Do your Snake Plant leaves fall over? The purpose of this article is to explain the cause, prevention, and fixing of snake plant leaves falling over. Make sure you don’t leave this page.
Why Do Snake Plant Leaves Fall Over?
The Snake Plant has pointed, erect leaves that grow from 8″ inches high to 5′ feet high. Many gardeners complain about their Snake Plant leaves falling over or bending randomly. So, why do Snake Plant leaves fall over? We’re sure you’d like to know why.
According to the research, snake plant leaves fall because of overwatering, lighting problems, or incorrect repotting. Snake plants store water in their leaves like other types of succulent plants. The snake plant thrives in its native dry environment because of this. Snake plants dislike wet conditions, and will suffer root rot if overwatered or if the soil is not well drained.
Lighting problems can also lead to snake plant leaves falling over. Snake plants can survive in areas without light for extended periods of time. Though snake plants are very strong and grow well without direct sunlight, extended exposure to bright light or intense direct sunlight will cause their leaves to fall over.
If you are not having a problem with watering or lighting, the reason for your snake plant leaves falling over may be the root bound caused by incorrect repotting. More often than three to five years, repotting is necessary. Alternatively, placing the snake plant in a pot too large can also cause the roots to rot.
What Kind of Damage Does It Cause?
Snake plant leaves that fall over are an indicator of an underlying problem.
- When overwatered, snake plant roots become soggy and thirsty for oxygen and nutrients from the soil.
- Rooster rot affects the overall health of the plant, affecting healthy roots as well.
- Due to overwatering, fungus will grow in the poorly-drained soil and kill the roots.
- When rotten, snake plants roots are usually mushy, soggy, and blackish-brown in color, whereas normal snake plant roots are firm and black or pale in color.
- As long as the roots of the snake plant remain buried, the leaves will fall over as a sign of rot.
- There’s also a condition that damages snake plants’ roots called root bound. The problem occurs when the snake plant roots are restricted or bound by a barrier.
- Footers, walls, or piping can act as barriers if grown outdoors. Snake plant leaves fall over as a result, indicating stunted growth.
Snake Plant Falling Leaves Prevention
Here are some ways to prevent snake plant leaves from falling over:
- It is important to keep the soil moist, but not wet. The snake plant may need a lot of water, so take care when watering it.
- When the soil is dry to the touch, water the snake plant when it is 2″ – 3″ inches deep.
- Those snake plants that are partially exposed to the sun need to be watered more frequently.
- The snake plant needs to be watered every two to three weeks. Once the water runs through the drainage hole of the container, you must stop watering.
- During winter months, you should water your snake plant once a month. Make sure the pot has drainage holes.
- Snake plant needs fast-draining potting soil or a regular potting mix added to a larger pot with coarse sand.
- During winter, the indoor snake plant needs to be exposed to the southern window. In the summer, east-facing windows are most effective.
- Snake plants with rotten roots should be washed and trimmed, and then placed in a new pot with good drainage.
- Drooping leaves need to be pruned.
- After the roots of the Snake Plant have recovered, you shouldn’t add any fertilizer to the pot.
How to Fix the Snake Plant Leaves Falling Over
Are there any solutions to the leaves falling over on the snake plant? In this case, you can prune and propagate. If you wish, you can cut up the snake plant leaf into smaller sections.
- In order to grow snake plants, you need to cut their leaves all the way down to the soil line. Clean and sharpen your pruners to avoid a jagged cut or infection.
- The snake plant leaves can be cut between 5 and 10 inches off the bottom. Snake plant leaves differ in thickness depending on how thin their bases are.
- You must remove those weak lower portions. Make sure you make clean cuts straight across.
Additionally, you can propagate lower leaf sections if you wish. When propagating, it is very important to use the ends that grew out of the soil instead of the other end that you cut off the tops of.
Let the snake plant leaves heal over for two days before planting them, as they contain a lot of water. The stems need to heal off so that they callus over and also prevent them from rotting out while propagating.
Propagation is best done in the spring and summer. You can do this by placing the leaf back in the pot. Alternatively, you can place it in a separate pot filled with succulent and cactus mix. In either case, you will need to stake the leaf so that it remains upright until the roots form and the plant can stand on its own. Dry the mix for 3-5 days.