Sansevieria Liberica
Sansevieria Liberica is a Sansevieria species native to the Central African Republic and West Africa. On a single stem, up to six belt-shaped to lanceolate, leather-like leaves can be found. They’re almost standing up, yet they grow like a fan. This is one of the most unique facts on sansevieria liberica! They are dark green in hue with pale green transverse streaks, while usually, most sansevieria are green with darker stripes.
It can grow to be 45 to 110 centimeters long, it’s a tall type of snake plant! The leaf’s tip is slightly pointed and has a white coloration as it ages. The reddish-brown leaf border is slightly cartilaginous. Panicles of white blooms are haphazardly placed. The bloom stem can reach a height of 60 to 80 cm. Amazing, right?
It prefers to be in a shady location. So, the plant is suitable to put inside your houses, such as your bedroom or bathroom. However, you have to remember that the plant can grow so tall. Maybe you want to put it on a bigger pot for it to grow taller. You can choose another type of sansevierias if you’re looking for a snake plant that is suitable for your desk.
Since it doesn’t like a lot of lights, it prefers to be watered only once in a while. To check if it needs to be watered is with using a toothpick or a wooden stick. Then, you can start putting it on the soil about 2 centimeters down. If your wooden stick becomes a bit wet on the tip and there’s soil sticking on it, leave it for one or two more days, and then water it. The other way around if the soil is completely dry to the edge of the soil in the pot, for sure you should water it… only a bit.
Wherever you choose to put the sansevieria liberica, the sansevieria liberica needs sandy, rocky soil! To keep your house clean when you water them, you can put some cute white rocks on top of the soil, not too tight though, make sure you still can see the soil as the water will go through between them. It keeps the soil inside the pot. Remember, the plant can not tolerate waterlogging. So, be mindful to put it on a pot with drainage and enough holes for the rhizomes to breathe.
Common Snake Plant Problems
Snake plants are a popular indoor plant since they are simple to grow and maintain. My article covers all you need to know about growing and caring for snake plants. Even if you have a green thumb, the following can have an impact on your plants.
Root Rot
When it comes to sansevieria liberica, the most typical issue is root rot. The roots die back if there isn’t enough oxygen or if a soil fungus overgrows. Sodden soils promote the growth and proliferation of Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium fungus that spread into the roots. When good roots die, they are unable to absorb the vitamins and minerals they require.
Because root rot occurs beneath the soil surface, it is difficult to observe. In extreme circumstances, root rot can kill a plant in a matter of days if the conditions are ideal. There are a few solutions to the problem that you might not think of right away. Plants can be grown in pots that do not have holes.
Potting your sansevieria liberica in a well-draining pot is essential, but you still want your plant to look well and add to the beauty of your home. If you have a decorative pot with plenty of drainages that you can plant your snake plant in, I prefer to place the pot on a drip tray or inside a planter.
The roots turn brown and mushy when visible on them. The leaves turn yellow as root rot progresses. If symptoms are visible in the leaves, the problem may be past the point of being fixed, endangering the whole plant.
Repot the sansevieria liberica , if caught soon enough. Remove as much of the infected soil as possible adding in fresh, clean potting soil. You can add a root treatment containing beneficial mycorrhizal species, or dust the healthy roots with sulfur powder to help prevent reinfection. Beneficial mycorrhizae create a hostile environment for unwanted bacteria and fungi; sulfur acidifies the soil, making some nutrients less available and limiting the food source for the pathogens that cause root rot.
If root rot has spread significantly, dissect the sansevieria liberica, keeping only the healthy portions. If the whole base is affected, take cuttings from healthy foliage and root them to propagate a new plant. Water plants when the top 2-4” of the soil has dried out completely. This could mean only watering your Snake Plant every 1-2 months during the cooler, winter months when the plant is dormant.
sansevieria liberica are ideal plants for the less attentive gardener. You can safely avoid watering them for weeks at a time. You won’t have to worry about all the ways to water houseplants while on vacation , as your snake plant will easily tolerate 3 weeks or more without water, even in warm, arid conditions.
