Snake plant is popular indoor plant and known for being easy to care for. Snake Plant is also known for being one of the best air-purifying plants.
In this comprehensive guide, we aim to answer some most common frequently asked questions (FAQs) and provide you with a better understanding of how to take care your Snake plant.
sansevieria snake plant
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Qs. 1: How often should I water my Snake plant?
Ans: Water the snake plant when the top inch or so of the soil is dry.
You can test the moisture level by inserting a finger or probe into the soil about 2 inches deep.
The frequency of watering may vary according to environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.
“Snake plants are hardy plants and quite tolerant of drought, so its is better to water them less frequently than to overwater them.”
watering snake plant
Qs 2: Can I use tap water to water my snake plant?
Ans: Yes, you can use tap water with a total dissolved solid (TDS) of less than 500.
Qs 3: Can Snake plants tolerate low light conditions?
snake plant in indirect light
Ans: Yes, snake plants can tolerate low light conditions, but they prefer bright indirect light for optimal growth.
They are one of the few plants that can thrive in low-light environments, but their growth may be slower in such conditions.
Qs 4: How often should I give fertilizer to my Snake plant?
Ans: Give fertilizer to your snake plant once every two months, preferably throughout the growing season, which is typically spring and summer.
Use a balanced, diluted, liquid houseplant fertilizer.
Qs 5: Can I place my Snake plant in direct sunlight?
Snake plant leaves sunburned
Ans: No, avoid placing snake plants in direct sunlight as it can cause leaf burn.
They are best suited for indirect sunlight, such as near a window with sheer curtains or in a room with bright but indirect natural light.
Qs 6: What should I do if my Snake plant’s leaves start to rot?
Ans: If your snake plant’s leaves are rotting, it’s important to address the issue promptly.
Remove the affected leaves immediately to prevent the rot from spreading.
Repot the plant in fresh, well-draining soil, and adjust the watering routine to prevent the soil from becoming excessively wet.
Ensure the pot has proper drainage to avoid waterlogged soil, which can lead to rot.
Qs 7: How to propagate Snake plants?
snake plant propagation
Ans: You can propagate snake plants by dividing the rhizomes or by planting leaf cuttings. Separate the pups or cuttings and plant them in well-draining soil.
Qs 8: When to repot Snake plants?
Ans: Repot your snake plant when it becomes root-bound, typically every 2-3 years.
The best time for repotting is in the spring.
Qs 9: Can snake plants be grown outdoors?
snake plant in bright light
Ans: While snake plants are commonly grown indoors, they can thrive outdoors in mild to warm climates, provided the conditions are suitable.
Qs 10: How to prevent pests on Snake plants?
Ans: To prevent pests like spider mites or mealybugs, use a neem water solution regularly and inspect your plant for infestations.
Keep the plant clean and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust and pests.
Qs 11: Can snake plants be placed in the bedroom for air purification?
snake plant in bedroom
Ans: Yes, snake plants can be placed in the bedroom to improve air quality, but they need some light and should not be kept in the dark place.
Snake plant can grow in bright light, medium and low light as well.
Qs 12: Can snake plants survive in cold temperatures?
Ans: Yes, snake plants can survive in cold temperatures with proper care, but they thrive best in temperatures between 15°C to 35°C (59°F to 95°F).
Qs 13: How long does it take for Snake plants to produce pups?
Ans: Snake plants can produce pups within about 3 to 5 months, but the timing can vary based on conditions and the plant’s health.
Qs 14: Can Snake plants be grown in water?
Ans: Yes, snake plants can be propagated in water.
Place cuttings in a jar of water with the base submerged, change the water regularly, and eventually transfer the plant to soil for long-term growth.
Children and plants both are the purest gifts of nature. If you will love them they will love you back. More care and affection you shower on them, the happier they will grow up. When a child comes out from the mother’s womb, she needs all caution and protection to stay healthy and to adapt to new surroundings. Similarly, when new plants come to your place, you need to be very particular in taking care of them.
When we buy plants from the nurseries and bring them home, we need to shift them into a new pot. At the time of shifting, we need to follow the proper technique, otherwise, the plant will go under transplant shock and would not be able to recover back again.
So, in this article, I will share some of the key steps to repot the plant.
Steps to repot a plant
1. Soil
Take normal soil which is available at your place.
