According to master gardener John, “Snake plants should be trimmed in spring or summer.”
Don’t you just love the strong, sword-like leaves of snake plants? I know I do.
But keeping them in tip-top shape does require some occasional trimming.
When and how should you trim your snake plant for optimal growth and appearance?
Well, in this short guide I’ll share my top tips for properly pruning your snake plant babies.
You’ll learn the signs that it’s time for a trim, what tools to use, how much to cut off, and more.
I’ll even reveal my special technique for encouraging fuller growth after pruning.
Trimming snake plants isn’t difficult, but there are some key things to know.
So grab those shears and let’s get snipping!
KEY TAKEAWAY
How to trim snake plant?
To trim a snake plant, use clean pruning shears to cut damaged or overgrown leaves at the base, ensuring a neat and angled cut. (1)
Additionally, remove any yellow or dead leaves for optimal plant health.
Tools Needed for Trimming Snake Plants
Having the right tools on hand will make trimming your snake plants much easier.
Here are the main items you’ll need:
- Clean, sharp bypass pruners or scissors – It’s important to use clean, sterilized pruners or scissors to avoid transferring diseases between plants. Bypass pruners make smooth, clean cuts compared to serrated blades.
- Bucket or tray for catching trimmings – Place a bucket or tray next to your workspace to collect the cuttings and fallen leaves. This keeps your area neat and contained.
- Potting soil (if propagating from cuttings) – If you want to root some of the cuttings to propagate new snake plants, have some fresh potting mix on hand. Use a lightweight, well-draining soil.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The most vital tool is a quality pair of pruners or gardening scissors designed for cutting stems and leaves.
Disinfect the blades first with rubbing alcohol to prevent disease transmission.
Always make cuts cleanly without crushing or tearing the plant tissues.
Gather any other supplies like gloves, spray bottle of water, and rooting hormone if propagating.
With these basic snake plant pruning tools, you’ll be ready to start trimming away for a tidier, thriving plant.
How to Trim a Snake Plant
Trimming a snake plant properly helps keep it shapely and thriving.
Follow these key steps:
- Wash Tools – Before pruning, thoroughly wash shears, scissors, and gloves with soap and water to remove dirt and bacteria. Clean tools prevent disease transmission.
- Select Leaves/Stems to Remove – Scan the plant for dead, damaged, diseased, or unsightly leaves and stems to cut away. Also remove any crowded, crossed, or excess growth.
- Cut Stems Below Nodes – Use sharp, clean shears to make cuts just below leaf nodes or where unwanted stems emerge from the soil.
- Cut off Damaged/Dead Sections – Carefully slice away any dead, yellowed, browned, or rotten areas on remaining leaves and stems. Discard any fully shriveled leaves.
- Discard Trimmings – Toss all cuttings, leaves, and debris into your compost, trash, or a buried hole as they can harbor pests and diseases if left around.
- Propagate Cuttings (optional) – Healthy trimmings 2-3 inches long can be rooted in potting mix to propagate new snake plants! Just stick cut ends in soil.
With the right pruning, your snake plant will keep its signature structure.
Trim back regularly in spring and summer, and fertilize it to encourage new growth.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Signs Your Snake Plant Needs Trimming
Knowing when to prune your snake plant is important for keeping it healthy and shaped. (2)
Watch for these cues that it’s time for a trim:
- Leaves touching the ceiling/walls of its container – Once leaves reach the edges of the pot, it’s time to trim them back to keep the plant compact.
- Buildup of dead or damaged foliage inside the plant – Remove any leaves that are yellowed, browned, or shriveled to improve appearance.
- Leggy growth habit with large spaces between leaves – Cut back stems that have become lanky and spread apart for a fuller look.
- Overcrowding causing leaves to yellow or droop – Trim away crossing or crowded growth to prevent leaves from yellowing or drooping from lack of light.
Post-Trimming Care
Caring properly for your snake plant after pruning helps it recover faster:
- Water as usual but avoid fertilizing for 4 weeks – Hold off on fertilizer, which can stress freshly trimmed plants.
- Provide partial shade for 1 week to reduce stress – Keep it out of direct sun while it adjusts to the pruning.
- Check for pests/disease and treat promptly – Watch for pests or diseases when wounds are fresh. Apply insecticidal soap or fungicides as needed.
- Trim again as needed usually every 6-12 months – Monitor growth and trim again when you notice leaves getting unruly.
With attentive post-pruning care, your snake plant will bounce back quickly for healthy growth!
Why You Should Trim Snake Plants
Trimming your snake plant provides several key benefits:
- Maintain the plant’s shape and size – Pruning prevents leggy, unruly growth and keeps the plant’s compact form.
- Remove damaged, dead, or diseased leaves – Cutting away unsightly or unhealthy foliage improves appearance.
- Encourage new growth and promote a fuller plant – Trimming stimulates the plant to produce new leaves and stems for a bushier look.
- Propagate new plants from cuttings – Healthy cuttings can be rooted in soil to easily propagate more snake plants!
When is the Best Time to Trim Snake Plants?
Target your trimming sessions during optimal growing periods:
- Early spring or late summer when the plant is actively growing – Spring and summer provide warmth and light for the quickest regrowth.
- Avoid trimming during winter dormancy or heat of summer – Trimming during dormancy or intense summer sun stresses plants.
