Snake plant may sound a bit deadly name for a plant, but have you heard the plant’s other names? Devil’s tongue, Mother in Law’s tongue, Viper bowstring hemp; Eerie, right?
The names may be creepy, but the plant isn’t. Snake plants are a lovely addition to your home’s decorative arsenal and live for a long time.
Here, we shall go through some tips to ensure Snake plants get healthy and live much longer.
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Snake Plant Life and Growth Rate
Snake plants are slow-growing plants in the containers. However, the growth can be paced or slowed based on our requirements.
If we have a small area, we can keep it somewhere on the table or countertops. But, a lifespan of 10-15 years for an indoor plant is quite lengthy.
These plants use minimal resources to grow. Therefore, Snake plants are known to be the best resilient indoor plants.
These houseplants usually grow 2-3 leaves during the growing season, i.e., summer and spring. Winter is a period of rest for these plants.
Pro Tip: As the plants get stagnant during winter, we should not provide much water and fertilizer for the plant.
How Long do Snake Plants Live? [Deciding Factors]
The lifespan of the Snake plant depends on various conditions provided to them and the environment they grow in.
Whether you want them for 25 years or a mere 10 years depends upon you. Let’s see the factors in detail below.
1. Light Conditions
The plant grows best when it is healthy and gets proper light. Snake plants being succulent, are best grown in bright indirect sunlight.
But to be honest, Snake plants can survive in almost any light condition they are placed in, From low light to bright light.
Placing them in bright but indirect light is pivotal for their rapid growth. Also, some variegated varieties crave more light.
When I placed my plant in the morning sun, it showed better growth. So, a few hours of morning sun can improve the development of the plant.
Snake plant does best in light intensity of 200 Foot Candle and can tolerate 5-6 hours of direct sun.
I kept a plant outdoors all day, only to find it dried too soon. I do not advise keeping the plant in the sunlight for a whole day, as it can dry the potting soil and the plant.
2. Planting Container
The planting container should be a terracotta pot or of any porous material.
We should avoid plastic planters as much as possible as plastic planters tend to isolate the plant from the environment.
The planting container must have one or more drainage holes. The Snake plant is highly susceptible to root rot, mainly caused by wet soil.
The Snake plant pot should be able to let the plant grow for a few years.
Also, if we wish the plant grows more, we should use a bigger pot. The small pot can let the roots get saturated within the pot.
However, in such a rootbound condition, you might get some bloom.
3. Planting Soil Mix
The life of the Snake plant is dependent on the soil mix too. Like most succulents, this plant also requires well-draining soil.
If you are looking for the optimum mix for Snake plants, you can use a 1:1 ratio of cactus and succulent mix for optimum results.
You need to plant the Snake plant in a pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.0.
Make sure the mix you use has a lot of air pockets. This doesn’t only promote draining but also prevents overwatering.
Cheer up; you can prepare your own soil mix at home. Just maintain the below-mentioned ratio:
- One part potting mix or garden soil
- Two parts perlite or sand
- One part coco coir or peat moss
Okay, I get it, you are too busy or don’t want to prepare it at home. Here are some commercial potting mixes.
- Miracle-Gro Potting Mix
- Hoffman 10404 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix
- Burpee, 9 Quarts Premium Organic Potting Natural Soil Mix
4. Watering Schedule
Succulent are those plants that store water in their leaves. That means that it can do with less watering too.
As the plants do not grow much during winter, watering on the same frequency can lead to root rotting.
Furthermore, the soil checking method proves to be more beneficial than sticking to a fixed watering schedule.
Check the top 1 inch of soil. If the soil is dry, we can water the plant right away.
While overwatering is an issue in succulents, too much negligence of their thirst can equally be dreadful.
If you are stuck in the same scenario and don’t want to risk underwatering your plant, you can invest in a self-watering pot.
Initially, it can do with less water when the plant is small. But, as the plant grows, it requires more water and time.
5. Pruning and Trimmings
We generally keep house plants for aesthetic purposes. Our eye for beauty might want us to trim our indoor plants so they maintain their beautiful look.
