Should I Cut Drooping Snake Plant Leaves? [Answered]

Is the snake plant looking a little sad? Don’t panic! We’ve gathered a neat guide to answer your question: “Should I cut drooping snake plant leaves?”

Snake plants live indoors because of how little upkeep they need and how well they filter the air. But even the best snake plants are facing problems like drooping leaves.

In this article, I’ll talk about the causes of snake plant leaf drooping, if it’s essential to trim the leaves, and how to stop it from recurring.

Why Is My Snake Plant Leaves Dropping?

Before we cut those snake plant leaves, let’s first figure out why the leaves are dropping. There are a few reasons why snake plant leaves are soft , wrinkled, and dropping-

1. Overwatering and Water-Related Issues

Many people who own snake plants tend to overwater them, a common mistake. These Succulent plant thrive in dry conditions, so constantly soaking their roots can cause root rot and make the leaves start to sag.

2. Underwatering and Drought Stress

Conversely, underwatering can also lead to droopy snake plant leaves. When they don’t get enough moisture, these resilient plants respond by wilting their mushy leaves as a sign that they’re thirsty and need hydration.

3. Poor Drainage and Root Rot

Poor drainage in the potting soil makes the issue of overwatering even worse and cause snake plant leaves wrinkled. Root rot becomes a perfect development environment when water can’t escape properly. It can then spread from the roots to the plant, leading to droopy leaves.

4. Pests and Diseases

While snake plants are typically robust, they are not immune to pest infestations and diseases. The presence of spider mites can wreak havoc on snake plant leaves, leading them to snake plant dropping and wither. Fungal or bacterial infections can also contribute to drooping leaves.

Should I Cut Drooping Snake Plant Leaves?

You don’t need to cut those drooping snake plant leaves most of the time. Instead, focus on tackling snake plant leaves soft and wrinkled and the root causes of the problem that’s making them drop.

For example, if your snake plant’s leaves are drooping because you’ve been watering it a tad too much and the soil isn’t draining well, cut back on the watering. 

Ensure you water it more sparingly, and check the ground to ensure it’s damp but not soaked. On the other hand, if you notice the drooping from underwatering, step up your watering game and make sure the fresh soil gets appropriately moist.

If you suspect pests are causing the drooping, you can use an insecticide or a natural remedy to treat the plant. If environmental factors like growing season soil moisture are the culprits, consider moving your plant to a better spot that suits its needs.

In some rare cases, when you see the leaves have turned yellow or brown, you might have to remove yellow edges or trim the entire leaf if it’s beyond saving. But snipping drooping leaves isn’t usually necessary and can even harm your plant.

How To Revive A Snake Plant With Dropping Leaves?

Will droopy snake plant leaves recover? Yes, let’s follow these steps-

Step 1: Repotting in a Well-Draining Medium

When taking plant care of your indoor plants, especially those snake plants, there’s one crucial thing to remember – their roots! Surprisingly, your plant’s roots need some care, too. 

Let’s break it down.

You have a lovely snake plant in a pot with regular soil, looking all green and pretty. As it grows, its roots start stretching out. Your plant might feel crowded if you don’t give them space (not wings!).

Now, snake plants are in the low-maintenance stage. Unlike some indoor plant, they can handle being snug in their pots. But if things get too tight, your plant might show by getting sickly and having droopy leaves.

Did you know even our tough snake plants need room to breathe down there? They like a good mix of water and food, but if we squish their seeds too close together, they might get sick with stuff like root rot.

Potting soil in a bigger pot every three to five years and see what it looks like.

Step 2: Addressing Pest and Disease Issues

When your snake plant faces any of these problems, it can get weaker and more prone to pests.

First, there’s root rot, a plant disease. It happens during overwaterd snake plant, and the wet soil doesn’t drain well. You can fix this very quickly. Repot your snake plant in new soil. 

That means putting it in a different pot with fresh dirt. Then, it’s essential to Get rid of any root ball. Remember not to give it too much water If the pot has proper drainage so That the water can flow out easily.

Sometimes, tiny bugs like fungus gnats can come out of the soil and bother your snake plant. To treat these-

If your snake plant has bugs, you might need pyrethrin-based pesticide bug spray.

There are other pests, too, like mealybugs and spider mites. These little critters can make your plant’s leaves look strange before they droop or fall off. If you see them, use a bug spray like we discussed earlier.

And one more thing, remove your snake plant from the indirect light. Not from direct sunlight. Putting it in a spot with too much sun will be harmful.

Step 3: Adjusting Light and Temperature Conditions

Although a snake plant can grow too hot, if the yellow leaves are drooping, it’s doubtful that this is your problem. Most likely, it isn’t getting hot enough.

You can put temperatures above 50°F for a healthy plant. Also, remember that even if it’s warm inside, the temperature at the window may be colder if it’s chilly outside. In this situation, try to find a location where you may position the plant a little farther away from the window or closer to a heat source.

Snake plants, indeed, do best in the shadow. They do considerably better in direct sunlight, though. We are damn sure that the indirect sunlight your plant is receiving is making it ill and causing it to sag.

In addition to the health benefits of appropriate lighting, snake plant care look better in bright indirect sunlight since the brighter leaves allow their distinctive pattern to stand out more. 

However, all-day direct light in a south-facing window may be too much for snake plants, causing their damaged leaf to sag.

Snake plants may endure up to 8 hours or more of light daily. The plant should ideally be placed in a bright west or east-facing window, about 10 feet away from a south-facing window. A west-facing plant will also thrive better a few feet away from the window, as the western sun can be more consequential. 

When relocating a plant from a dimly lit place to a more sunny spot, it must be exposed to light gradually. Start by placing it in the sun for a few hours, then gradually increase that time each day until it receives full daylight in its new location. 

Alternatively, you may partially block the sun with curtains, sticks, or other obstructions, exposing the plant to increasing amounts of light without having to relocate it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last Words

I hope now you got the answer of you question-should i cut drooping snake plant leaves or not” So, now you know you don’t have to cut back your snake leaves straight away, as there are various ways to bring them back to life.

First, identify where the problem stems from, and then you can treat it.

However, if you decide to trim back a snake plant, ensure that it’s only a few leaves at a time to prevent stressing the plant.

Cutting back your snake plants’ drooping leaves is only necessary whenever they have begun to rot or if it’s a young plant that requires pruning.

REF

• thehealthyhouseplant.com/
• gardenbenchtop.com