How To Care For Snake Plant? Ultimate Guideline To Care

Is it enough to just plant a snake plant? 

While they are easy to care for, you have to provide them with an adequate environment to grow well. 

In this article, I will provide you the ultimate guideline to care for your snake plant.

So, keep an open eye on the article and enjoy the beauty and benefits of these incredible indoor plants by following the tips.

Is Snake Plant High Maintenance Plant?

Snake plants are beautiful houseplants. You don’t need to be worried about how to care for a snake plant houseplant. 

Because snake plants are widely popular for their low maintenance ability. This incredible indoor plant doesn’t need too much care. Because without proper care, your snake plant may turn fully green. You definitely don’t want that, right? 

They can tolerate various light conditions, including low light. Even they don’t care if you don’t water them regularly. Excess water is harmful to them.

Snake plants are also resilient to neglect and can thrive in a range of temperatures. 

However, if you are a beginner or busy plant owner, then snake plants can be a great choice for you.

Temperature And Sunlight Requirement Of Snake Plant

Temperature and sunlight are the most important factors in caring for your snake plants. Snake plants are adaptable plants, so they can grow in various light and temperature conditions. 

Generally, they prefer to live in warm temperatures between 65-90°F (18-32°C). 

On the other hand, snake plants like bright indirect sunlight. They also can live in low light levels. 

The ideal light intensity for snake plants is around 26800 Lux or 2490 foot candles.

However, it can vary based on the varieties of snake plants and their growing conditions. 

Here a table of temperature and sunlight requirements of snake plants: 

Snake Plant Variety	Temperature Range	Sunlight Requirement
Dracaena trifasciata	15°C to 26°C (60°F to 80°F)	3-4 hours of low to bright indirect sunlight
Sansevieria laurentii	20°C to 26°C (68°F to 80°F)	6-8 hours of moderate to bright light
Sansevieria cylindrica	16°C to 28°C (60°F to 82°F)	4-6 hours of low to bright indirect sunlight
Sansevieria moonshine	18°C to 24°C (65°F to 75°F)	3-5 hours of Low to moderate indirect sunlight
Sansevieria hahnii	16°C to 24°C (60°F to 75°F)	3-5 hours of indirect sunlight
sansevieria trifasciata	18°C to 24°C (65°F to 75°F)	4-6 hours of low to moderate indirect sunlight

Note: Don’t expose your snake plants to the harsh, direct sunlight that can scorch their leaves or cause them to fade.

How To Care For Snake Plant? 

Providing proper care to your snake plant is very crucial. If you don’t know how to care for them properly, they won’t grow well. 

Some factors can affect snake plants caring such as: the palace, growing condition, environment, etc. 

Let’s see the caring process of snake plants for different places:

How To Care For Snake Plant Indoors

• Step-#1: Provide adequate sunlight: You should know what kind of light do snake plants need. Place your snake plant in a place where it can get low to bright indirect sunlight. Don’t place them in a spot with direct sunlight.
• Step-#2: Maintain temperature and humidity: Maintain a consistent temperature between 15°C to 26°C (60°F to 80°F). And your snake plant can thrive in average humidity. 
• Step-#3: Watering thoroughly: Allow the soil to dry out before watering again. Ensuring the pot has proper drainage holes to prevent overwatering and root rot. You can consider watering your plants once a week.
• Step-#4: Soil condition: You should use a well-draining potting mix, such as a cactus or succulent mix.
• Step-#5: Fertilize your plant properly: Feed your plants with a balanced, diluted, liquid fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season.
• Step-#6: Pest control: Regularly inspect for pests like spider mites or mealybugs. If present, wipe leaves with a damp cloth or treat with insecticidal soap. In that case, you need to cut the tips of my snake plant.

While it’s not too necessary for snake plant care, you can cut down tips from the mother plant to maintain the shape or appearance of your plants. 

By following these steps you can ensure your snake plants properly.

