Why Is My Snake Plant Dying?

The Snake Plant is one of the easiest houseplants to grow, making it one of the most popular houseplants. Moreover, this hardy succulent is almost indestructible. But now you see that your snake plants are dying. What can you do? First, try to figure out why your snake plant is dying and learn how to remedy it.

Root Rot

Snake Plants are usually affected by root rot, usually caused by being overwatered, especially in the winter. Due to low oxygen levels or soil fungus overgrowth, the roots then wither away. It is possible for Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, or Fusarium fungi to multiply on wet soils, which travel through the roots of plants, destroying them. Roots that have started to rot no longer have the ability to absorb nutrition needed for growth, turning brown and mushy.

Often root rot goes unnoticed since it occurs below the soil surface. Root rot can kill a plant entirely within 10 days when the conditions are perfect, e.g. in a pot without drainage holes.

Symptoms

The browning and mushy appearance of the roots are classic signs of rot. The leaves turn yellow, wilt, or droop as root rot develops, and they become mushy as well. The damage may be far beyond the point of restoration once symptoms are visible on the leaves, putting the entire plant at risk.

Treatment

If the plant is caught in time, you should repot it immediately. Add new, clean potting soil to replace the infected soil as much as possible. You can add beneficial mycorrhizal species to the root treatment, or dust the roots with sulfur powder to prevent reinfection. In addition to the benefits of mycorrhizae, sulfur acidifies the soil, making some nutrients less available and limiting the food sources for pathogens that cause root decay.

Plants should be watered when the soil is completely dry in the top 2 to 4 inches. During the cooler, winter months when plants go dormant, you may only have to water them every 1-2 months. For the less attentive gardener, snake plants are a perfect choice. You can go weeks without watering them. Your snake plant will be able to survive without water even in hot, dry conditions for 3 weeks or more, so you won’t have to worry about it while you’re on vacation.

Exposure To Extreme Temperatures

Your Snake Plant prefers warmer temperatures, like other succulents native to West Africa. On the other hand, old temperatures cause damage to leaf cell walls. As a result of this damage, nutrients and water cannot be mobilized, resulting in a lack of moisture which causes the root system to die.

Symptoms

Despite not being overwatered, the leaves may show signs of scarring, mushy leaves, or yellowing.

Treatment

Keep healthy plant foliage intact by pruning severely damaged leaves. But keep in mind that over-pruning, however, can make the plant more stressed.

Prevention

If you want your Snake Plant to thrive, choose a location that has daytime temperatures of 60 to 80°F and nighttime temperatures of 55 to 70°F.

Pests

Mealybugs feed on plant fluids and inject a toxin into the leaves, causing deformed or stunted leaf growth. In addition to excreting honeydew, mealybugs also excrete a sticky fluid rich in sugar. This sugar-rich liquid encourages sooty mold growth. If the plant is in good physical condition, it can withstand a slight infestation. But when leaves are not treated, they will begin to yellow, curl, and eventually drop.

Treatment

If your Snake Plant has mealybugs, you should pick them off manually or wipe them with rubbing alcohol on a cloth or cotton swab soaked in water. 

Prevention

Check all new plants that you bring into your home carefully since mealybugs can easily spread from one to another. Protect healthy plants from contaminated ones by quarantining them.

To Sum Up…

It is relatively easy to grow snake plants, so many people love them, even those who don’t know a lot about keeping houseplants alive. Sadly, even if you have the greenest thumb in the world, the factors mentioned above can still cause harm to your lovely snake plants.  Well, it is not enough to know the reason behind the question of why is my snake plant dying. You should treat it immediately!