Different Types of Scindapsus pictus

I would like to introduce a New Series on Indoor Plants

and hope to come up with 10 Best Indoor Plants for Beginners.

It is more less as medium level plant to grow and maintain.

Let me introduce this plant -  Scindapsus pictus species

The Benefits may be similar to Pothos & Philodendron.

Click on the Name above for more detailed information about the plant.

 Satin Pothos  - Scindapsus pictus 'Exotica'

Characteristics:

Leaves that appears to be large have curls at the edges.

Variegation of the silver spots appears to be more fully covered around leaf surface.

The silver appears to be more and the green spots lesser on this particular species.

Silver Pothos - Scindapsus pictus  'Argyraeus'

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Characteristics:
Leaves appears to be smaller and span out further between leaf nodes.

Variegation of the silver spots appears to be more sparse. This appears to be like more of a green leaf with light grey silver spot on them. (This appearance is the reverse of 'Exotica' )

Scindapsus pictus cv. Platinum

Click on the Name above for more detailed information about the plant.

Characteristics:

The leaves appears to be full sheen of a silvery -green tone where the foliage is void of any spots or pattern. Also these silver-grey colored crystalline leaves do shimmer when tilted at an angle under light. There is slight green tones on the midrib veins but not very visible.

ID:

Scindapsus appears to have similar needs and resembles with most ariods. It has a common name known as Satin Pothos but it is far from what a potho should be. This one is far sensitive in comparison to a potho species.

Based on my experience,

I would consider this one as a medium difficult level in comparison to pothos.

They do tend to grow slower and may easily rot if no proper care is given but once the plant is stable and show its sign of growth, it will spring forth with vigor and robust growth.

Satin Pothos & Silver Pothos do have a silver sheen that appears like florescent reflection when viewed in an angle.

I wouldn't recommend it for beginners especially if you had received a cutting or trying to propagate it. I had many trial and errors with this one and find that a well established full grown plant fair well compared to cuttings for this one.

Yet, if you are open for a challenge and already have the rest of the pothos in your collection and if you are planning to complete that collection - this would be a great accomplishment.

Basic Care and Cultivation of Scindapsus:

Potting Mix:

50% potting mix together with coconut chips. I find this medium is very safe and low risk compared to so many that I tried before. The coconut chips had be trimmed in small bite size pieces and slightly packed with top soil (basic potting mix)

OR

50% potting mix together with with perlite, sand, sphaghum moss and coconut chips

It is important to NOT to over-pot the plant - do keep this plant compact and let it overgrow the pot slowly and repot to another pot slightly bigger.

WATERING:

Too much water can kill them - therefore keeping the medium moist but not dripping wet is essential. It is best not to place them with a water saucer underneath the pot - it works for most pothos species but not for this one - rather treat it more on a drier side and water it when the medium is slightly dry.
Because of this potting medium - I really do not have to worry so much about over watering as the medium is fast draining.


FEEDING:

I find this is very important - a wrong fertilizer can kill this plant and the whole this over: The stress and the leaf drop and burned leaves - It is too late to undo the mistake.

I would really recommend to pay attention to use of fertilizer - do not use any strong fertilizers on them, rather work on with the light and weak application of the feeding regime and slowly notice how the plant reacts to the growth condition and maintaining it to an optimum level is really helpful.

I for one use: Osmocote and alternatively use seaweed solution for good strong root growth. I also realized that this is a slow growing plant and so a lot of patience is needed.

LIGHT:

I keep this is in a bright shade area - too hot and may burn the leaves, too shaded and the leaves will turn to yellow as lacking sunlight. I had noticed at times, Scindapsus curl off the leaves - these happens when they are in stress.

PROPAGATION:

The most ideal, high success rate of propagating this one would be air layering and letting the roots to trail to another potting mix and once the roots established - the plant can trimmed of from the mother plant. I find it doesn't not fair well when it comes to cuttings - they do tend to rot and wither away.

Also I had noted that they don't fair well when placed totally in water alone (like pothos trimmed and placed in a jar or vase) this one seemed to rot and rarely root.