I've had this snake plant for about 5 yrs, and it's been very healthy until just recently. I had been watering it every 2 weeks, 1 cup of water from the bottom of the pot.
About a month ago I noticed the leaves withering, and increased watering to weekly (still 1 cup from the bottom), plus spritzing the top with water. (I did spritz the leaves, figuring these plants outside get rained on & don't rot, but after reading some things online I'll stop getting the leaves wet. Besides, the top layer of soil grows mold after I spritz.)
I keep my plant on the far side of the room from the windows, where it still gets indirect light. I live in eastern Iowa, and it's August right now. Got any ideas?
by 33shadow
12 Comments
I think you drowned it. That’s a lot of watering for a snake plant, especially if the soil is developing mold. The roots are likely rotted and won’t deliver water to the leaves.
My thougt is that the pot is far too big for this size plant. It’s root system probably wasn’t big enough to handle the newer watering schedule, but also may not have been big enough to get enough with the initial watering plan. Just a thought.
Personally, I’d unpot it, clean the roots and soak in a little hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes, trim off dead stuff, and repot in something a lot smaller.
If you do that, don’t water right away. Give it a week or two to recover some. You may already know, but a well-draining mix of soil, perlite, gravel/sand is good. Let it dry out between waterings.
snakes like their roots to be snug in their pots
also i water mine like 5 times a year, they thrive on neglect tbh
The pot is way too big snake plants have a small root system you need a much smaller pot and a lot more light put that poor guy near the window!
Wow…
Wow..
The pot is too big – you’ve been drowning it. Follow the steps stated by another for root care while repotting but place it in a plastic pot with drainage holes that *just* fit the roots, bottom water, and when the leaves come back all full ask again what to do. They’re kinda succulents – someone may add the plastic pot should crack by root growth idrk but yeah🧍♀️
Pot is huge they like to crowded… at least in my case.
Mine wont stop growing.
If it’s anything like my snake plant, the best thing you can do is forget it ever existed.
5 years and very little progress. It definitely looks like the roots have rotted from over-watering and can no longer provide the foliage with water. You still have the opportunity to trim a couple of the leaves and put them in water in order to propagate.
the pot is too big and it’s overwatered. with snake plants you should be completely drenching the soil then let it completely dry out before you water again. put it in a smaller pot only about 1-2 inches bigger than the root ball and pleaseeee put it by a window.
I also have 6 of these guys in self-watering containers, but in very loose and airy soil. I hardly water them from the top but I do keep them filled all the time. They are in much smaller pots than yours so that could be it. I only use half cactus mix and half potting soil.
You might want to cut them and start over, I did that with 2 snake plants and that’s how I got the 6 today, all started from self-watering pots.
Also I keep them in both East and West windows, so they get direct sun at different times of day. They love the sun, so don’t get confused just because they can tolerate low light.
Honestly I don’t remember the last time I watered my snake plant. They thrive on neglect.
Check the roots to make sure it’s all good.