the best practice I have found with my plants is to pinch out the growing stems of all (or most) of the growing tips. With easy rooting plants like pothos, you could probably put some of the cuttings right back in the pot as well.

Both Pothos and Philos are easy to root..You can either stick them in soil or water..then add in pot w/parents.
Pinching is a good idea, too. This is something that should be done with 'most' vining plants..NOT all..I never prune/pinch Hoyas, Toni

Respectfully disagree re: pinching. Pinching a plant that isn't going to branch as a result isn't going to help the grower or the plant.

Question...when you say "pinching", is that the same as "pruning"? In other words, if I pinch off the tip of the plant, I'm just removing it (with either my fingers or scissors)?
Thanks,
Gabi

Gabi, yep..Pinching is basically removing the top two leaves of a plant..It should be done with Wandering Jew and Purple Passion..makes a big difference...Toni

Gabi - yes, that's what I meant by pinching also. I pinch out the new growth tips - sometimes I use my fingers, sometimes I use scissors.

Mr. Subjunctive - I'm not sure what you mean by one growing point. I've checked my pothos several times since you posted, and my plant has several growing tips. When I pinch out the furthest growing tips, it does seem to encourage new growth in the center of the plant.

Whta MR.S means is out of each node comes one leaf, not two. Pinching really only works when your plant has two leaves on a node. This encourages both leaves to produce a new stem. Pothos and Philos really only need to be pruned when they lose lower leaves and look leggy or if you're trying to confine them. They won't bush unless you prune and plant the cuttings as described above. Pinching doesn't do much but make the stem grow at a funny angle.

The "Plant" (collection of everything potted in the same pot) has multiple growing tips, but the Plant is composed of multiple plants, each a single vine with one growing tip. Is what I meant.

And I apparently misread something above. I didn't mean to suggest that *all* vining plants have single growing tips. Some will branch if pinched back (purple passion, etc.), just pothos and heart-leaf philos aren't among the ones that will.

Thanks that totally answered my question. I noticed a couple of my philo vines have branched in numerous other places on one vine, but not too often.....I was getting the impression,they shot off multiple branches if pinched back, but now I see that these plants are not one of those.....well not so much.

What kinds of plants branch when you pinch them, I haven't noticed alot of new branching after I prune, but still a lot of growth.

Thanks

Tracy

Mentha & Mr. Sub - thanks for clarifying that for me. So apparently instead of being one unified plant, my pothos must be a collection of individual plants - I did not realize that before. And I have definitely experienced the "weird angles" from pinching growth off. I don't really like that look, but I'm not into really long vines either, so I'll probably keep pinching.

What about Cissus rhombifolia - is that a vining plant that should/can be pinched?

Cissus rhombifolia will branch; whether or not to pinch is between you and your god.

I pinch my grape ivy all the time and them stick the pinched parts back into the pot, if they are big enough. My grape ivy looked terrible when I got it, dry leaves....etc, now it looks great....

Tracy

ok

I do have a pathos its swell

Valerye, you realize this post is from 2007? Do you have a picture of your pothos?