Snake plants are considered to be among the best plants to grow indoors due to their spiky and sculptural leaves as well as low maintenance requirements. As long as they are taken care of, they will adapt to new situations and locations easily. It is important to know how to grow and how to care for them so that they are at their best. The purpose of this post is to provide information on how to grow them indoors.
Best Snake Plants for Indoors
Snake plants are native to tropical areas of West Africa, where the light is variable and the humidity is low. Planning snake plants could be the perfect idea if your place has the same characteristics.
Sansevieria is the botanical name for snake plant. Nevertheless, everything has changed. It is now included in the genus Dracaena. People still refer to them as Sansevieria, however.
There are a few options you can choose from if you are going to grow snake plants indoors. Considering that all variations have similar needs, you can pick one that suits your needs. Here are some of the most popular snake plants for you to choose:
- Dracaena trifastiata, or common snake plant, has green, erect leaves that like swords. Moreover, the leaf tips are sharp and the leaf stripes are horizontal.
- The variegated snake plant, or Dracaena trifasciati Laurentii, has thick, narrow, and mottled green leaves with bright yellow margins.
- Dracaena trifasciata Hahnii or bird’s nest snake plant is the tiniest of the snake plants. It is also called the dwarf form since it stays below 6 inches tall. With its short and spiky leaves, it looks like a nest with the rosette.
- Silver snake plant or Moonshine snake plant is also known as Dracaena trifasciata Moonshine. The leaves are pale silver-green and ethereal.
- The cylindrical snake plant, or Dracaena cylindrica, has rounded and cylinder-like leaves, instead of flattened sword-like leaves.
How to Care for Indoor Snake Plants
The snake plants do better if they are neglected, according to a popular belief. That’s actually not true at all. In spite of the fact that they do not require much maintenance and care, they do require a very small amount. The following are the requirements to take good care of them:
Lighting
Snake plants are adaptable, but you should avoid light extremes if you want to get the best results. Low light and prolonged shade are fine for them, but strong and filtered light is still their best option. Sun and heat are best when they are protected from direct hot sunlight.
Watering
These plants can withstand drought since they are native to tropical places. As a result, they don’t need to be overwatered as it can rot the roots. You should only water them during the summer growing season when the soil appears dry about three inches deep. If you need to keep the leaves looking good and firm during the winter, you can spray them with water.
Fertilizing
Just like overwatering, overfertilizing is also not good for the snake plants, knowing they are from the poor rocky soil. During the growing season, give them a small dose of cactus or general purpose fertilizer once a month at maximum. It is one of the low maintenance plants and doesn’t require frequent feedings.
Repotting
Snake plants grow slowly, so you don’t need to repot them too often. You should repot them when the container is overflowing with leaves or roots from the drainage holes. The fertilizer mentioned above should be given to newly transplanted plants since it is full of nutrients and effective in reducing transplant shock.
Propagating
The best method of propagating snake plants is by repotting and the easiest way is by division. Ideally, you should gently pull the roots of the plants apart so that the root ball can be divided. As a result, you can plant the individual rosettes and now you have new ones to take care of or to give to your loved ones.
Solutions to Some Snake Plant Problems
It’s not a problem if your snake plants don’t flourish as you hoped. As the one originally from the extreme weather, they are tough and resilient. Listed below are some possible solutions to snake plant problems:
Yellow Leaves
An overwatered plant will exhibit this symptom. You can water them once they have dried out. Make sure the base of the tree is also cleared of dead leaves.Root Rot
You can replant the leaves with their good roots in fresh soil and throw away the rest.
Brown Tips
There are many things that can cause this, including improper watering, sunburn, and exposure to cold, among others. The only thing you need to do is to go through the plant care checklist and make the necessary corrections.
Snake Plant Leaves Falling Over
Sometimes this is not a bad sign. They may open when they need repotting or more light. It is okay to proceed if it is the case. You might be dealing with advanced root rot if you see your leaves collapsing. You should examine the root of the problem and attempt to fix it accordingly.
Using the sharp plant shears and following the shape of the leaf well, you can prune the discolored or damaged snake plant tips from healthy and firm leaves so that everything looks natural. If the tips of the leaves are cut or broken, the leaves will stop growing.