I know these plants are supposed to be impossible to kill, yet somehow this plant hasd been struggling recently. A few months ago I moved apartments on a very cold day, and some of my plants got cold shock. They have all since recovered, yet my snake plant's growth has stunted and the shoots are turning yellow and dry. I give it a small water once a week. It's in my room which is fairly dark, but gets some seconhand light from my living room through the doorway. In my old place it only got a little more light than it does now and it was growing like crazy, but now I'm worried it's going to die. Any tips?
by StatementPowerful668
8 Comments
From your description I doubt that it is getting enough light. What’s your care like; what does a small water look like? Does the pot have a drainage hole?
Looks like overwatering to me
First impression is it has root rot from soggy roots. Ours prefer infrequent watering and mostly receive artificial light, minimal natural light. We have a moderately humid house given we’re in PNW.
> a small water once a week
That’s severe overwatering
Overwatering 🙁
Snake plants thrive off neglect. They are the kind of plant you only water every 1-2 months even if they are receiving good light. Far less if it’s in a dark room and not getting receiving much light. The soil also looks very dense so it’s definitely holding onto way too much moisture and with it getting water every week, it’s drowning.
I recommend taking it out of the pot, clearing away the soil and checking out the roots. If you see any that are black, mushy, or smell funky then you have root rot. You can treat it by sterilizing a cutting tool, trimming off all the rot, and spraying the remaining roots with 3% hydrogen peroxide to stop the spread. You can then repot it into a new pot with drainage that’s no bigger than 1-2 inches of the root ball and giving it a chunky mix (adding plenty of perlite, orchid bark, coco coir chips) in with the soil. Hold off on watering when you repot it though as it’s currently suffering from overwatering.
Overwatering happens due to the frequency of watering, not how much water you’re giving it when it needs it. When watering, you want to soak the entirety of the soil and let it completely dry out before watering again.
If it’s possible, I would find a better spot for it so it can receive more light.
Is all the soil in the pot wet / damp? My 5 snake plants spend all but maybe one day a month with dry ass looking soil, and i have NEVER watered them thoroughly. the last time i watered them it was because i realized they were bone dry 2 knuckles deep.
I would give it way more light and not water it for a month.
A small change in the temperature or light that a plant receives can have a big impact on how much water it absorbs, which can quickly lead to over or under watering.
100% over water. Needs more neglect
What you’re doing wrong is killing it ❤️