In the winter, most indoor houseplants go dormant and snake plants are no different. They rest at such dormant times in order to retain their health. Therefore, your snake plant’s routine during the winter will be different.
Winter on a snake plant can be harsh on it because of over-fertilization, excessive watering and an inordinately high humidity level. Avoid overwatering and stop fertilizing your snake plants. Keep a moderate level of humidity and your snake plants should survive.
The snake plant requires a small amount of your attention during the winter. We know that the holidays are close at hand and this plant is going to support you throughout your holiday season. During winter, the snake plant can go without water and without additional feed for some time.
How to Avoid Winter Problems in Snake Plants?
Overwatering
In winter, water once every 10-14 days. Room temperature water. Pour water along the sides and not on the leaves, but still ensure the entire root system is watered. Keep your soil lightly moist in the summer, but avoid overwatering during the winter months. In winter, make sure to water only enough to keep your soil from dry out completely.
Remember to water succulents in a way that will not cause the leaves to rot, which is the same as with most succulents. Take a clean damp cloth to soak up the excess water if you see that water is trapped inside an area of the plant without an exit path.
We can avoid overwatering by:
- Select a well-draining potting soil
- Make sure the soil is dry before watering your snake plant
- A dry, smooth, well-drained soil is ideal
- When the soil is moist or wet, wait a few days before watering
- Drainage holes and tray should be checked
- The tray should be emptied if the water is too much
- A snake plant should not be left too long in still water
- Making a watering regime is the most important thing
- Notes and reminders can be useful as we try to recall
- The snake plant might already be suffering an overwatering situation, in which case checking for signs of this overwatering situation first and then repotting the plant would be advisable
Overfertilization
The key takeaways are:
- Fertilize only in the spring and summer.
- The feed should be a very diluted form and an evenly distributed fertilizer (10:10:10 or 20:20:20).
- During the fall, reduce the feed by half.
- In the winter, do not apply fertilizer.
What if there are signs of overfertilization?
We generally remove excess feed from the plant and gently remove the root ball from the pot. This is the most crucial and gentle case since we do not want to harm its roots. Discard any leaves and roots that will not help the plant. Also, remove excess soil attached to the root ball.
Remove excess fertilizer from the roots of the plant under running water at least three times. Once the fertilizer has been washed away, we need to repot the plant. It is okay if you use the same pot, but it should be cleaned with bleach and dried. If you choose a different pot, then it should be replanted.
Combine a 1:1 blend of well-draining potting soil and cactus soil with compost and keep the root ball near the bottom of the pot, then cover it with more potting mix. Don’t forget to be extremely cautious when doing the above.
After repotting, gently tap the pot so that air pockets are not formed. Water the plant, but don’t water it too much. Don’t fertilize it for one month after repotting.
You need to choose the right position for the plant. The snake plant is easy to grow and requires little attention, so it works well in the garden and lower light areas.
However, there are a few things we should make sure occur during the winter. If the snake plant is situated near a window, especially a Southern window, where we receive a cold draft in winter, consider moving the plant to another part of the house. If not, we can close the windows to keep the snake plant safe.
Though the snake plant is not bothered by heat, winter is not its cup of tea. It dislikes temperatures below 50°F. Therefore, in order to maintain an optimal temperature around the snake plant in the winter, it should not be placed near radiators. The heat from the radiators will harm the snake plant.
The Snake plant is mildly toxic to pets and small children. Therefore, care should be taken before placement. Hanging pots help, as does the use of Spatial placements for the Snake plant.
If the plants are placed in a very low-light area, we can use artificial lights during the winter if necessary.
Consider maintaining appropriate humidity levels. Snake plants do not mind extra humidity during the winter, but we should consider using a humidifier if the air becomes too dry. Below 50°F, the snake plants suffer harm.
Despite the fact that this plant thrives in bright light, the leggy snake plant leaves are severely damaged by direct sunlight. This is a wonderful plant that can survive in low light, but the leaves become severely damaged. This snake plant does not like the cold draft of the winter and does not like being overwatered. Therefore, the perfect condition would be a slightly warm room temperature and bright indirect sunlight.
The snake plant should not be misted as it can lead to disease and pest infestation.
Check the humidity level with a humidifier in the winter. For the same reason, bathrooms have been favored for snake plants during winter.
Neem oil solution can be sprayed on the snake plant. Simply mix it with water and spray using a spray bottle. Neem oil solution will keep your snake plant safe from pests and insects.
Humidity
It is important to avoid stresses on Snake Plants as much as possible in order to prevent them from becoming stressed. If your plant was outdoor during the summer, but you want to bring it inside during the winter, then we must manage the extremes.
If the snake plants were placed outdoors, then the amount of sunlight that it would receive would be overwhelming, and you can’t suddenly move the plant from the outside to the inside.
We should avoid extreme situations as well when moving a snake plant from our bathroom, which has high humidity, to our patio. It is recommended to keep the snake plant away from a cold draft, but we must avoid extreme situations.
It is therefore recommended that you prepare the plant well in advance. When the fall starts, you should place the plant in low light for some time and then place it back in its original position.
It’s important to care for the plant well so that it can adapt to the situation that we would like our plants to be in. The same is true once the winter comes to an end. Place the plant in indirect bright light for at least one hour, then bring it back to its old spot. As a result, the snake plant will not experience stunted growth and will be able to adapt to the growing conditions well in advance.
Because of the extreme environment, the snake plant may become stunted and leggy as well as even start drooping and wilting. Snake plants tolerate fluctuating temperature ranges between 60-75°F/16-24°C. They will not tolerate extreme cold. Bring them inside before frost returns.