---
title: "HELP!!! My pothos has been looking sad:( This is how the roots are…"
description: "HELP!!! My pothos has been looking sad:( This is how the roots are looking. Does she have root rot? I don’t think she needs to be repotted? How do I help her???"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/46sbKsa-RgyFgv7yDz6N2w/xCBBS2e9epNSyoDrpSQjwC"
community: "Planet Pothos"
author: "Megan"
published: "2025-08-17T22:37:22.109423Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hNrRlGyv-wF9wbm2UxPoRlpy-fYh_jXHfn6aIs6mHAM/Cn1y3KCbSbiGgXPpYUiQfQ.webp?size=large"
---

[Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Planet Pothos](https://getplanta.com/community/46sbKsa-RgyFgv7yDz6N2w.md)

# HELP!!! My pothos has been looking sad:( This is how the roots are…

_Posted by Megan on 2025-08-17_

HELP!!! My pothos has been looking sad:( This is how the roots are looking. Does she have root rot? I don’t think she needs to be repotted? How do I help her???

![Attachment 1 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hNrRlGyv-wF9wbm2UxPoRlpy-fYh_jXHfn6aIs6mHAM/Cn1y3KCbSbiGgXPpYUiQfQ.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 2 of 2](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/hNrRlGyv-wF9wbm2UxPoRlpy-fYh_jXHfn6aIs6mHAM/F8KyFMM3QOOjSvDzXUWYXQ.webp?size=large)

## 8 comments

### Freedomskai commented on 2025-08-17

It looks like she has root rot, if the roots are mushy then she definitely does! I would personally remove all the dead roots and repot

#### Megan replied on 2025-08-18

I cleaned her up and repotted so hopefully she starts thriving again! Thank you! :)

### Phil commented on 2025-08-18

It looks like you use a nursery pot inside a show pot. Are you emptying the outer pot after you water. If not, that could lead to root rot.

#### Megan replied on 2025-08-18

It has always been in this pot and thrived for almost a year until now so I changed to a different pot. I would bottom water and then let water drain before putting back in the terracotta pot. The plant is now currently in a 6 in plastic pot

### Aisha commented on 2025-08-18

That looks like root rot.  
You would need to trim off any and all mushy roots, pot her in fresh soil and a sterilized pot.  
Only water when he’s dry and make sure he drains completely and isn’t sitting in water.

#### Megan replied on 2025-08-18

The roots were very dry and not mushy. I trimmed off some roots that were barely holding and then sprayed them with hydrogen peroxide water mixture before repotting in new soil and watering. Plant has been out in indirect sunlight today but I am not seeing much changes yet:/

#### Aisha replied on 2025-08-20

Okay.  
If roots were solid then I’d say it was under watered.  
When you water, are you letting the pot soak for a while?  
Most times plant owners water by pouring water into the plant semi-frequently, and are convinced that when it runs out the bottom, the plant is watered, but I’ve learned that’s often not the case. It’s just that the soil is hydrophobic so the water runs right through.  
The way to fix it is to fill a bowl with water and stick the plant in it, the water level should come almost to the top of the soil, and you just let it soak. I generally leave it for 10-30 minutes, sometimes longer, depending on the size of the pot. Generally when the soil on top starts to look dark and wet, I remove it, let it drain, then put it away.  
For a pothos like this I’ve found it often takes 24-48 hours for it to get any life back after watering, if I’ve let it get so dry it’s wilting like that.  
The next time you water should be when the soil is once again nearly completely dry. Soak it good, and then let it fully drain.  
My plants are doing so much better this way.

### Phil commented on 2025-08-18

There has to be some reason why your plant is not taking in water. How often do you water? When you bottom water, is the top of the soil wet when you remove it to drain? I’m just wondering if there is a possibility the soil has become hydrophobic.

---

_Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_