Exposure To Extreme Temperatures
The sansevieria liberica is native to West Africa and likes warmer climates. Cells in leaves are damaged when exposed to cold temperatures. The plant is doomed to die from lack of water due to the damage that interrupt the pathways.
Although the plant hasn’t been overwatered, the leaves have been scarred or yellow. Maintaining healthy foliage is important as over-pruning stresses the plant. In a location with daytime temperatures between 60 and 80F and nighttime temperatures between 55 and 70F, your Snake Plant should be kept.
Pest
Mealybugs
These pink, soft-bodied insects are covered with a white, waxy, almost cottony-like material. The cottony fluff helps protect them from moisture loss and excess heat. Mealybugs are usually found in colonies in somewhat protected areas of the Snake Plant such as on the leaves close to the soil surface.
Mealybugs are similar to their relatives the soft scales but they lack the scale covering and retain legs throughout their life cycle allowing them to move around. The citrus mealybug is the most common species found on succulent plants like the Snake Plant. They lay microscopic eggs within a mass of white cottony threads and then perish within 5 – 10 days.
Stunted or deformed leaf growth, especially on new foliage as mealybugs inject a toxin into leaves when they feed on the plant’s fluid. Mealybugs also excrete honeydew a sugar-rich, sticky liquid as they feed, encouraging the growth of sooty mold. Healthy plants may be able to handle a slight infestation if the plant is in good health overall. If left untreated, leaves will yellow, curl, and drop.
The most effective way to treat a sansevieria liberica for mealybugs is to manually pick the adults and egg masses off by hand or wiping them with a cloth or cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Before attempting rubbing alcohol, spot test an inconspicuous area on your plant to ensure it won’t damage foliage; the waxy succulent leaves on a Snake Plant are typically strong enough to withstand a little bit of rubbing alcohol, but it’s best to double check before treating your plant.
Carefully inspect all new sansevieria liberica when you bring them into your home since mealybugs easily crawl from one plant to a neighboring one. Quarantine infected plants from healthy ones to prevent the spread.
Spider Mites
These tiny sucking parasites wreak havoc on indoor houseplants by feeding on the undersides of leaves. Spider mites feed on the fluids present inside Snake Plant leaves by penetrating the waxy covering and gaining access to the interior fluids.
One of the most difficult aspects of spider mites is their prolific nature; a large infestation may frequently go undiscovered before plants begin to show outward signs of harm.
The leaves may be stippled with discolouration or have become yellow in general. A thin, spider-like webbing may appear between the leaves or at the base of the plant.
Mist your plant with water or insecticidal soap, then gently wipe the spider mites off the leaves using a clean, soft cloth. Turn the plant upside down and rinse the leaves with tepid water in the shower, washbasin, or kitchen sink. A severe infection necessitates the removal of the infected leaves.
Do not keep your Snake Plant’s leaves dusty to prevent spider mites from nesting and laying eggs. Spider mites thrive in dry environments, so keep the humidity up around your plants.
Red Leaf Spot
Drechslera erythrospila is another fungus that causes red leaf mark. It is more prevalent in the spring and summer when the weather is warmer, although it may infect houseplants all year. When fungal spores in the air locate a moist leaf surface to cling to, red leaf spot develops.
Southern Blight
Southern blight is caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, a parasitic fungus that affects both houseplants and garden plants. It affects approximately 500 plant species and is usually fatal, especially in warm, wet environments. Southern blight infects a host plant by penetrating the stem and swiftly infecting the plant. External signs, which indicate infection, develop within a week to 10 days.
Fungal growths begin on the leaves as white spots, then turn a deep brown hue. The leaves of sansevieria liberica wilt, with white thread-like growths and moist, mushy patches of dead plant tissue.
Fungicides like methyl bromide are excellent for treating southern blight in houseplants, but if you just have one plant, it’s best to remove the affected tissue altogether rather than using chemicals.
Maintain adequate ventilation around your Snake Plant by avoiding recycling potting soil from previously infected containers, inspecting new plants for infection before bringing them into your house, and avoiding reusing potting soil from previously infected containers.
Sum Up!
Do you know the signs of your sansevieria liberica when they’re attacked by our uninvited guests before? Hope you enjoy the reading and happy gardening!