, this also allows you to create a specific pattern if you wish so.
Regardless of the type of pot, there should always be at least one drain hole at the bottom. This will ensure the excess water will be flushed out of the pot. Thus, preventing it from getting waterlogged.
Without drain holes, the chances of root rotting and other diseases drastically increases. This can greatly compromise the health of your Cebu pothos. Worse, can even lead to its death.
Our top picks for hanging pots:
Foraineam Dual Pot Hanging Basket Planter
Our top picks for plant poles and wall fixture clips:
Mosser Lea Totem Pole Plant Support
ALLhave Self-Adhesive Plant Climbing Wall Fixture Clips
OscenLife Invisible Plant Climbing Wall Fixture Clips
5. Temperature
When it comes to temperature, what feels comfortable enough for you, feels good for your Cebu blue pothos too. This plant is at peace living in a space within the normal room temperature. That should fall between 68°F to 72°F.
But generally, a temperature range of 60°F to 80°F gives you more wiggle room. Whether you are growing it indoors or outdoors, make sure to stay within this range to maintain optimal health. Otherwise, an environment that is too cold or too hot can affect its well-being and stunt its growth.
To effectively keep track of the changes in temperatures, it is always a good idea to have a room thermometer on hand. This simple device allows you to accurately monitor the temperature levels in your grow space.
Our top picks for thermometers:
Taylor Indoor Outdoor Wall Thermometer
Boeespat Mini Indoor Thermometer
Doqaus Digital Indoor Thermometer
AikTryee Digital Indoor Thermometer
6. Humidity for Cebu Blue Pothos
Same with temperature, an average household humidity is perfectly fine for Cebu blue pothos plants. To be specific, that should be well within the range of 30% to 50%.
Nevertheless, you can further optimize its health by boosting the relative humidity up a bit. A level of 50% to 70% is the most ideal environment for your pothos. This range keeps the air slightly moist enough to promote vigorous plant growth.
Cebu blue pothos can tolerate some dryness in the air too. However, this should not last for a long period of time. Too little humidity can trigger its stomata to shut close. When that happens, the plant will no longer be able to absorb moisture from the air. Thus, causing it to become dehydrated.
There are some simple techniques you use to increase the humidity level in the room. First is by simply misting your plant with plain tap water. In this method, it is best to use a fine-mist garden sprayer. This should dispense enough moisture without overly drenching the entire plant. This method is perfect to use for your hanging pothos plants.
The second technique is by using a pebble tray. All you need here is a regular tray or dish plate. Place pebbles or any decorative rocks on top of this tray and fill it with plain tap water. Then, put your pot on top of the pebbles. Make sure though not to let the water level touch the bottom of the pot to avoid the soil from getting soaked.
The goal here is to allow the water from the tray to evaporate. When it does, the humidity within the immediate environment rises too. Pretty clever right?
Our top picks for fine mist sprayers:
Longway Super Fine Plastic Trigger Spray Bottle
Sdoot Fine Mist Plastic Spray Bottle
T Tovia Fine Mist Automatic Electric Garden Sprayer
GeoEssential Fine Mist Battery Operated Electric Garden Sprayer
Our top picks for decorative pebbles:
Gaspro Natural Gravel River Rocks
Midwest Hearth Natural Decorative Polished Black Pebbles
7. Fertilizers
As low maintenance as they are, the Cebu blue pothos doesn’t require much fertilization. However, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea as well if you give it a little boost.
Well-balanced all-purpose plant food is sufficient enough to support your plant’s health. This generally contains good amounts of the basic macro and micronutrients that are essential for plant growth.
When feeding, it is best to dilute the fertilizers properly. This will ensure that the formula is not strongly concentrated to damage the plant. On this note, it would also be a smart choice to opt for plant food without urea. Urea is an excellent source of nitrogen. However, it has a higher tendency as well to cause a burn to your plants.
The ideal time to feed your plant is during the spring and summertime when it is actively growing. Feeding it once a week should be good enough to supplement its needs. Nevertheless, it still depends on the recommendations of the product’s manufacturer.
In wintertime, plants become less active and so consume fewer nutrients too. On that note, you have to adjust and reduce your feeding sessions to once a month. This will be enough to maintain its health without overdoing it.
Our top picks for all-purpose fertilizers:
Jobe’s Organics Organic All-Purpose Granular Fertilizer
Schultz All-Purpose Water Soluble Plant Food
Jack’s Classic All-Purpose Water Soluble Plant Food
Grow More All Season’s Plant Food
Dynamite Flowers & Vegetables Plant Food
8. Pruning
Pruning should always be a part of grooming and maintenance of your Cebu blue pothos plant. By doing such, you are trimming off the unhealthy or damaged parts. Moreover, this also keeps the plant in good shape and size. Otherwise, un-pruned stems are likely to become thin and leggy.
When pruning, make sure to cut about 1/4 inch above the leaf and leave as many nodes as possible. You can trim your pothos plant any time of the year. It is good to know as well that pothos can tolerate light to heavy trimmings. It just depends on your intentions.
Another important thing to consider, always use sharp and sterile garden shears. The sharper the scissors, the cleaner the cut, and the less traumatic it will be for your plants. Also, well-disinfected scissors prevent cross-contamination of diseases from one plant to another.
Our top picks for pruning shears:
Felco Classic Manual Hand Pruner
Fiskars Softgrip Bypass Pruner
ClassicPRO Titanium Pruning Shears
Corona Forged Classic Bypass Pruner
Vivosun Gardening Hand Pruning Shears
9. Propagation
Propagating the Cebu blue pothos plant is fairly easy. There are two common methods to do this:
Propagation by cuttings:
When propagating through cuttings, the key is to ensure the inclusion of at least 2 nodes. The node is the point where new roots will grow. Thus, it important that it remains intact. The more nodes, the greater the chances of growing roots.
How-to:
- Select a healthy part of the vine.
- Cut a few inches long. Each cutting should contain at least 2 nodes.
- Dip the tip of your cuttings in a rooting hormone. Tap off the excess
- Plant your cutting in moist potting soil.
- Make sure to use a container with drain holes.
- Store your cutting in a warm and humid spot. It should be able to receive bright yet indirect lighting.
- Alternatively, you can also water propagate your pothos.
- If so, change your water every few days to keep it fresh and free from algae.
- Once the roots grow into the nodes, transfer the cutting in the potting soil.
Propagation by single leaf & stem:
This method might take longer since it only has one node, to begin with. Nevertheless, it is still viable if given the right care and attention.
How-to:
- Select a healthy leaf.
- Cut a single leaf making sure to include the stem with at least one node.
- Put your cutting in a jar of water.
- Change your water every few days to keep it fresh and free from algae.
- Once the roots grow into the nodes, transfer the cutting in the potting soil.
Our top picks for rooting hormones:
Garden Safe Take Root Rooting Hormone
Quick Clone Gel Rooting Compound
Wrapping Up about Cebu Blue Pothos:
The stunning beauty of the Cebu blue pothos is truly rare and exotic. What’s even more amazing, the plant is super easy to care for just like any other pothos plant. So, the aesthetics plus its low maintenance makes it an unbeatable double treat for any gardener.