Make sure there are no traces of glass, plastic, or any garbage in it.
It should be clean soil. Make a firm powder of it with your hand, lumps should not be there.
Mix some sand also in it, it shields the soil to become stone.
Add coco peat also if you have any, it will help the soil to maintain its moisture. Otherwise, normal soil will also work perfectly.
2. Pot size
Normally, take a 10-inch size pot and make two drainage holes at the bottom of your pot. Cover these holes with any stone or paper, so that soil does not come out but it can shed extra water.
3. Fill the pot with the soil
Now, fill the pot with soil and keep on tapping in between to avoid air gaps in the soil. Maintain the level of soil properly.
4. Remove the plant from plastic
The next step is to remove the plant from the existing plastic pot.
Repotting at the correct time is important because sometimes the roots of the plant get bonded to each other and plants can come into problems.
If the roots are bounded to each other then first of all we need to open the bottom roots by removing their soil, then only these roots will be able to spread inside the pot properly.
Remove the soil carefully, it should not affect the main roots.
5. Shift the plant to a new pot
After opening the roots, now, we can place the plant in a new pot. Conceal the roots of the plant deep in the soil but make sure the stem is not going inside the soil. Otherwise, stems will start decaying inside the soil. After placing the plant inside the pot, fill the rest of the empty space in the pot with soil.
6. Watering
Give water to the plant in installments at a gap of a few minutes.
We need to give water to the plant till the point where excess water comes out from the drainage hole.
When water comes out from the drainage hole, it means roots at the bottom side also get water.
After that, if you feel there is any gap you can fill it with soil and adjust the position of your plant in the pot.
Now keep it in the shade for the next three days. It was all about shifting the plant to the new pot.
Areca palm plants are available in different sizes from 4 feet to 6 feet and some are very small called young plants.
You can keep plants of smaller sizes on the table also. You can buy it according to your needs.
2. Propagation of Areca palm
You can grow areca palm from seeds. Seeds are available in the market. This plant grows very slowly, seeds will take around 2-3 months to get germinated and they arrive with 1-2 leaves.
If you have a healthy and bushy Areca plant then you can divide it into many plants from the roots.
The best option for having this plant is to buy it from a nursery.
Choose healthy areca palms from the nursery.
If you see brown leaves or weak plants then don’t buy them.
Sometimes nursery people try to misguide you but we should monitor carefully before buying it. Select green and healthy plants.
3. Pot size for Areca Palm
We can grow this plant in any type (ceramic, plastic, clay, etc) of pot but select a medium size pot.
If you are not experienced with areca plants then, you should use clay pots over other pots.
4. Soil Mixture for Areca Palm plant
The soil of this plant should be well drained as well as compact.
The upper portion i.e. leaves of this plant are very big in size as compared to the roots.
If we take soft soil then, its roots and the grip of the plant inside the soil will get spoiled.
The plant won’t be able to stand straight, it will start bending after some time. If we take compact soil then it will help in keeping the plant straight.
We can take 60% of garden soil, 25% construction sand, and 15% compost for its soil mixture.
We should not add coco peat here plus we are keeping compost quantity also very low because both these things make the soil very soft.
You can add neem cake powder, fungicides, or any insecticides also in very small quantities.
5. Temperature requirement for Areca Palm
The ideal temperature for an areca plant is 15-25℃.
If the temperature goes beyond 30 degrees and below 11 degrees, this plant goes into stress.
Tips of the leaves start getting brown and the growth of the plant stops there only.
6. Sunlight requirement for Areca Palm
Areca palm plants need bright and indirect sunlight.
If you have kept it at places where light is dim like stairs or corridors then, its growth would stop there only.
There should not be direct sunlight falling also otherwise its leaves will start turning brown.
In fact, areca plants which are planted on the ground and have direct sunlight also face the issue of sunburn. Their leaves also burn and become brown.
If you want to keep Areca in the sun, then keep her in the same sunlight that you can bear.
Keep these plants near windows and doors where fresh air comes along with bright and indirect sunlight.
7. Watering for Areca Palm
The water requirement of this plant is different in comparison to other indoor plants.
Areca palm likes moisture very much so if the topsoil of this plant is completely dry then, the tip of the leaves will turn brown due to underwatering.
