Snake plants are a beautiful, easy-to-grow plant with stiff leaves commonly with stripes of green and gray with yellow edges. It exudes both rustic and modern charm and is ideal as a beginner house plant due to its forgiving nature. They can survive in low light and require infrequent watering.
Native to southern Africa, snake plants are perfect for the home, office, or balcony. They are said to improve health and well-being and help with air purification.
In this guide, you’ll learn all about snake plant care, snake plant propagation and realize the many snake plant benefits.
There are 6 steps to completing this project:
Snake plants come in many varieties and have different characteristics. When choosing your snake plant, consider their appearance and size and how it suits your home and preferences.
Some of the most common varieties include the sansevieria trifasciata with its classic rich green colour and horizontal stripes, and the sansevieria trifasciata with twisted leaves that grow about 14 inches tall.
Start by choosing a plant pot made of sturdy material. This will prevent any roots from breaking the pot. Make sure the container also has a drainage hole in the bottom.
Fill the new pot with 2/3 of potting soil and dig a well in the center. Loosen the plant from its nursery container, place it in the new pot, and press in the soil. Fill the sides with more soil and make sure all roots are covered.
Use a well-draining, fresh potting mix that is ideal for plants like cacti and succulents. This way, the soil will be more resistant to oversaturation with water. Avoid planting your snake plant too deep to prevent root rot.
Snake plants are low maintenance, making snake plant care very simple. The biggest mistake many beginners make is overwatering the plant. A rule of thumb is to ensure your soil is dry to the touch before watering.
Fill a watering can with room temperature water and pour into the plant until water runs out of the drainage holes. Alternatively, place the plant in a sink and run cool tap water over the soil. Make sure your plant does not sit in any water.
In the summer and fall months, water your plants every 2-3 weeks on average.
In the winter and spring months, you’ll want to water your plants even more sparingly, every month on average.
Although these tough houseplants don’t require much care, considering the ideal light, food, temperature, and humidity will help your plant thrive.
Snake plants prefer a medium amount of light but are happy with dim light and direct sun. Variations with darker leaves fare better in low light conditions, while brighter-leaf snake plants become less vibrant.
Fertilizing your snake plant isn’t required, but it can be useful in the spring and summer months. Simply using an all-purpose houseplant food or mild cactus fertilizer twice during those seasons is enough. Do not fertilize in the winter.
Like light conditions, snake plants can tolerate a range of temperatures. However, a snake plant benefits from warm conditions between 20-30 °C and may suffer below 10 °C. Ensure that your plant is not placed by any heating or cooling vents, nor is it outdoors in frosty or snowy winters.
Dry or humid, snake plants sit comfortably at any level of humidity.
Living up to its versatility and easy-care reputation, snake plants are incredibly easy to propagate too.
Snake plant propagation usually works by dividing during repotting, or by taking leaf cuttings or new shoots and potting those independently.
Snake plants are highly pest- and disease-resistant, and only in poor conditions will you potentially find mealybugs or spider mites on your plant. If this is the case, take immediate action and treat the plant with insecticidal soap.
Sansevieria is moderately toxic to humans and pets. Keep the plant out of reach of pets.