Pruning is a lovely way to help plants grow and look better.
So, we can feel obliged to trim our plants as soon as they have problems like the browning of leaves, which is not appealing to our eyes.
Plants pruned frequently feel stressed and cannot grow healthy.
Irregular pruning will delay growth, and your plant will likely become susceptible to various pathogens.
Remember, do not throw away the cuttings you obtained during pruning. You can use them later for propagation.
6. Fertilizer Requirements
Snake plants are slow-growing plants. At best, these plants grow 2-3 leaves during the growing season.
So, we can boost plants’ immune systems by providing them with organic manures.
We can avoid using fertilizers unless the plant seems sick. The symptoms can be seen on the leaves of the plants.
If you fertilize your plant only out of whim, you can risk overfertilizing the plant.
I use a light application of worm compost on my Snake plant every spring. That yielded good results for me. You can try the same.
Or, you can opt for organic all-purpose houseplant fertilizer once or twice during spring and summer. Remember, Snake plants are not heavy feeders.
7. Temperature Requirements
Snake plants are susceptible to freezing and scorching temperatures.
Snake plants do well in temperatures ranging from 13-29 degrees Celsius ( 55-89°F).
If the temperature outside is frosty, we must keep the plants inside. Frosts are highly harmful to these plants.
Nothing is to worry about if the temperature is well between the above ranges. However, the temperature below 10°C is the dead zone for the plant.
Snake plants can do well in hot temperatures but protect them during the cold months.
Also, keep them away from drafty windows and air conditioner vents.
If you raise the plant in its optimum temperature range, it will reward you with healthy growth. Avoid providing fertilizer with excess nitrogen, or it may damage the plant more in winter.
8. Solving Plant’s Issues
No matter how deadly the Snake plant’s name sounds, it is still susceptible to problems.
To ensure that it has a long life, we advise you to diagnose the problems and solve them as soon as you discover them.
Let’s take a look at issues with suitable restorative steps.
| Issues | Causes | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Brown and Mushy Roots | 1. Overwatering 2. Fungal Diseases | Prune the infected roots ONLY and repot in healthy soil mix. |
| Curling of Leaves | 1. Under watering 2. Thrips 3. Over fertilization | Use Horticultural neem oil to get rid of pests. Thorough watering |
| Wrinkled Leaves | 1. Heat-stress 2. Under watering 3. Transplant Shock | Water the plant immediately with tepid water. |
| Yellow Leaves | 1. Overwatering 2. Under watering | Water when the soil is dry almost completely. |
| Brown tips and spots | 1. Extreme Weather 2. Nutrient issues | Protect the plant from extreme cold weather. Feed the required fertilizer to the plant. |
Re-potting and Enhance the Growth of the Snake Plant
Most of us have ordered our Snake plant from various nurseries. The plant comes in a small pot that is just enough to contain the small plant.
The plant will get more space for its roots to grow. More extensive roots result in more significant and growing plants.
Follow the steps below to re-pot it successfully.
- We should firmly hold the base of the plant with the roots and some potting soil.
- Then, we should keep the plant in the next bigger container with enough space. The rhizome should be just below the surface of the soil.
- We should not place the roots deep in the container. They should be covered by the soil and kept towards the surface. There must be enough room for the roots to grow downwards.
- We should keep the roots intact with the soil during re-potting and carefully place the plant in the next pot without jerking the plant.
- We should not compress the soil too tightly, resulting in less airflow in the roots. The soil should be loosely placed. After some days, the soil will gradually be compressed as the roots grow inside.
- Keeping a few earthworms in the pot will make the soil looser as earthworms penetrate the soil. However, earthworms should be kept only when the plants are outside the room.
You would want to care for it more; watch this.
In the End,
Using these tips, we can improve the longevity of our Sansevieria. We can keep the plant healthy by checking for any sudden changes within some weeks.
As resilient the plant is, it will grow healthy, significant, and have a long life.
All The Best!
