The snake plant, also known as the Sansevieria, has become an incredibly popular houseplant over the passage of time. It’s often regarded as the go-to plant for people, especially those who are new to growing them. This is a plant of African origin, and tends to grow upward in the form of spears.
The sharp look of the plant is one of the defining features, because it has leaves unlike anything that you might have seen before. If you are thinking of buying plants for your house and don’t know where to begin, you can’t go wrong with houseplants.
But, despite the fact that care is relatively easy, you need to understand how to properly do it. Most people fail to keep the plants alive because they just aren’t sure how to adequately care for the plant. Keep in mind that the snake plant is one of the hardiest plants in the world.
It can resist virtually anything that you throw at it, and can be easily grown both indoors and outdoors. But, there are quite a few things that you need to keep in mind about these unique and strange-looking plants.
Varieties
First, let’s talk about the varieties of the houseplant that you can choose from. The most common is the golden-edged snake plant, which has a green stripe in the middle and has leaves that stand tall.
There are also other varieties, such as the one that has triangular leaves which are relatively short. Then, there’s also another variety where the leaves tend to take the form of a cup.
The leaves are usually solid green, but they also tend to have various kinds of variegated tones to match, which could be green, gold, white, or silver. Typically, snake plants tend to grow around two feet in height.
But, you should know that there are also quite a few smaller varieties, which usually grow just a few inches in height.
If you are thinking of using the plant as a form of decoration, you can easily do so. There are several snake plant varieties that can be easily potted into small containers, and you can keep them around the house.
But, one important thing that you need to know is that the plant does not bloom indoors quite a lot. So, don’t expect this to happen.
But, there are a few specific varieties that are able to develop relatively small, white flowers which can be seen at the base of the plant. Usually, this happens when the plant is a few years old.
More importantly, you should know that the plant isn’t going to bloom on a regular basis, so it might be difficult for you to predict when this might happen.
How to Water the Snake Plant
There is an essential method that you need to follow when it comes to watering the snake plant. For starters, as mentioned before, this plant is quite hardy, and it doesn’t require a whole lot of water. When it comes to watering the snake plant, easy does it.
If you overwater the plant, it’s going to begin to rot. Before you decide to water the plant again, you need to make sure that the soil is completely dry. During the winter months, you should consider watering the plant a bit less.
That’s because the temperatures are generally going to be cooler, and because their exposure to the sun will be reduced, the soil will remain moist for a longer period of time.
Also, you need to make sure that water does not build up in the center of the leaves, as that could indicate a serious problem. It can cause the plant to become mushy, and it will eventually begin to rot over time.
When watering the snake plant, you need to make sure that you water only the soil, and don’t put any water on the leaves.
This could cause the plant to rot. It’s a common problem that many people face when growing plants indoors, but as long as you are careful with your watering technique, you won’t have to worry about the health of your snake plant. Then, you also have to establish an appropriate watering regime.
Remember, your plant needs enough water, but overwatering the plant could prove to be detrimental to its growth. When you start to overwater the snake plant, it turns the leaves yellow, and they will become relatively mushy and soft at the base. You definitely don’t want that.
If you see this happening, you should ease up on your watering technique. Again, as a rule of thumb, you should always make sure that you water the plant when the soil is dried out. You should poke your finger in the soil, and check that at least the top one inch is dry.
Also, you need to make sure that you change your watering technique during the winter months. During winter, your aim should be to water the plant only to ensure that the soil doesn’t dry out. Just don’t overwater the plants, as that could lead to a major problem.
But, you should know that your watering technique isn’t the only thing that’s going to help the plant. You also need to consider another important aspect that’s going to affect the growth of the plant: lighting. Ideally, the snake plant prefers medium to low light.
In some cases, they will also be able to tolerate high light, but that depends primarily on the region.
You need to make sure that you keep the plants out of direct sunlight exposure, as that could be quite harmful to your plants.
Temperature Differences
Temperature in the house is another factor that you need to take into account when it comes to maintaining the health of your plants. The plant is of South African origin, but it is able to tolerate a wide range of temperatures.
If the temperature inside the house is comfortable for you, you should know that it’s going to be comfortable for the snake plant as well.
Pests
The snake plant is one of the most resilient plants when it comes to pest infestations. However, if the plant is kept in poor conditions, it might be exposed to mealybug or spider mite infestations.
Thankfully, there are quite a few local insecticides that are designed to target such infestations, and you can easily get rid of the problem. This is not something that you need to worry about because the snake plant is relatively hardy and doesn’t cause a lot of trouble.
Common Mistakes
Now, there are quite a few common mistakes that people make when it comes to taking care of their snake plant.
Despite the fact that the plant is reliable and incredibly resilient, these mistakes can cause a serious impact on the plant’s overall health, and could result in its premature death as well.
The most obvious mistake is overwatering. Many people who keep snake plants don’t check the soil before they decide to water the plant, and that’s a big problem. As mentioned above in this article, you need to make sure that the top one inch of the soil is dry before watering.
If you have a hygrometer available, you can check the moisture of the soil that way. But, the best thing to do is to just poke a finger and check.
If you end up watering the plant too much, it’s eventually going to result in root rot, and the plant will begin to die. The snake plant usually shows a variety of signs that indicate that something is wrong with it.
For starters, the obvious sign is when the leaves begin to droop. Snake plants usually have thick, rigid leaves that point upward, so if you see them drooping from any angle, you might want to consider cutting back on the water supply.
Then, you also need to check the leaves for any weird spots. If you notice white spots appearing on the plant, it’s recommended that you reduce the watering.
More importantly, you need to evaluate the position of the plant. If it’s kept in an area that receives too much light, you need to move it a bit. Many people keep the plant right near a window, where it’s able to get a lot of light.
That’s not a wise idea, because the plant is going to succumb to excessive sun exposure over the passage of time.
Make sure you keep the plant in an area that receives moderate light throughout the course of the day, and you are good to go. Apart from that, there’s nothing much for you to worry about when it comes to growing the snake plant.
As long as you maintain a diligent watering regime and care for the plant as much as you can, you won’t have much to worry about. It’s recommended that you pay attention to any signs and fix your regime accordingly.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.