If snake plants are properly cared for, they will produce lustrous and shiny leaves. Sometimes snake plants develop problems such as curled leaves due to improper care routines. The purpose of this article is to explain why the snake plant leaves curl and what we can do about it. Let’s go ahead.
Curly snake plant leaves are mainly caused by overwatering. Whenever the soil is soggy, it drowns the roots, smothers the nutrients, and deprives the leaves of moisture. There may be other likely reasons, such as overfertilization, temperature stress, and inadequate lighting.
The snake plant leaves curl under your attention, so you need to determine why this is happening. There is no room for ignorance, regardless of whether the reason is mild or severe.
It doesn’t matter though if you’ve already figured it out. Just keep reading this post until the very end. There are several possible reasons for your snake plant’s curled leaves, and these can be eliminated successfully.
Why do Snake plants have curly leaves?
When your snake plant is stressed out, you’ll know through its leaves. Snake plants are low maintenance plants known for their sturdy nature.
A snake plant that is curling its leaves indicates something is wrong with it, and the problem needs to be diagnosed.
A hidden problem can cause the plant to go from curling leaves to stagnant growth, and then it will start wilting very soon, if you take it lightly.
Find out what could be the cause of the problem by reading on:
Insufficient watering
Overwatering and underwatering can both cause snake plant leaves to curl.
Snake plants’ leaves curl due to inadequate watering. They are drought tolerant, so many gardeners take this advantage by underwatering them.
That’s not right, you need to be sensitive, and even if you have missed one watering, don’t delay in the next. In lack of water, the thirsty snake plant leaves curl and become dry. You will also notice brown tips under such conditions.
Allow the excess water to drain from your plant and give it a good drink. It is important to water the plants only when the soil is completely dry and without much delay.
When Snake plants are overwatered, the leaves curl downward from the stem to the tip. Plants can tolerate underwatering conditions for a few days, but not excess moisture around their roots.
Water gets trapped in the roots, causing the roots to become dysfunctional, compromising airflow.
Besides improper drainage, there may be other reasons why the roots got wet, such as the plants being housed in containers too large for them. A pot that is too small can prevent excess water from draining, leading to overwatered plants.
Make sure your pot is the right size, the drainage system is in place, water your plant carefully, and be aware while doing so.
You should let the soil completely dry out before watering them, move them to a warm area, and avoid letting the soil remain moist for long.
Root rot
Root rot is often caused by overwatering, when the roots are submerged too long in water. The pathogens can grow and rot the roots when the fungus attacks them.
Its roots cannot retain water and are suffocated, which means the entire plant doesn’t receive enough water to make it function.
On your snake plant, you will notice yellow, curled leaves and brown stems caused by root rot.
Begin immediately repotting the plant once the root rot is fixed. Trim the damaged parts of the plant with sterilized scissors and repot in fresh, sterilized soil.
Then, keep the plant in a warm, well-ventilated area. Only then should you water for as long as the excess water is drenched.
A snake plant can be severely damaged by over-fertilizing because they are light feeders and too much fertilization can burn the roots.
By applying too much fertilizer to the soil, salt concentration is created, which leads to the root system being damaged slowly and completely. As a result of over-fertilization, the leaves burn, turn brown, or curl inward.
It can be solved by drenching the soil with a strong stream of water for some time and letting the excess water drain out while making sure the plant gets enough indirect sunlight all day long.
Let the plant rest in sleep mode during the idle period and only fertilize during the spring through summer. The balanced houseplant fertilizer made specifically for houseplants will yield the best results, helping you avoid an over-fertilized situation.
Temperature stress
The snake plant’s leaves curl inward from the edges due to high temperatures or constant high heat levels.
During times of high humidity, the upper leaves will curl to conserve moisture, causing rapid evaporation.
The question is whether low temperatures are harmful in the same way too much heat is.
It would be best not to keep snake plants at low temperatures, either. When such conditions persist for too long, the leaves moisture freezes and they begin to curl.
You need to monitor the plant’s temperature conditions regularly. To enable an increase in room temperature, you can use a furnace, but you have to keep the plant at a distance from the furnace.
It is best to move the plant further away from the window sill so that it can cool down and breathe.
Pest infestation
There could also be a pest such as mealybugs, spider mites, thrips, etc., responsible for the curled leaves you have observed on your snake plant lately.
Your plants have curled leaves because they sucking sap from leaves and stems.
In addition to pests, plants also contract viruses infested by these pests, resulting in stunted growth.
In addition to serving as food for the plant, sap is also one of the reasons for the leaves’ lustrous and lively appearance.
You should check the plant at regular intervals and isolate it as soon as possible. The problem will persist if you spray neem oil or horticulture oil on the plant. It works well without harming the plant.
The oil should be applied to the leaves’ undersides and the leaves should be sprayed thoroughly. Moreover, the eggs should be eradicated to prevent future infestations.
Inadequate lighting
Curled leaves can be caused by too much light in snake plants.
It is possible that too much light is responsible for the curls and brown spots if the leaves are curled and have brown spots.
They curl downward to shield themselves from the direct sun, moving away from the light source. They cannot stand long hours of direct sun, and leaves become directly affected as a result of the same.
Plants require 7-8 hours of indirect light per day so they should be moved to a shady area. The plant can also be protected from the direct sun by sheer curtains so you won’t have to move it.
To bring back the plant to healthy conditions, water the soil when the plant has become dry.
Note: Trim burnt leaves so they don’t turn green again.
There could be a reason for the lower leaves curling upward if they have been exposed to low light for a long time. There is either not enough light reaching the snake plant, or the leaves are blocking light from the lower leaves.
You can move the plant to better lighting, or you can trim the plant a bit. Trimming also helps the plant grow new leaves.
How to prevent curly leaves in snake plant?
We all know that our snake plant is not killed by curled leaves, but that they can be quite deadly.
To decide if our plants should be immunized from these harms we need to determine if the harm is severe or mild.
A good gardener knows their plants inside out and takes care to protect them from any harm.
- Get to know your snake plant and learn what it likes and doesn’t like. Watch out for future damage to avoid costly repairs.
- Snake plants thrive in temperatures ranging from 70°F to 90°F. Keep them away from areas with high or low temperatures.
- It is possible to protect the plant from pests and fungal attacks with organic preventive measures.
- The leaves can be sometimes trimmed, but the best thing you can do is to trim the stems in order to propagate them.
- Plants can be propagated from these clippings to grow more bushy. By doing this, you will be able to have new leaves grow and your plant will be bushier.
- The snake plant will be protected from cold stress if it is kept away from the windows.
- It is essential for the plant to stay moist between watering and to be unrestricted by direct sunlight.
- Don’t feed during dormant periods and use houseplant fertilizer once a month or two.
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