A Care Guide for Your Top Trailers & Climbers: looking after your Devil’s Ivy, Scindapsus, Philodendron & Satin Pothos

Our fabulous trailing plants are enduring favourites among you plant lovers and it’s easy to see why. They come in a great variety of colours, patterns and sizes, they add instant and effortless style to your home and they’re oh so wonderfully versatile. You can place them high on a shelf or in a macramé plant hanger and enjoy the beautiful cascading, green view. Alternatively, you can even train some varieties to climb instead of trail for a more structured, vertical display. Here we cover the care required for top trailers and climbers.

So, this week we’re bringing you a complete guide to looking after some of our most popular trailers and climbers. Keep reading to learn about the best plant care dos and don’ts to keep your Devil’s Ivy (aka Scindapsus), Satin Pothos and Philodendron happy and thriving.

A Guide to Caring for Your Devil’s Ivy, Satin Pothos, Philodendron and Scindapsus.

Devil’s Ivy/Scindapsus

The Devil’s Ivy, also known as a Scindapsus or a Pothos, is a gorgeously easy-care green beauty who not only looks fab but is also a top performer when it comes to air-purifying abilities. He’s wonderfully versatile too and will trail or climb to suit your green style.

All in all, an excellent botanical to include in your indoor jungle.

How much water should I give my Devil’s Ivy/Scindapsus?

As we said above, a Devil’s Ivy definitely falls into the easy-care category when it comes to plant care. He is pretty drought-tolerant and prefers to be underwatered rather than overwatered. But if you notice his leaves turning yellow this is likely to be caused by either overwatering or severe underwatering.

Give him a drink once every 1 to 2 weeks when the soil is dry on top and don’t let him sit in water. He will need less water during the winter than in the spring and summer.

How much light does my Devil’s Ivy/Scindapsus need?

Another quality that makes the Devil’s Ivy so low maintenance is his willingness to cope in different light conditions. He will be happy in a bright spot or a darker corner but do avoid direct sunlight as this could scorch his leaves.

Should I feed my Devil’s Ivy/Scindapsus?

Your Devil’s Ivy will benefit from a monthly feed during the spring and summer when he is in his growing period. We love Plantsmith Fortifying Houseplant Tonic, a complete blend of 13 essential nutrients and kelp extract to stimulate cell growth and keep your plants in tip-top condition.

Satin Pothos

The Satin Pothos is an elegant trailing botanical with oh-so-chic silver variegation on his leaves. A stunning, easy-care addition to your home.

How often should I water my Satin Pothos?

Similarly to a Devil’s Ivy, your Satin Pothos is more sensitive to overwatering than underwatering. Only give him a drink when the top couple of inches of soil have dried out and don’t let him sit in water.

Does my Satin Pothos like humidity?

In a word, yes! He’s a tropical plant and as such he loves humidity. Spritz him regularly with a mister or place him in your bathroom where humidity levels are naturally higher than other parts of your home.

How much light does my Satin Pothos need?

Another character trait that this guy shares with a Devil’s Ivy is his ability to cope in varying light conditions and he will tolerate a slightly darker environment. However, your Satin Pothos will be happiest in a bright spot away from direct sunlight.

Should I feed my Satin Pothos?

Your Satin Pothos will benefit from a monthly feed during the spring and summer when he is in his growing period. We love Plantsmith Fortifying Houseplant Tonic, a complete blend of 13 essential nutrients and kelp extract to stimulate cell growth and keep your plants in tip-top condition.

Philodendron

Also known as a sweetheart plant thanks to his distinctive, heart-shaped leaves, the fast-growing, easy-care Philodendron makes a beautifully stylish choice if you’re looking for a trailing plant.

How often should I water my Philodendron?

Philodendrons are known to be fairly tolerant of dry conditions and as such should be watered every 7 to 10 days once the top layer of soil has dried out. They can be sensitive to overwatering so always ensure they are not left sitting in water. If you notice the leaves turning yellow this is usually a sign of overwatering so let the soil dry out and decrease your watering frequency.