How To Care For Snake Plant Outdoors

• Step-#1: Choose a snake plant variety that is suitable for outdoor growing. Such as: African Bowstring, African Spear, and Laurentii. 
• Step-#2: Find a location that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. You also should keep a shaded system for the hottest part of the day. 
• Step-#3: Use slightly acidic well-draining soil.
• Step-#4: You should know How much moisture does a snake plant need. 
• You have to water more your plants outdoors than indoors. Water your snake plant only when the soil is dry to the touch.
• Step-#5: Feed your snake plant with a balanced, organic fertilizer once every few months during the growing season.
• Step-#6: Protect your snake plant from frost or freezing temperatures. Snake plants can tolerate temperatures as low as 40°F (10°C), but they may suffer from cold damage if exposed to lower temperatures. 
• Step-#7: Check your snake plant for pests regularly and treat them with an insecticide if necessary. 

How To Care For Snake Plant In Water

Snake plants can grow in water such as aquarium. I know it may sound weird but that is true.  In fact, they are quite adaptable and can thrive in both soil and water. 

To care for snake plants in water you can follow some steps, Such as:

• Step-#1: Choose a Suitable transparent container that allows light to reach the root ball. 
• Step-#2: You have to use filtered, distilled or rainwater and avoid tap water. Because tap water contains many harmful chemicals such as, chlorine. 
• Step-#3: Place your container in a location with bright, indirect light. While snake plants are known for their tolerance of low light conditions, they will still benefit from some sunlight. 
• Step-#4: Change the water every two to four weeks or when it becomes cloudy. This helps prevent the growth of algae.
• Step-#5: You also should use water soluble balanced liquid fertilizer to ensure their overall growth and health. 
• Step-#6: Use insecticidal soap or need oil to prevent harmful insecticides. 

How To Care For Snake Plant In Winter

During the winter months you need to do some adjustments. Because the plant’s growth can slow down due to lower light levels and cooler temperatures.

Let’s see how to care for snake plants in winter: 

• Step-#1: Reduce Watering: During winter, provide less water to your plant. At this time, their growth reduces naturally.
• Step-#2: Adjust Light Exposure: While this time they can’t get sunlight properly, you should provide them with artificial bright light. 
• Step-#3: Snake plants are sensitive to cold drafts. Ensure that your plant is not placed near windows or doors where cold drafts can affect it.
• Step-#4: Limit Fertilization: In winter, snake plants experience slower growth, so they require less fertilizer. 
• Step-#5: Inspect for Pests: Winter can be a time when pests, such as spider mites or mealybugs, become more prevalent. Check the leaves and soil regularly for any signs of pests, and treat them promptly if detected.

How To Care For Snake Plant Leaves

Beautiful parts of the snake plant are their leaves. And it’s necessary to take proper care of them.

• Clean the Leaves: Wipe the leaves regularly with a damp cloth to remove dust. Clean leaves enhance the plant’s aesthetic appeal and ensure optimal light absorption for photosynthesis.
• Inspect for Pests: Check both sides of the leaves for pests like spider mites or mealybugs. 
• Trim Damaged Leaves: It’s crucial to know how to trim a damaged snake plant. Trim yellow or damaged leaves. If you cut to the soil level, it will encourage new growth. 
• Avoid Direct Sunlight: Protect the leaves of your snake plant from direct sunlight, especially in hot climates. Otherwise, It can burn or damage the leaves. 
• Monitor Leaf Color: Pay attention to the color of the leaves. Healthy snake plant leaves are typically green with yellow margins or variegation. Yellowing or browning indicates overwatering, underwatering, or other issues.
• Water at the Base: When watering, avoid wetting the leaves excessively. Otherwise, it can lead to bacterial and fungal issues.
• Promote Air Circulation: Ensure proper air circulation around the leaves of your snake plants. Good airflow helps prevent the development of mold or mildew on the leaf surfaces.

Note: If your snake plant is turning yellow then you should cut the yellow leaves to prevent further issues.Removing yellow leaves is necessary for various purposes such as: preventing the spread and redirecting energy. 

How To Care For Snake Plant Dead Leaves?

Caring for dead leaves on a snake plant involves directly removing them. 

Use clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears to trim the dead leaves of your plant. You should cut the leaves close to the base or soil level.

Sometimes, you might see, that some portions of the leaf are damaged, but some are still good. 

What will you do in this situation?

Well, you can cut the damaged half portion. But snake plant cut leaves won’t grow back.

Types Of Fertilize Suitable For Snake Plant

You will be happy to know that snake plants are generally low-maintenance indoor plants. Also, they don’t require frequent fertilization. 

However, you should provide a balanced fertilizer during the growing season to support their health. 

