Snake plants don’t need delicate hands to trim their leaves, and they don’t want to drink a lot of water. They can tolerate deep shade and full sun, even freezing temperatures for a few nights.
It also doesn’t need to be repotted as often. My aunt has a colony of snake plants in every corner of her house, and she will never replant them until their rhizomes burst into clay pots.
However, it’s worth noting that you can easily break down the plant and divide it into sections, each of which can be used as a potted plant in your new home.
This species thrives in harsh conditions, evolving in the Congolese jungle. Although jungles are cradles of life and biodiversity, their soil quality is often poor. That’s because these minerals and nutrients are locked up in plenty of vegetables.
Snake plant wants a cramped, poor quality home to mimic the soil conditions of its native habitat.
Care and Water Requirements
Snake plant has rhizomes that store water. So stay more to the dry side with this plant. In low to medium light, allow pot media to dry down completely in between watering. In really high light, allow to dry down 3/4 of the pot depth. It can be helpful to use a soil probe or hygrometer in very busy plants to check the moisture in the soil. I often use a hygrometer or soil probe at work when examining plants in large pots or those growing in low light.
Also, when watering snake plants, be careful not to pour water into the rosettes of the leaves, as this can lead to rot. Water only the soil and use room temperature water
You could toss one into a closet during the winter and forget about it until you stumble on it during your spring cleaning. Guarantee you’ll find the plant in the same condition.
Sansevieria is very easily overwatered during the winter. I give mine a little splash of water every few weeks during the winter, just enough to keep the soil from cracking too much, but that’s it. Snake plants thrive on ounces of watering during the entire winter, and too much will easily waterlog and rot them.
Propagation
Propagating whole plants is very easy. The plant responds well to a few different methods of cultivation to include leaf cuttings, root division, from offsets, from “pups,” and from seed.
Repotting
A lot of these guys will actually crack the pots they’re contained in, so don’t place it in one you’re too attached to. When it’s time to repot, it’s a similar scenario for other houseplants.
Remove the plant from the container and transplant it into another container one size larger; an 8″ plant should be placed in a 10″ pot and a 10″ plant should be placed in a 12″ pot . A cactus potting mix like this is a great option when replanting snake plants.
Other Snake Plant Care Tips
Snake plant is a durable plant and high light is best to keep the foliage full. It will survive in lower light provided it is allowed to dry but will become thinner and weaker over time when light is not adequate for growth. Snake plants need to be kept above 50°F.
There are a few things to be aware of with snake plants. They are prone to dandruff and mealybugs, and if you spot these pests, wipe them off immediately with a cloth or cotton swab dampened with rubbing alcohol, or even a damp paper towel.
Liquid to your mother-in-law’s tongue to make it grow and bloom beautifully
