What may be the cause of shriveled snake plant leaves?
Snake plants do not need a lot of water during the growing season, but they do need to stay hydrated…
The snake plant can develop problems if it is not properly watered…
A major problem is that the leaves of your snake plant start getting wrinkled…
Hear it from Samantha!
One thing I know after my tragic snake plant death is that snake plants don’t like to be overwatered…
Hear me out on this, it’s a very sad memory I had to bear now for the rest of my life…
Well, not really that dramatic but you know what I mean (a rookie mistake)…
I just turned 18 when my friend group decided to gift me my first ever snake plant…
I wasn’t sure of it at first, but my friends told me that it might help me…
… since I had just experienced my first heartbreak.
They told me that caring for a houseplant will feel like having a new puppy…
In other words, I can get my mind off of ‘him’ and focus on moving on and opening up to love…
I was very excited of that thought and began my quest for gardening houseplants…
However, my excitement was just too overboard that I didn’t do my initial plant parent research…
Not wanting my snake plant to die, I water it everyday during the evening…
Then suddenly, a few weeks had past and I saw it shrivel…
I looked it up in the internet, and boom…
I overwatered my snake plant…
How sad is that?
One thing is for sure, shriveling snake plant is one sign of an overwatered snake plant…
The leaves of your snake plant can become wrinkled for a variety of reasons…
Among the main reasons for wrinkles in snake plants are…
… overwatering, underwatering, inappropriate potting mix, as well as humidity fluctuations.
Dehydration, either from under-watering or root rot, has caused the leaves to shrivel…
A snake plant can also shrivel if it sustains physical damage with repotting…
Even the professionals make mistakes when it comes to watering the snake plants…
Watering correctly does not require an art, but merely a common philosophy, which anyone can grasp…
However, if you notice that the leaves of your snake plant are wrinkled…
… this can be explained by overwatering, under watering, root rot etc.
The following guide will explain how to fix the problems…
Why Do Snake Plant Leaves Have Shrivel?
In order to keep the snake plants from getting wrinkled, watering is the most important thing…
… but let us look at the complete list about why is my snake plant shriveling up:
- Seasonal changes
- Watering
- Type of potting soil
- Light conditions
- Shock
- Temperature and humidity
- The size of the pot
As mentioned above, there are several factors that can cause your snake plants leaves to be shriveled up…
Yet, here we will only discuss about the top 3 causes…
Underwatering
The snake plant is a hardy houseplant. When they are dehydrated…
… they don’t require a lot of water to recover.
Watering your plants every 14-28 days will keep them healthy…
Depending on the plant, the amount and frequency of watering will vary…
A pot’s size, the quality of the potting soil mix, and the season should also be considered…
During the hot summer months, your plants may require frequent watering…
Too much water is the most frequent cause of failure. Water moderately, making the potting mixture moist and checking back after 15 minutes to remove any water sitting in the plant’s run-off dish. When the plant is in active growth, allow the soil to just dry between waterings. While the plant is tolerant of extended dryness, succulents do have shallow roots and they will rot easily if over-watered, causing the plant to fall over.
New York Botanical Garden
The potting mix will need to be loosened before watering the plant if it has compacted…
Water your plant frequently at first…
… and then gradually reduce the frequency until it reaches its optimal level.
Your snake plant’s leaves will emerge after being watered properly for a few days…
As well as being vivid and blemish-free, the foliage will also stand up straight…
You should not overwater them as this will hurt them more than help…
Overwatering
Make sure the roots and potting mix are healthy…
When the top inch of soil has dried out, stop watering until the soil is not waterlogged (feels wet to the touch)…
Any large plant can be pulled out and the roots examined for rot…
The roots of rotten plants are soft and black, and they often emit a foul smell…
A fungicide should be applied to all the roots other than those that are damaged…
The roots of your snake plant may be dead if all of them are soft and completely black…
You can temporarily repot your plant in a cactus mix that drains quickly…
Again, don’t resume watering until the top layer of soil (about an inch) has dried out…
Root Rot
It is possible for root rot to go without notice for a long time…
… especially if the plant was initially healthy and large
There are no or minimal signs of early root rot…
When you suspect leaf wrinkles are caused by overwatering, stop watering the plant right away…
Using charcoal powder or an antifungal formula, get rid of diseased roots…
Alternatively…
You can transplant your plant into a fast-draining pot mix…
The soil should have dried out completely before watering can be resumed…
To Sum Up
Yes, a shriveling snake plant means something is wrong with it…
You may have to be cautious of the three main possible reasons for it…
… underwatering, overwatering, or root rot?
But if you don’t find that these are the causes, look up on other possible causes…
… that we had mentioned for a brief up front.
Then, you can catch us up on this guide to see what you can do about shriveling snake plant.
Conclusion
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Have an awesome gardening journey!