Sansevierias (Snake plants) are among the toughest plants you can find. It doesn’t matter if they’re indoors, in a garden or on the balcony, these spiky beauties are tough enough to handle anything. Despite their ease, there are several things you need to know about growing them. See how easy it is to take care of Snake Plants as a houseplant in this article.
Tips on How to Care for Snake Plants
Due to their strong, bold appearance and tough, pointed leaves, these plants aren’t favored by everyone. It certainly isn’t a soft, cuddly, “touchy-feely” plant, but it does show a vibrant silhouette and certainly has some character.
They appeal to me because of their modern, edgy feel as well as how easy they are to take care of. Currently, I live in Tucson, Arizona where I have a few plants growing indoors and a few in pots outside under the bright shade of my covered patio. Although the strong desert sun will fry them, they handle the dry air like champs.
The evergreen perennials are among the longest-living Houseplants. Several different species and varieties of snake plants are currently available on the market, and new ones are being introduced annually.
Their leaves may be rounded, concave, flat, dark green, silver, light green, yellow, chartreuse, or white, and can have variegation. I personally prefer Sansevieria trifasciata and “laurentii”, cylindrica (the one they braid), “moonshine”, “futura superba” and “gold hahnii”.
Size
When grown as houseplants, snake plants typically reach a height of 8 to 7 feet. The grow pots come in sizes of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 inches.
Uses
These plants are used for tabletop and narrow floor plants as well as kokedama gardens.
Growth Rate
A Sansevieria’s growth rate ranges from slow to moderate. Rhizomes, which emerge as new growth, are underground stems responsible for spreading them.
Natural light will help them grow faster, while lower light will cause them to grow slowly.
Water
Snake plant care begins with watering – this is an essential part of snake plant care. To prevent your plant from rotting, do not overwater it. When thoroughly watering the soil again, make sure that it’s almost completely dried.Keep snake plants hydrated by watering them every two to eight weeks. Depending on the type of soil mix in your pot, your home environment and pot size, you will need to water more frequently.
Snake plants in large pots require less water in the winter months (every 8 weeks when the weather is cooler and the sun is less intense). Your houseplants like to rest during this time of year.
Avoid allowing water to accumulate in the center of the leaves (where they form a cup), since this can lead to a mushy plant and ultimately rot.It’s a good plant for anyone who has a tendency to ignore plants or if they travel a lot.
Light
Despite the fact that Sansevierias prefer medium light, they can handle lower and higher light levels (as long as they are 10 feet away from a west or south window). Their versatility is amazing!You should buy darker leafed species and varieties (like S. trifasciata and Sansevieria hanhnii jade) in lower light conditions. Low light will cause snake plants with brighter variegations to lose their intensity and pattern.
Keep snake plants out of direct, hot sunlight (west or south window) because they will burn in a heartbeat.
Air Circulation
These plants don’t mind the dry or stale air in our homes and offices. They’ll also do well in bathrooms where the humidity tends to be much higher. This is another versatility factor that gives this houseplant the label: “diehard”.
Temperature
We can grow Sansevierias in our homes at temperatures ranging from 40 to 80 degrees. It is equally as comfortable for your Snake plant as it is for you. They should stay away from cold drafts and heaters and air conditioners.
One is growing outside in a pot and doing well. In the summer, it gets very hot here in the desert and in the winter, it can get extremely cold. You should bring them inside before the temperatures get too low if yours is outdoors for the summer. They do not tolerate frost or snow.
Pests
Even though snake plants are highly pest-resistant, they can suffer from mealybugs and spider mites in poor conditions.Pests multiply quickly, so you need to take action as soon as possible. It is important to control pests as soon as you discover them on your plants.
Propagation
When you have a snake plant, you may never need to buy another. The propagation process for them is quite simple. Rhizomes are underground stems that spread the plant when it’s in the garden on its own. The easiest way to propagate a houseplant is to divide it and then take leaf cuttings.
Soil
The soil nutrient requirements of snake plants are flexible. I would recommend a fast and well drained soil for these plants to help prevent rot, as root rot is among the most common reasons for their death.Mix succulents and cacti together with potting soil in a 1:1 ratio. Whenever the mix is too heavy, I add pumice or perlite, in order to increase its aeration and drainage capabilities. Additionally, I will do this if a pot has one or two smaller drain holes.
Fertilizer
Every spring, I apply a light layer of worm compost over my houseplants. You only need a quarter-inch layer for a 6′′ houseplant.
A household all-purpose organic fertilizer would be fine if you would prefer to fertilize. You should fertilize your plants in the spring and/or summer, at most twice. Snake plants aren’t very demanding.
Fertilizing houseplants in late fall or winter is not a good idea because that’s their resting time. Also, avoid fertilizing plants that are stressed, such as houseplants. You can either be bone dry or soaked to the bone.
Repotting
Snake plants don’t need to be repotted immediately. I have seen quite a few plants break their grow pots while they are pot-bound, and they have done better when they are. They are indeed tough at the roots and rhizomes.
Repotting usually occurs every 2 to 5 years at the most for me. It is okay to transplant every five to ten years if yours grows in low light and doesn’t grow much.