Is Snake plant familiar to you?
Among the most popular air-purifying succulents, snake plant thrives well indoors and is easy to maintain. Warm or cool climactic conditions and a minimal amount of maintenance are typically necessary for evergreen plants. Throughout this article, we share all the information on how to grow and care for snake plants at home.
Known as snake plant or Sansevieria trifasciata it is a tropical plant belonging to the Asparagaceae family which is known to grow in many tropical regions of West Africa. It has large leaves with creeping roots. The mature snakes leaves are stiff and grow upward (vertically) and may range from 50cm to 70cms in length. A bird’s nest, a houseplant, and an ornamental plant at home or in the office, and it is also used to enhance sleep by capturing oxygen levels during nights.
Sansevieria is a snake plant?
The Sansevieria plant is a flowering plant found in tropical regions and belonging to the family Asparagaceae. The plant can grow up to six feet in height outdoors in warm climates and surrounded by cool conditions while having creeping rhizomes that emerge above ground. The leaves are dark green to light gray-green in color.
Why is it called Mother in law’s tongue?
This plant is commonly called “Mother in law’s tongue” or “Saint George’s sword” due to the shape and sharp edges of its leaves. It can also be called “Vipers bowstring hemp” because one of its plant fiber sources can be used to make bowstrings.
Varieties of Snake Plant
More than 70 varieties of this plant are grown all around the world because of its special properties. Most of these species are evergreen plants that grow in tropical and subtropical regions. For commercial applications, the plant must possess the following characteristics: . Sansevieria trifasciata, or mother-in-law’s tongue is commonly used for gardening.
1 Sansevieria trifasciata- Dark green to gray-green leaves, 6 feet tall
2 Sansevieria concinna-Mature leaves, 2 feet
3 Sansevieria zeylanica-Wide exotic leaves
4 Black gold extreme-Stiff dark green leaves edged with gold color
5 Black robusta-Medium, dark green leaves & silver edges
6 Moonshine snake plant-Dark silvery-green leaves
7 Whitney (Dwarf variety)-Dark green leaves with light green stripes
8 Gold hahnaii-Light green leaves with golden edges
9 Future superb (Dwarf)-Light green leaves, mottled in silver
10 Cylindrica snake plant-Cylindrical shaped leaves
11 Sansevieria angustiflora-Long-light green leaves
12 Sansevieria subspicata-Broad oval-shaped leaves with yellow edges
13 Sansevieria Deserti-Very long thick leaves in light green color
14 Sansevieria Longiflora-Light green leaves with white spots
How do I grow snake plants indoors?
The following factors contribute to snake plant’s thriving in bright sunlight, making it one of the best houseplants for beginners and displaying.
- To grow snake plant, choose a pot and soil that suits your needs.
- You should provide your plants with the right amount of water and sunlight.
- Keep an eye out for plants that have nutrient deficiencies, pests, and diseases in the garden.
- In this case, consider using organic fertilizers in order to keep pests & diseases away as well as improve the plants’ health.
Choose a Pot
Start a Snake Plant starting from seeds in the desired size of pot, which is 6 inches both wide and deep. If a clay or ceramic pot is required, use one with holes at the bottom for drainage. Before sowing the seeds in pots, wash them under warm running water to speed up the germination process. After that, let it dry for a while.
Soil Requirements
You can use a good houseplant potting mix, cactus mix, or red soil. You can also use coco peat, construction soil, or clay to grow snake plants at home. The optimal soil pH to grow snake plants quickly is 5.5 -7.5.
Watering Snake Plants
Providing ample water to the plant for every couple of days and increasing its water supply when it reaches maturity. Make sure the root ball is moist by watering in the summer and no water during the winter. For dwarf varieties, the plants reach a height of 2-3 feet tall when mature, and they bloom in the summer.
Sunlight
Plant snake plants in full sunlight to achieve rapid growth. Sunlight should be provided for a minimum of 6-8 hours a day to the plant in order to maintain an ideal temperature of 65-80F when grown indoors. The plant will not survive at a temperature below 41F.
Nutrient Deficiency
- Element = Symptom
- Nitrogen = Slow growth, pale yellow leaves
- Phosphorus = Reduces leaf growth, leaves turn blue color
- Potassium = Interveinal chlorosis
- Magnesium = Reduces plant height, chlorotic leaves
Pests & Diseases
- Pests – Spider mite, aphids, thrips, scales, whitefly, fruit fly
- Diseases – Bacterial leaf spot, anthracnose, powdery mildew, fungus, snake plant root rot
Fertilizing Snake Plants
The more balanced fertilizers that snake plants are given, the more rapid it will grow and the more it will bloom. For root establishment, nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium fertilizers such as N-P-K are applied in the spring in the ratio of seven-four-ten. Other organic matter such as compost, manure, and mulch can be added to the soil.
How to Propagate Snake Plants?
Leaf cuttings of Snake Plants
The best way to propagate snake plants from cuttings is to buy a baby plant variety from online stores or to cut the end of the leaf. To root snake plants in water, stem cuttings and a jar of water are all that is needed to develop plants. Following is a simple procedure for propagating snake plants from cuttings. Take a snake plant cutting that has healthy leaves and place it in a jar of water.
- Make sure that it is exposed to indirect sunlight for at least 8 hours each day.
- Replace the water every couple of days.
- Within two weeks the root develops, and then you can place it into a pot that is moist rich soil, improving air quality.
Growing Snake Plant From Rhizomes
Other methods of propagation for snake plants include rhizomes. Snake plant can be grown from rhizomes by cutting them very close to the plant, leaving it for 2-3 days before planting in the garden. Rhizomes are usually underground stems from which shoots and roots sprout vertically. Pruning the rhizomes with a sharp knife, shears or scissors is best. Sometimes the roots have already formed and have begun to bulge out.
Growing Snake Plant From Division method
A snake plant is very difficult to divide and is a lot of work to prune its leaves. This can be done with the use of pruners, knife, and a clean towel. The amount of babies you get from a particular snake plant will vary depending on its size.
How to Care for a Snake Plant?
Snake plant care is simple but requires patience to handle them. If you don’t have the right growing environment in place the plants will not grow well. Check out these useful tips for caring for your air-purifying snake plants at home indoors and outdoors…
- Taking care of snake plants does not require pruning.
- Organic matter must be applied to the sansevieria plants in the spring.
- The plant will be too big to be contained in a pot, so it can be transplanted to outdoors.
- Remove any stains from leaves with a damp cloth if they become dusty.
- Mulching improves the fertility of the soil while maintaining moisture levels.
- The snake plant should only be repotted in the spring season when it starts breaking the pot with its roots.
- For even sunlight exposure to the snake plants, turn the pot about once every three weeks.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There are still many recent and interesting articles about Snake Plants..
..as well as other unique information from All Things Gardener..
For further information and other inquiries..
..you can contact us here