Satin Pothos Care: Keiki Paste for your Satin Pothos Plant

Get lustrous new Satin Pothos foliage for spilling over hanging baskets. 

Scindapsus pictus ‘Argyraeus’ (silver philodendron, satin pothos or silver vine) is a dramatic vine plant resembling Pothos (Devil’s Ivy). Unlike the Pothos, the Scindapsus pictus is a darker green with silvery green variegation. It is a bit rarer than the Pothos and makes a striking addition to your houseplant collection.

1.  Find nodes:

Nodes are points on the plant stem that produce shoots and leaves. Scindapsus pictus and Monstera stems and  nodes look very similar - the nodes of both these plants show up as raised rings around the stem, as highlighted in the image above.

2.  Apply Keiki paste

Take a small amount of Keiki paste onto a cotton bud. Swab the paste onto the nodes where you want new shoots to appear.  

You may want to lightly score the nodes with a pin or a needle to expose the plant to the paste better. This is useful when a plant has slightly fleshy or thick stems like the Satin Pothos. 

3.  Wait

Keiki paste can take several weeks to work. Like the monstera, new leaves will emerge wrapped around the stem. 

A new bud on the Satin Pothos. It will unfurl into a leaf. This is the same plant as above, just transferred to a hydroponic setup.

While you wait, give your plant optimal conditions. Scindapsus pictus like indirect or filtered light – never place in direct sunlight. 

You will need to fertilize your plant after applying Keiki paste. This helps it push out new growth. Your Scindapsus will like a balanced fertilizer, containing equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash, (10-10-10 or 5-5-5).

If you have applied Keiki paste during the dormant (fall and winter) season, give your Scindapsus Pictus one dilute dose after applying the paste. You should not be fertilizing the plant otherwise during the dormant season. If you have applied Keiki paste during Scindapsus Pictus’ growing season (spring and summer), give it a dilute dose of fertilizeron top of your normal monthly fertilizer. 

Sindapsus pictus does not need water unless the soil is completely dry.