Over the years, many households in the US have grown the Sansevieria Cylindrica plant due to its similar care and foliage yield results as the popular Snake plant. Due to its ability to withstand flawed growing conditions, this variety is called African Spear. In addition to its large leaves, this houseplant has stout stems that grow directly from the ground. This allows the leaves to grow in cylindrical spears.
Sansevieria Cylindrica Care Tips
Floral and Fragrant
When mature, snake plants are covered with flowering leaves. The flowers usually appear in the form of spikes that develop in clusters during the early blooming stage. Flowers of this species are tube-shaped and have a greenish-white color scale. Flowers begin to die after blooming at some point. As a shoot completes its blooming stage, new stems in the form of rhizomes emerge, bursting out new roots out of their nodes and cascading downwards. Pluck the flower stalks once they wither to keep the plant’s appearance and health. In outdoor environments, moths are important for pollination.
Soil and Transplanting
While preparing the potting soil, use a quick-draining cactus mix. In addition to other succulents, Sansevierias are prone to root rot, so it would be best to add a portion of sandy soil to help water drain. Remember to use a growing pot with enough drainage holes to let out excess water. Perlite should be blended with growing media for better aeration. Additionally, you should use a lot of organic material on the topsoil. Most of the nutrients your African Spear plant needs come from household waste such as banana peels and eggshells.
Pumice and tree bark can also provide a lot of nutrition to your plants’ potting soil. Diatomaceous earth helps naturally get rid of pests that may threaten your African Spear plant’s health.
Lighting and Temperature
The Sansevieria Cylindrica plant can grow indoors if it is given bright, indirect light. If you want to place the pot on a windowsill, use sheer curtains to filter the sun rays. If possible, use a window facing north. In addition to a shaded patio, you may as well consider placing the growing medium there so that chances of filtration are enhanced. When the lighting is optimal, your plants will not bloom as they should in areas with low light. On the other hand, the leaves won’t appear bright. Temperatures between 50° and 85° degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for Sansevierias.
Watering and Feeding
A variety of Sansevieria survives quite well without water during the dry months. The summer months are ideal for watering once a week, while winter months require less watering. If the soil is excessively wet, the roots will begin to rot. After your African Spear plant matures, you will need to extend the watering intervals even further. It’s not necessary to fertilize this succulent, but you might want to feed it during the growing season so it can produce the best foliage and bloom. It can reach its peak with a well-balanced fertilizer.
Nitrogen boosts your African Spear’s growth rate, while potassium accelerates its bloom. Additionally, you should choose a fertilizer containing phosphorus since it helps your succulents fight diseases that commonly affect houseplants. During the winter, feeding this variety is not necessary since the hormones that promote growth are usually numb when the temperature is freezing.
Common Pests and Diseases
Pests
Spider mites and mealybugs are the most common pests you’ll encounter in your home. These pests are attracted to the sticky sap tucked inside the leaves of the commonly grown Sansevieria varieties, such as the African Spear houseplant. If the infestation is beyond human or chemical control, the leaves begin to wilt and eventually dry up completely. If you find it difficult to eliminate mealybugs by handpicking, you can wipe your plant with a piece of cloth and alcohol. Additionally, you can raise the humidity levels in the room to make the plant uninhabitable for spider mites.
Diseases
African Spear plants will mostly suffer from fungal diseases. Moisture on the leaves of the plant is one of the main causes of this condition. Your plant’s leaves might develop some red spots if you overwater it. The underside of the leaves may also show a whitish growth, which later turns brown, stiffening the affected areas. Plants suffering from fungal infections may eventually die once they exhibit significant signs of rotting. If you want to prevent this houseplant from catching such dreadful diseases, keep the leaves dry, and make sure the topsoil is completely dry before watering.
Make sure the growing medium is at a normal body temperature, and use permeable soil for quick drainage. Waterlogging in your garden could cause the plant cells to burst if you are growing it outdoors. In addition to rotting the roots, too much water makes the leaves bloat and produce an unpleasant odor. It is best not to use chemicals to suppress diseases that could harm your Snake plant. As these diseases are commonly caused by inconsistent watering patterns, using pesticides would have other alarming effects.
Snake Plant Propagation
You might want to propagate your Snake plant a few years after it has fully grown. The leaves of this houseplant begin to display sunburn marks, grow loosely tall, and bend downwards once they show some signs of physical deterioration. When this happens, you may need to grow Snake plants of a different variety altogether. Even if your Sansevieria shows signs of root rot from overwatering, you can still propagate it using leaf cuttings that are healthy and have fewer blemishes. In addition, you might also want to propagate your Snake plant since you like how it looks, so you wish to have more in your garden or balcony.
How to Propagate Your Sansevieria Snake Plant
Snake plants are easy to propagate if you follow a few simple instructions.
- In spite of the fact that this plant prefers a growing medium that’s not waterlogged, rooting it with water is one of the easiest ways to achieve best results during the propagation process.
- Leaf cuttings can be used to propagate snake plants for a tenable yield. Use only leaves that don’t appear to be rotting or too old. Make sure the leaves are at least 6 inches long before dissecting them from the mother plant.
- You might also want to keep an eye on these other propagation tips: Dissect a few healthy leaves from the mother plant with a sterilized pair of scissors.
- To protect the newly propagated cuttings from diseases, it’s essential to place them out in the sun for a couple of days so the open wounds can heal and form a callus. Wait for the roots to form on the cutting base by placing it in a jar full of water.
- Soil can also be used to propagate the cuttings. Follow the tips right under the soil and transplanting section when preparing the potting mix.
- Once the pups emerge, transfer the cuttings into a growing medium if you want to propagate them by water.
Snake Plant Benefits and Uses
African Spears, like other Snake plants, are well known for their ability to purify the air. Inhaled toxins or gases such as benzene, xylene, and formaldehyde can cause respiratory problems. As plants take in oxygen at night, they release carbon dioxide. Therefore, placing most of them where you sleep could lead to suffocation. However, that’s not the case with snake plants. The worm instead fixes carbon dioxide during photosynthesis by using Crassulacean Acid Metabolism.
It also means there’s a constant supply of fresh air. It is no wonder that this biological property has long been used to treat Sick Building Syndrome. You can also eliminate foul odors in your house with clean air. You’ll need to get rid of the dry and wilted leaves while grooming your African Spear. However, many adept gardeners don’t throw them away. As opposed to using the dried leaves for clothing, they use them to make ropes and craft jewelry.