Sansevieria may be better known by other names, such as “snake plant” or “mother-in-law’s tongue”, if you don’t know what they are. “Snake plant” because the leaves of the plant look like a hooded snake that is rising from the ground and “mother-in-law’s tongue” because of the sharp edges of the leaves. That is why you need to propagate rotting snake plant.
There are several varieties of sansevierias, and the species with flat, snake-like leaves, with sharp edges, are the most common and popular. Since the leaves are sharp, they’re also called snake plant because they resemble snakes rising from the ground.
Additionally, the plants make excellent gifts for those who need one, even those who have black thumbs since they can still thrive even when neglected. You can actually grow your own snake plant from the snake plant you already have rather than buying more at the garden center.
Propagate Rotting Snake Plant
With clipping path, snake plant is isolated on a transparent background. There are other reasons why you would want to cut your snake plant apart and propagate it, besides growing a new plant.
Maybe you’d like to reuse leaves that were removed from the main plant because they were damaged or you’re changing the overall look of the plant. Possibly your plant has roots rot from overwatering or from root rot caused by root rot.
To grow more snake plants, you need to decide what method you want to use. There are many ways to propagate snake plants.
Three methods are available for propagating snake plants: germination, division, and cuttings. Believe it or not, germination is the hardest to achieve and not always successful. It’s easiest to divide. New plants grown from cuttings take much time and patience to grow.
Seed Germination
In the first place, you may not get what you hoped for, especially if the plant that the seed came from is a hybrid. The seed has a chance of producing the original plant that was used to create the hybrid instead of the hybrid itself.
The second problem is that snake plant seeds rarely germinate. Even though you may spend a lot of time and resources on the seed, it may not become a plant. With the other methods, you have better chances of success.
To prevent scams, be sure to buy seeds from a reputable supplier if you still wish to try seed germination. Furthermore, keep the seed from getting too wet since sansevierias are succulents. With a low success rate, other established strategies should be considered.
Division
Your snake plant will grow more clumps of leaves after having your plant for a few months. You will notice that each clump has its own roots when you remove it from the pot. At this point, the plants can be divided and grown separately.
Snake plants grow from underground organs called rhizomes. During the growing season, the plant stores energy in a fleshy rootlike structure. Divide the root mass into segments after examining it. The minimum you need is at least one segment with leaves and roots that are growing. It is crucial that you sterilize the knife before cutting the rhizome to avoid contamination
As soon as you have finished your cutting, transfer that segment into a new pot with the same potting mix you used before. While larger plants have not yet grown enough roots to support themselves, you will need to support them with a wooden stake.
Division has the advantage that the plant will still be of the same cultivar as the original. The only thing you need to do is allow the plant to grow normally in the pot. There are many growers who are aware that the only way to propagate variegated snake plants is by division. You might not get those variegated yellow edges if you grow it using the third method.
Cuttings
It is by far the most interesting method of growing snake plants to grow them from a cutting of the leaf.
Put one leaf, cut into segments of 2 to 5 inches, in your chosen medium, and wait for some months for it to take root until it begins to grow a new plant from the base where the roots are.
Since roots do not grow out in a short amount of time, this method requires constant monitoring.
If you use water instead of soil as a medium, the leaf cuttings will grow faster. The roots of the plant will grow in water while it won’t require much attention when grown in soil.
Make sure you take note of the top and bottom parts of each cutting before sticking it in your medium. When you ever want it to grow roots, the bottom part needs to be planted on the medium.
When cutting the leaves, cut them with a clean edge that is flat. To minimize the chance of rotting, the leaf must then be allowed to callus for a couple of days. To grow succulents and cacti, ready-made mixes are the best to use. Insert about half an inch of the leaf into your pot and then dip it in water and a rooting hormone.
Put the cuttings in a location where it can get bright and indirect sunshine. Make sure that water drains easily from the medium. Alternatively, if you are planting it in water, you’ll cut it like you would in soil, but you’ll have to make the cut a bit deeper at the bottom. At the bottom, a v-shape should be formed. By doing so, the root area will be increased. After the leaf has callused for several days, place it in a glass or jar with room-temperature water.
Water should be changed often, twice a day, with this method to prevent algae and bacteria from growing.
The cuttings should be placed in a sunny spot with indirect sunlight. Once the roots have begun to grow, allow them to grow two inches before planting them in a potting mix.
Propagation Problem
Although you can propagate snake plants with division or cuttings, you should still expect setbacks.
It is not always possible to grow new plants or roots from cuttings. Let the cuttings grow roots for a little longer if they don’t have roots. There is still a chance that the cutting will grow roots so long as it is not rotting and the water is not contaminated.
Usually rotting starts when leaves or plants become mushy. You should cut the part that is not mushy from the water medium. If the soil medium doesn’t drain well, you may need to reduce the amount of water you use.