- Check for signs the plant needs pruning like overcrowding – Monitor regularly for signals like crowded leaves or damage to know when pruning is needed.
With well-timed trimming, your snake plants will thrive while keeping their signature structure.
Let the plant’s needs guide your pruning schedule.
Propagating from Cuttings
Propagating new snake plants from trimmings is an easy, rewarding process:
- Trim 4-6″ cuttings below nodes – Take cuttings from the plant’s stems right below the leaf nodes. Cuttings should be 4-6 inches long.
- Remove lower leaves leaving top 2 sets – Strip off any leaves on the lower half of stems. Leave just a couple leaves near the top.
- Place in soil or water and keep moist – Stick cut ends into potting mix or place in water. Keep the soil or water constantly moist.
- Roots will form in 4-8 weeks – Be patient! Healthy new white roots will begin emerging from the cuttings after 4-8 weeks.
Once rooted, the new propagates can be repotted into their own containers.
Propagating from trimmings is a simple way to multiply your snake plant collection!
Trim judiciously to get the most out of each plant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I care for snake plant?
Snake plants are low maintenance plants and do not require frequent care.
Water them when the top inch or two of soil is dry.
You only need to water snake plants once every 1-2 weeks during the growing season.
What should I do if my snake plant has damaged leaves?
It is common for snake plants to occasionally have damaged or dead leaves.
Simply remove the damaged leaf from the plant by cutting it off near the soil line using clean scissors.
Be sure to cut the leaf above a node/pup to avoid damaging the plant.
What kind of light does my snake plant need?
Snake plants thrive in low light conditions and tolerate low light very well.
They can live happily in very bright indirect light from an east, west, or north-facing window.
Avoid direct sun which can scorch the leaves.
The sansevieria trifasciata and sansevieria cylindrica both do well in low light.
How can I make my snake plant grow taller?
Be patient, as snake plants are generally slow growing.
Make sure to provide the plant with adequate light, water only when…
…the soil is dry, and use well-draining potting soil.
Snake plants can eventually reach heights of 2-3 feet tall over time in ideal growing conditions.
Their growth rate increases during the warmer growing season when temperature and humidity are higher.
How do I propagate my snake plant?
You can easily propagate new snake plants from stem or leaf cuttings.
Simply remove 6-8 inch long sections of stem with a few sets of leaves.
Allow the cut ends to dry and callus over before planting in potting mix.
Place the cuttings in a warm, bright area out of direct sun.
Within a few weeks, new roots should form and the cuttings can be potted in their own containers.
Water sparingly until new growth appears.
What kind of potting mix or soil should I use for my snake plant?
Look for a well-draining potting soil or potting mix.
Snake plants prefer soil that dries out quickly after watering to prevent root rot issues.
A mix of potting soil, perlite or gravel helps ensure good drainage.
Cylindrical snake plants like the sansevieria cylindrica do well in a soil-less potting mix.
My snake plant’s leaves have brown tips, what’s wrong?
Brown tips on snake plant leaves is usually a sign the plant is getting…
… too much direct light or the soil remains too wet between waterings.
Try moving the plant to a slightly shadier spot with bright, indirect light.
Also check the drainage holes are not blocked and the potting soil is well-draining…
… to avoid root rot from overwatered soil.
When should I repot my snake plant?
Most snake plants do not need repotting very often, maybe every 2-3 years.
However, if the plant seems pot-bound with roots circling…
… the bottom of the container, it’s a good idea to transplant to a slightly larger pot using fresh potting soil.
Be careful not to damage the roots when repotting.
It’s best to repot in early spring or summer when the plant can better adjust to its new container.
How often should I water my snake plant?
During the plant’s dormant season when growth is slower, water every 1-2 weeks only…
… when the top inch or two of soil is dry.
Increase watering to once a week during active growth periods in spring and summer.
Snake plants prefer drier soil and can develop root rot if soil remains constantly moist.
Allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
How do I get my snake plant to be darker green?
An occasional diluted liquid fertilizer feeding during the growing season helps…
… provide nutrients and promote a darker green, healthy color to leaves.
Be sure not to over-fertilize which could damage the plant.
Only fertilize every few months and always follow package instructions.
Some snake plant varieties like sansevieria trifasciata naturally have darker green leaves than others.
Conclusion
And there you have it – a complete guide to trimming and caring for your snake plants!
With the right tools and techniques, you can keep your snake plant tidy, healthy, and full.
Be sure to prune in spring or summer, provide good aftercare, and watch for signals…
… that your plant needs a trim.
The work is simple and rewarding.
In no time, you’ll have vigorous new growth and potential baby snake plants rooting from cuttings.
Snake plants are so resilient when trimmed properly.
Hopefully these tips gave you the confidence to whip those unruly leaves into shape!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other snake plant pruning tips to share.
And don’t forget to give feedback for more houseplant care guides straight from this plant lover.
References
- https://blossomplant.com/blog/plant-care-101/snake-plant-care
- https://www.livelyroot.com/blogs/plant-care/how-to-prune-a-snake-plant
Related Articles
- https://allthingsgardener.com/grooming-your-snake-plant-guides-and-tips/
- https://allthingsgardener.com/how-to-treat-snake-plants-with-brown-tips/
- https://allthingsgardener.com/ways-to-fix-broken-snake-plant-leaves-2021/