Check the top layer of soil with your hand and if you notice that it does not have any moisture in it then, give water. It can become completely dry if we do not give water at that time.
Give water in installments, like giving one mug of water first then, after some time one more mug and keep on giving in regular intervals till the point water comes out from the bottom drainage hole.
If the soil is wet and still you are giving water then, there would be a problem of over-watering. It might catch fungus and pests (like mealybugs and all), plus the tips of the leaves will turn brown. Roots will also get spoiled and it will damage the whole plant.
One more thing, If you give water again and again in wet soil, then some white thing starts accumulating in it. It can be fungus or salt present in water.
Indoor plants are thriving very much nowadays mainly used for giving positivity, and freshness, glorifying the different corners of homes, workplaces, and offices.
Luckily! we can keep some plants with us inside the house, even in the bedrooms.
Neither we will have any problem nor those plants will have any problems.
All about Indoor Plants
❖ Indoor plants absorb pollutants and all the harmful chemicals from the air.
❖ They reduce stress. Moreover, physically or psychologically they are also good for health.
❖ Most of the indoor plants are those plants that were lying under the trees in dense forests without any direct sunlight or water. They were growing on their own.
❖ Plants which were very beautiful and attractive, people got them from the forests to their homes. Later on in the research also they won the battle and proved beneficial for the health of human beings.
❖ So, by nature these plants do not need any direct sunlight or care. If you provide some direct sunlight it is good, if you can not provide it, it is ok for them.
❖ The biggest reason for the non-survival of indoor plants is overcared. They need the least care and maintenance.
❖ Steadily available in variable sizes.
Some of the small size indoor plants are amplified over here:
1) SNAKE PLANT – SANSEVIERIA
● They are called Snake plants due to their appearance.
●They are the best air purifier and oxygen-ceding plants.
● It can be kept in bright, medium, or low light.
●Give water when the soil inside is completely dry. Ideally, a gap of 7-8 days can be maintained in giving water.
● Its roots are very small, if the soil stays wet for a longer duration then the roots may lose their grip and its leaves might start shedding down.
● Overwatering is the main cause of the deterioration of this plant. Prevent leaves also from becoming wet.
● Its growing medium consists of normal garden soil and sand, little mustard cake fertilizer can also be added.
● Coco peat is not required because this plant does not need much water.
2 ) AGLAONEMA
● This beautiful plant stays best in bright or medium light. In direct strong sunlight, it goes under stress.
● Optimum water is needed by this one. Over-watering is the biggest reason, it starts rotting.
● Give water when the soil is completely dry. Some water can be sprayed on the leaves also to remove the dust from them.
● For its growing medium, normal soil, compost with sand, and topped with cocopeat can be opted for.
● Leaves and stems are very delicate, so try to use a spray bottle to give water and to prevent over-watering also.
3) GOLDEN MONEY PLANT ( Golden Pothos)
● The leaves of this one are yellowish which differentiates them from other Pothos (money plants).
● They look beautiful when kept in bright or medium light.
● If kept in direct sunlight, then leaves will start turning dark in the shade.
● In comparison to other indoor plants, they need a little more water. Neither over-watering nor under-watering is allowed here. Check the soil every 3-4 days and give water if the topsoil looks dry.
● In the growing medium, take normal soil, and a little bit of compost with sand.
4) PEACE LILY
● This indoor plant bears flowers but without any sunlight.
● This plant loves early morning sunlight otherwise do not place it in direct sunlight.
● Give water when the soil is dry.
● Mix sand and soil in a growing medium. Do not add coco peat.
5) SYNGONIUM
● This pretty plant comes in various colors.
● It grows very easily and can be kept in any corner where there is a bright, medium or low light.
● There should be some moisture in its soil. Check the soil every 3-4 days and give water followed by the spray.
● In the growing medium, keep the soil mixed with sand. Coco peat is not required here.
Some common key points of Indoor Plants
➔ All these indoor plants need fertilizers in the interval of 2 months. Any fertilizer can be given like cow dung, mustard cake, vermicompost, or any other.
➔ These plants grow very slowly except Pothos, so there is no need to change the pots for a year.
➔ Some of them emit carbon dioxide during the night but they would not affect the health of human beings as it is too less in quantity.
➔ There is no impact of room lights on these plants.
