Root rot
Black, soft, mushy stems at the soil line are the serious one — this is root rot, and it spreads fast.
Diagnosis
Root rot
What's happening
When pothos roots sit in waterlogged soil too long they suffocate and decay, and that rot creeps up into the stems at the base. Affected stems go dark, soft, and mushy, often with a sour smell, and the rot can take the whole plant if it isn't stopped.
How to fix it
Act quickly. Unpot the plant and rinse the roots clean, then cut away every black, soft, mushy root and stem with sterilized scissors until only firm, pale tissue remains. Repot the healthy portion into fresh, fast-draining mix in a clean pot with drainage holes, and water sparingly while it recovers. As insurance, snip a few healthy green vine cuttings and root them in water — pothos roots easily this way and gives you a backup if the parent doesn't pull through.
What fixes it
- Pots with drainage holes — Repotting into a clean pot with real drainage stops water from pooling and re-rotting the roots.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Golden Pothos care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this