How much light does my Philodendron need?

Your Philodendron will be happiest in a bright spot with plenty of indirect sunlight. However, he will cope in a slightly shadier spot.

Does my Philodendron like humidity?

Your Philodendron will cope happily in normal household humidity but he will really thrive with a higher level of humidity so if you want to keep him happy then pop him in your kitchen or bathroom.

Should I feed my Philodendron?

Your Philodendron will benefit from a monthly feed during the spring and summer when he is in his growing period. We love Plantsmith Fortifying Houseplant Tonic, a complete blend of 13 essential nutrients and kelp extract to stimulate cell growth and keep your plants in great condition.

Shop Trailers and Climbers at The Little Botanical

Here at TLB, we do have a whole category dedicated to trailing houseplants, so you can shop the botanicals featured here and happily browse all the other top trailers and climbers we have too.

For those of you who are keen to elevate your green style with an easy-care, trailing houseplant, then look no further.

Our Devil’s Ivy is available ready potted in a choice of gorgeous pots, from the muted and understated almond or grey stoneware to our signature seagrass and cotton belly basket for a touch of rustic, boho chic.

Or if you’d prefer a climber, take a look at our Scindapsus (Moss Pole). This beauty comes ready potted in a bespoke TLB ceramic in either black and gold or grey with a varnished base. This beautiful botanical is planted with a central moss pole to encourage upward, climbing growth to make a fabulous, vertical feature, perfect for brightening a dull corner in your home.

Perhaps the elegantly muted silver variegation of a Satin Pothos is more up your botanical street. Whether you choose the almond or charcoal stoneware or the lighter grey pot, this stunning plant will arrive at your door ready to bring all the green style to your interiors.

And last but by no means least, the gorgeous Philodendron is a fab pick for those of you who are looking to inject a pop of tropical brightness in your home. Also available in the almond and charcoal stoneware or the grey pot, this guy will look just fabulous as a standalone plant or as part of an indoor jungle.

Fun Facts About These Trailing Houseplants

It is thought that the Scindapsus gets his Devil’s Ivy nickname because he is tolerant of low light conditions and so hard to kill.

The Satin Pothos is a cousin of the Devil’s Ivy which explains why they have many characteristics in common.

A Satin Pothos is also known as a Silver Vine, Silver Cloud, Silk Pothos and Silver Philodendron.

The name Philodendron is derived from the Greek words ‘Philo’ meaning love and ‘Dendron’ meaning tree.

Frequently Asked Questions about top trailers and climbers

Why has my Devil’s Ivy/Scindapsus got yellow leaves?

The most likely cause of yellowing leaves on your Devil’s Ivy is over or underwatering.

Trim away the yellowing leaves and to determine their cause, check the soil. If the soil is very dry and you can see it coming away from the sides of the growing pot, then give your plant a big drink. Continuing to water your plant every 1 to 2 weeks once the top layer of soil is dry.

If the soil is very wet, act quickly to rectify the problem. Drain away any excess water and move your plant to a brighter location to help the soil dry out. Once he has dried out, continue to give him a drink every 1 to 2 weeks, only once the top layers of soil have dried out.

Is a Satin Pothos safe for pets?

No, sadly a Satin Pothos is toxic to animals so is not a good choice if you have an inquisitive four-legged friend. In fact, none of the plants featured in this blog are safe for pets, but don’t worry, we have collated all of our pet safe plants into one handy category so you can shop them with ease.

Should I prune my trailing plant?

Yes, it’s a good idea to give your trailing plant a little trim if he’s starting to look a tad straggly. Giving the vines a trim will encourage new, bushier growth.

We hope we’ve given you plenty of useful information about caring for top trailers and climbers. As always, if you have any questions, do get in touch at [email protected]. Until next time plant

tribe.