Snake plants are tough and hardy, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less susceptible to diseases and pests. Here are the top snake plant diseases and pests you should know about.
Here’s a list of the most common snake plant diseases and pests:
- Root Rot
- Mealybugs
- Spider Mites
- Southern Blight
- Red Leaf Spot
Identifying the symptoms of snake plant disease or pest is the first step to resolving the issue. The sooner you recognize a problem, the greater the chance that your snake plant will be able to be saved. Continue reading to learn how to spot these common issues.
Root Rot
The most common problem with snake plants is root rot.
This is the result of overwatering the soil…
…and occurs most commonly in the colder months of the year. The plant roots can die when room rot occurs due to a lack of oxygen and fungus growth occurring in the soil. If the soil is wet, certain bacteria like Rhizoctonia and Pythium can colonize and multiply, spreading disease throughout the roots.
During this time period, the roots will begin to turn mushy and brown as the plant slowly deteriorates, unable to transport nourishment through the roots into the foliage.
Despite its location beneath the soil’s surface, root rot goes unnoticed by most gardeners. However, odors from root rot can often be smelt, as it gives a moldy, pungent smell around the plant’s base.
Unless your snake plant pot has adequate drainage holes, it will most likely develop root rot shortly. If you cannot afford a new pot right away, you can create your own drainage holes with a pair of needle-nose pliers or sharp shears. You can also buy inexpensive planters with drainage holes on Amazon. Remember snake plants prefer neglected soil, so it’s always better for the soil to be dry than wet. It can be especially difficult to eradicate root rot once it reaches the plant itself.
Common Signs
Root rot is usually recognized by brown and mushy roots. As the disease advances, you will notice your snake plant leaves turning yellow, wilting, or drooping, as well as becoming flooded with water.
How To Get Rid Of It
One of the best ways to stop snake plant root rot is to repot it. Before you add fresh soil, you need to break away as much of the infected soil as possible before repotting the plant. It is also crucial to add a good root treatment containing mycorrhizal species to the soil, as it creates an inhospitable environment for unwanted fungus and bacteria.
Sulfur works by oxidizing the soil and reducing the nutrients available to pathogens and bacteria. For this reason, sulfur powder can be added to the new soil to prevent further infection of the plant. If your plant has been affected by root rot, try separating its leaves into sections and keeping the healthy ones. You can then repot them with healthy soil, then take new cuttings and start a new plant.
How To Prevent It
Watering the snake plant too often will lead to root rot, so you want to allow the soil to dry completely before you water it again. This may mean only watering it once every 30-60 days, and maybe even less in the winter.
Mealybugs
A lot of indoor and outdoor household plants have mealybugs, not only on snake plants but also other indoor and outdoor plants. Due to their dry texture, these small, pink-colored insects are protected from excessive heat and moisture loss by a waxy white substance covered with a waxy white substance.
A snake plant that is infested by mealybugs will form colonies around the plant’s base and on its leaves. Mealybugs will lay microscopic larvae as soon as five to eight days after it is infected.
Common Signs
When snake plant leaves appear to be deformed or have small white spots, this is a sign of a mealybug infestation. If the mealybug infection lingers, the plant’s leaves will begin to curl up, turn yellow, and eventually drop.
A toxin was injected by Mealybugs on the leaves of snake plants. The results were that the leaves of snake plants became weak and wilted. Mealybugs feed on the fluid of the plant’s leaves and can multiply rapidly.
How To Get Rid Of Them
One of the best ways to treat mealybugs on snake plants is to spray neem oil or rinse in warm water and apply cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol on each of the plant’s leaves. To determine if rubbing alcohol damage your snake plant leaves, you should test the solution on a small patch of cotton first.
How To Prevent Them
It is essential to inspect your new snake plant when bringing it home from the nursery so you can help keep it free of mealybugs. You should also quarantine your snake plants if they are infected, so that other plants are not infected. Constant monitoring will help ensure that your snake plants remain healthy.
Spider Mites
A common pest on snake plants are spider mites. These parasites live on the leaves’ undersides, and they feed on the water in the leaves, leaving them weak with bite marks. Spider mites’ concealment makes them particularly problematic. You can often go weeks without noticing their damage.
Common Signs
You may also see white webbings on leaves or at the base of your snake plant. Yellowish leaves or discolored leaves with holes on them are the most commonly observed signs of a spider mite infestation.
How To Get Rid Of It
Spider mites can be quickly eliminated by spraying your snake plant with neem oil or an effective insecticidal soap. Cotton swabs can also be used to rub down leaves separately. Make sure you get the undersides where mites tend to populate. In addition, rinse the snake plants’ leaves thoroughly with tepid water, especially if the infestation is severe. In this case, you may need to prune the snake plants to keep them alive.
How To Prevent Them
Keeping spider mites at bay requires regularly dusting your plants so that they don’t penetrate into the plant’s tissues and lay eggs.
Southern Blight
Southern Blight is a disease spread by Sclerotium rolfsii, which is a common fungus of snake plants. This fungus attacks your snake plant too. It penetrates its stems and eats away at them over a period of days, causing the plant to die. Consequently, you must take steps to eradicate it swiftly or your snake plant will die after seven to ten days.
Common Signs
You may notice white spots on the leaves and that these will turn a brownish color over time. It’s also common for the leaves to begin to wilt and turn soft as the fungus breaks down the plant tissues, making them appear wet and soggy
How To Get Rid Of It
Several fungicides are effective in eradicating Southern blight, among them methyl bromide, used for applying weekly to the plant.
How To Prevent It
It’s best to avoid using pots and containers that have this fungus. Use new or disinfected pots for your snake plants. You’ll also want to ensure that your snake plants have good airflow to stop the fungus from developing at the root of the plant.
Red Leaf Spot
Snake plants can also develop a case of red leaf spot. This disease is caused by the fungus Drechslera erythrospila. A red leaf spot is more commonly seen during the warmer months of the year when the fungus spores look for damp surfaces on the leaves to stick to.
Common Signs
Some common symptoms of red leaf spots include brownish-red spots on the leaves. The spot can grow over a period of days, causing large liquid lesions on the leaves of the plant.
How To Get Rid Of It
The chemical treatment not only will not eliminate the fungus but will prevent new spores from forming. To eradicate it, remove affected leaves and then spray the plants with copper or sulfur-containing fungicides.
How To Prevent It
To prevent red leaf spots on snake plants, keep them out of standing water. Also, make sure they have sufficient air circulation and free-standing water on their leaves.
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