Let’s see, what type of fertilizer suitable for your snake plant:

• All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer: You can use an all-purpose liquid fertilizer with a balanced ratio of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) can be suitable.
• Diluted Liquid Fertilizer: Snake plants are not heavy feeders, so you should dilute the fertilizer to avoid over-fertilization.
• Organic Fertilizers: Organic options such as well-rotted compost, diluted worm castings, or fish emulsion can be used. These provide nutrients in a more natural form.
• Specialty Cactus/Succulent Fertilizer: You can also use specialty fertilizers formulated for cacti and succulents, which can also be suitable for snake plants.

Do you know that you snake plant can benefit from a simple household ingredient Some household ingredients like Coffee Grounds, Banana Peels, Fish Tank Water, and Aloe Vera Juice. But do snake plants like epsom salt?

Yes, snake plant can get benefited from epsom salt. Epsom salt can provide magnesium, which is a crucial nutrient for plant growth.

Watering Schedule Of Snake Plant

You can make a watering schedule for your snake plant. It can helps you to prevent overwatering and underwatering. 

Now I will explore a demo schedule of watering of snake plant and you can personalize it according to your environment. 

Season	Watering Frequency	Additional Notes
Spring	Every 2-3 weeks	Allow soil to dry between waterings. Adjust frequency based on soil moisture.
Summer	Every 2 weeks	Monitor for signs of overwatering, such as yellowing or mushy leaves.
Fall	Every 3-4 weeks	Reduce watering frequency as the plant’s growth slows down.
Winter	Every 4-6 weeks	Water sparingly; let the soil almost dry out before watering.

If you make a schedule for your snake plant, it will help you to know  how to care for snake plant indoor watering.

You need to maintain the schedule cause:

Overwatering is a common cause of drooping in snake plants. To fix this problem you can consider checking the soil moisture, Adjusting the Watering Frequency, Inspecting the Roots, and removing Yellow or Unhealthy Leaves. If you can follow these rules then your droopy snake plant leaves will recover easily. 

How Long Does It Take For A Snake Plant To Grow?

The growth rate of a snake plant can vary based on several factors, including environmental conditions, care, and the specific species or variety of snake plant.

The time of their growth will be different for

1. Young Snake Plants
2. Mature Snake Plants

Young Snake Plants: When starting from a small snake plant or a cutting, the initial growth will be relatively slow. It usually takes 3-4 weeks to start growing roots. And the plant will start growing about 4-6 weeks after being potted.

Mature Snake Plants: Once a snake plant is established and reaches maturity, its growth rate tends to slow down. 

how long to propagate a snake plant?

There are different methods to propagate your snake plants, and each one has a different time frame. here are some estimates:

• By division: In this method your new snake plant can be ready in 2-4 weeks. This is the fasted and easiest way to propagate your snake plant.
• By water and soil:  Applying this method, you will find new roots in 2-4 months. 

Tips To  Troubleshooting Common Issues

When you provide care to your snake plants, you may encounter some common issues. Now, I will discuss about the issues and their troubleshooting.

Issues: 

• Overwatering is a common cause of yellow leaves. 
• Brown tips can result from underwatering, low humidity, or excess salts in the soil.
• Drooping can be due to overwatering, underwatering, poor lighting, or cold stress.
• snake plant leaves not opening
• Lack of new growth can be due to low light, nutrient deficiencies, or root-bound conditions

Tips to troubleshooting

• Adjust your watering schedule and allow the top inch of the soil to dry out before watering. Don’t you lemon juice good for snake plants?
• Maintain a consistent watering schedule, provide adequate humidity, and consider using distilled water to reduce salt buildup. 
• Provide more indirect light, fertilize with a balanced fertilizer during the growing season
• ensure proper light exposure, protect the plant from cold drafts, and check for pests. Adjust care accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Conclusion

Snake plants are very popular indoor plants. And the most frequently question about snake plants is, how to care for snake plant?

Snake plant are easy to care but they have some requirements for their overall growth and health. In this article I widely explain their caring process. 

In lot’s of good qualities, snake plants have some disadvantages too. They are toxic to human and pets. But don’t worry. Their toxicity is very rare. 

If you can follow the steps that I explain in the article, you can be keep your babies and pets safe from this plant. Additionally, you can be able to get their full beauty and benefits.