The winter is the dormancy period for most indoor plants. There is no difference between snake plants and other plants. During the winter, snake plants do not grow, as it is their dormant season.
During such periods of dormancy, they rest. Hence, in the winter months, you will have to take care of your snake plant differently.
During the winter months, snake plants suffer from overwatering, excess fertilization, and low humidity levels. Don’t overwater your snake plant and stop fertilizing it. Your snake plant will likely survive winter if you maintain an average humidity level around it.
Throughout this guide, we will take a closer look at how to care for your snake plant during the winter and what we should avoid. Let’s begin.
Here are 5 Tips for Caring for Snake Plants in Winter
During the winter, you only need to pay a little attention to it. During the holidays, this plant will support you.
It is possible for the snake plant to survive without water and additional feed for nearly two months during winter.
If we want our snake plant to survive the winter, we need to focus on a few essentials.
Avoid Overwatering
Snake plants dislike being overwatered because they are succulents. Snake plants can survive drought conditions, but overwatered plants won’t thrive for long.
Snake plants store water in their leaves, and if we overwater the plant, the leaves will absorb more water than needed, which could damage the cells.Overwatering snake plants can make them simple to give up if they’re neglected for too long.If the snake plant is overwatered, it can develop root rot conditions and pest problems.Our lovely snake plants need to be properly watered before we begin watering them.
In winter, How Often Should You Water a Snake Plant?
The snake plant can survive for up to a month without water. A rigid watering schedule shouldn’t be followed for your snake plant. To avoid flooding your garden, be sure the soil is dry using a skewer or moisture meter and water only when the top two inches get dry. Overwatering can cause root rot and pest infestations.
Is it Possible to Prevent Overwatering?
Preventing overwatering requires the following:
- The soil you choose for your plants should drain well
- Water your snake plant by feeling the soil
- Moisture should not be present in the soil
- Water the soil after a few days only if it is still moist or wet
- Ensure that the tray and drainage holes are intact
- Empty the tray if there is excess water in it
- When the snake plant is sitting on still water, it should be removed immediately
- Making a watering regime is of the utmost importance
- A note or reminder that helps us remember can also be used
We may need to check for signs of overwatering before repotting the snake plant if it already has a problem.Snake plant leaves that are yellow or brown should be removed, as they are burdensome to the plant.
During repotting, make sure that the snake plant is planted in cactus soil plus compost and well-draining soil.
Avoid Excessive Fertilization
Snake plants need fertilizer to grow healthy. We need to fertilize the snake plants, but how often should we do that?
There is a regime for feeding snake plants, and the feed needs to be very dilute. Let’s look at how Snake plants fertilize.
Snake plants, as with any other houseplant, should only be fertilized during the growing season.
During the winter, snake plants dormancy and do not grow. During the winter, your snake plant will not grow. Do not be concerned. Winter is not the time to fertilize them.
Is there a standard for feeds?
Ideally, the feeding should consist of a slow-release fertilizer diluted in a 10:10:10 or 20:20:20 ratio.
Likewise, we should take care of fertilization and make sure the plant is not overfertilized.
The fertilization process begins during the summer and spring. Our feed is reduced by half once the fall comes, and we stop it altogether during the winter.
During the winter, snake plants do not need to be fed.
Leggy, stunted growth may occur when the snake plant is overfertilized. Snake plants can also sometimes burn because of it.
Moreover, this condition is not limited to the above because if the snake plant is overfed, then the infected plant may invite a root rot situation, which we do not want to deal with.
How to Avoid Overfertilization
In this section, we will discuss how we can avoid overfertilization and what to do if the plant has been overfertilized.
- Fertilize only in the spring and summer
- You should feed your cattle a very diluted feed and fertilize it with a well-balanced fertilizer
- If you’re growing snake plants, a 10:10:10 fertilizer or a 20:20:20 fertilizer should do the trick
- During the fall, reduce the feed by half
- Winter is not the time to fertilize
The Appropriate Placement
Beginners don’t have to worry about snake plants because they require minimal attention. It thrives in the garden as well as in low light conditions.
Winter is a time for maintaining certain things.
Snake plants should be moved away from windows, mostly southern windows, from which we receive cold drafts in the winter.
Alternatively, we can close the windows to keep the snake plant safe.
Winter does not affect the snake plant, but it cannot survive in the heat.
Temperatures below 50°F are not conducive to the snake plant.
Therefore, we must maintain a temperature around the snake plant during the winter.
Snake plants should not be placed near radiators because the heat from the radiators will harm them.
Pets and children are at risk from snake plants that are mildly toxic. Toxicology should also be considered before placement.
Snake plants can be placed in hanging pots and in spaces where they will not interfere with one another.During the winter, artificial lights can be placed over snake plants if they are located in an area with very little light.
Maintain an Appropriate Level of Humidity
When the air gets too dry during the winter, we may consider using a humidifier on the snake plant.
It is harmful to the snake plant if the temperature falls below 50°F.
Even though the snake plant can flourish in bright light, too much direct sunlight will quickly dry it out.
Despite its ability to thrive in dim lighting, snake plant leaves can become ragged with low light levels.
Therefore, the ideal conditions for the snake plant are a slightly warm room temperature and bright indirect sunlight.
Cold drafts during the winter make this plant uncomfortable, and it does not like being overwatered.
It is impossible to mist the snake plant, as this can result in leaf diseases and pest infestations.
It is possible to check the level of humidity with a humidifier during the winter. In the winter, snake plants like to be in bathrooms because of the same reason.
The snake plant might need to be sprayed with neem oil. Spray the solution of neem oil in water using a spray bottle.
Snake plants will remain protected by a neem oil solution which prevents pests and insects.
During the winter, snake plants should be kept away from radiators, as this can cause their humidity levels to drop.
Avoid Stress to the Plant
To prevent our snake plant from becoming stressed, we must try to avoid extreme shifts in cultural conditions.
When you place a plant indoors during the winter if it was outdoors during the summer, we have to handle the extremes.
Which extremes are being discussed here?
If the snake plants were placed outside, they would receive high amounts of sunlight, and you would not be able to move them to your bathroom all of a sudden.
This also applies to moving a plant from a humid area like our bathroom to a dry area like our porch.
Keeping snake plants away from the cold draft is recommended, but extreme situations should be avoided.
Prepare the plant well in advance if we intend to keep it inside.
This means, that when the fall arrives, the plant should be kept in low light for a while before being placed back in its normal place.
Plants need to be prepared well and then allowed to adapt to the situation we would like them to be in.
Once the winter is over, the same procedure must be followed.
The plant must be placed in indirect bright light for at least an hour and then returned to its original place.
Thus, the snake plant will not develop a stunted growth and will adapt well ahead of time to new conditions.
Due to the extreme environment, the snake plant may develop stunted or leggy growth, and even droop and wilt.
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