The Best Soil for Indoor Snake Plants. The snake plant is identified by its long, upright sword-shaped green leaves with yellow margins. It should be just slightly damp. In fact, a completely soil-less potting mixture will also work. There you go, if you follow all the 3 steps mentioned in the epicgardening.com website above, you have successfully repotted or transplanted your snake plant. It is hoped that this article could give you the answer to the question of the type of soil that is suitable for snake plants and a little bit of other information about it. You’ll need to fix the cause of the problem in order to prevent future dead foliage, although sometimes leaves simply die without any major problem. The rule of thumb here is to let the soil dry out completely between waterings. But, it shouldn’t hold a lot of water over a long time. Another tip by the same article on how to water the snake plant is to not water its leaves: It is vital to water only the soil but not the leaves. Black Coral Snake Plants do well in neutral-colored spaces and are perfect for growers looking for a dark, moody house plant. One of the major problems faced by many people when taking care of their snake plant is over-watering. Avoid adding too much, a little goes a long way. To prune the snake plant is very easy. When placed in office and home spaces Snake Plants can assist in increasing productivity, decreasing stress, fostering happy vibes and enriching overall well-being and health. This evergreen plant is also known as Sansevieria or Mother in Law’s tongue. Required fields are marked *. Sansevieria Production Guide. Based on my research online, the best article that giving you some ideas on the best soil for the snake plant is an article from apartmenttherapy.com entitled Chill, Low-Maintenance Snake Plants are Perfect for People Who Can’t Keep Anything Alive. Snake Plant Types: Different Varieties and Cultivars, Snake plant blooming? The second step to prune the snake plant leaves is: Grasp the leaf with the dead foliage just below where the brown foliage stops. Allow the soil to dry in between waterings. That means snake plants can handle dry air and less water conditions really well. Conover, C.A. … If you see dark or mushy spots on the roots, those have developed rot. It’s an all-natural soil conditioner made from coconut husks. Whether you are a new gardener or an experienced plant grower, I hope this article will help answer any questions you have. Remove the plant from its prior pot, being careful not to damage the root ball. They need little water to survive, and it’s really easy to overwater them. And for those of you who do not live in the four-season area, then repotting can be done any time throughout the year. Their vertical sword-shaped, patterned foliage really makes them stand out from other houseplants. All Rights Reserved. These work great by providing sufficient drainage as well as valuable nutrients from soil. Fertilizer: You rarely need to feed these slow-growing plants. 2 If you prefer, cut the damaged leaf back to the soil and wait for a new leaf to come up. Perlite is great for water drainage by letting the water easily pass through. Actually, apart from the aesthetic benefit, the snake plant has other benefits which are the reason why it is chosen to be grown indoor. Natural pH of soil ranges from 3.5 to 10. Try to avoid getting leaves wet when you water. Once a week is enough in most cases. Any type of fungus that may have been beginning to grow in the soil will surely linger and create some predicaments. It is a fluffy and lightweight material that looks like soil. Mother in law’s tongue plant flowers, Snake Plant Care – How to grow Mother In Law’s Tongue, Sansevieria Trifasciata Laurentii – How to grow and care for the snake plant, Viper’s bowstring hemp – How to grow and cultivate the plant. If you are growing a snake plant, by time you will definitely need to repot them. Your email address will not be published. (See a recipe for well-draining soil here.) Leave the snake plant cuttings to dry for 2-3 days before planting in soil. This puts the transplant during the time of year that the plant’s not in active growth mode. If your soil and pot drain well, and you do not overwater, then your snake plant is less likely to be affected by this condition. Osborne. Sand is very helpful to create tiny air pockets in the soil mixture. Any well-draining cactus or succulent soil will do just fine. For snake plants, pumice is an ideal soil additive because it reduces the soil density but still retains necessary moisture and nutrients inside the tiny pores. Sometimes a fresh start is the best thing you can give your plant. During winter, you should water your plant only to prevent the soil from completely drying out. or there is something else about it? From the article, we could also understand that apart from its ability to clean the air from hazardous toxins, the plant could also help to improve our psychology and health indirectly. Make sure you remember which part of the leaf goes up and which part goes down. Use a well-draining potting mix. In keeping with its issues with too much water, it’s key that you supply your snake plant with well-draining potting soil. 4.8 out of 5 stars 138. But you can of course mix and match as per your personal judgement. Snake plants are sensitive to water and prone to root rot, so it’s important to plant them in soil that drains well. You really can’t pick off fungus because the way it has spread may be microscopic. Below are brief steps that you need to follow to repot your snake plant by epicgardening.com. Because snake plants have succulent leaves, they don’t need a lot of water. Soil pH depends on a combination of various positively and negatively charged ions in the soil. Peat moss comes from swamps that are filled with decomposed moss. Wilting in snake plants is caused by diseased or rotting roots. It does not matter what type of plant you are growing, giving them the best soil is an important thing to do. A potting mix designed for “cacti and succulents” is ideal, as it will be more resistant to becoming oversaturated with water. If there’s large roots that wrap around the entire root ball, use your knife to slice through those as well. Additionally, it emits oxygen and filters other toxins from the air such as benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde. As a side note, Snake Plants, or Mother-in-Law's Tongue, were formerly in the genus Sansevieria and were recently classified into the D Coir usually comes in the form of brick or pallet. All varieties of Sansevieria are tropical plants and come from Africa or South Asia. neutral to slightly acidic. It is also good if you could also identify the disease or pests that infected your snake plants so that proper action could be taken to solve the problem. Soil Loose, free-draining soil is a must for snake plants, as they prefer to be on a dry side. The air pockets provide passage for the water and oxygen to flow through and reach the roots. Just like perlite, pumice can be added up to 40% of the total soil mix. An article titled SANSEVIERIA: SNAKE PLANT at lifestyle.co.za gave a rough idea on the benefits of snake plant as below: The Snake Plant cleans air better than most other indoor plants as it has the ability to absorb excessive amounts of carbon monoxide. • The photosynthesis process of snake plants is more active at night. How Long Does It Take for Turmeric to Grow? Chill, Low-Maintenance Snake Plants are Perfect for People Who Can’t Keep Anything Alive, “HOW TO WATER SANSEVIERIA (SNAKE PLANT)?”, Repotting Snake Plant: How To Do It The Right Way, How to Trim Dead Foliage From a Snake Plant. Terra cotta pots work well for snake plants, since they allow the soil to dry out more easily than plastic pots. However, a soil pH ranging between 4.5 to 8.5 suits well for most Sansevieria plants. 99. That’s why I add in the succulent and cactus mix. The common reason for you to do this is to get rid of dead leaves or throw away the disease infected leaves so that it will not spread the disease. Too much water in the soil will lead to certain diseases such as plants rot as mentioned in the article. Here are some good combinations I’ve personally used and have seen others use. While the article is mentioning for you to cut where the brown foliage stops, the half of the foliage left, however, usually does not look very nice. However, adding it can help suppress plant diseases or pests. Snake plants usually have green banded leaves, while the variety called mother-in-law's tongue typically features a yellow border. This is the main rule to follow during the growing season. Based on the article, we can see that snake plants can provide a quite substantial amount of benefit to us. For those of you who are new to gardening, you might be wondering why the snake plant becomes one of the common types of plants chosen to be grown indoor. Iron, Potassium are positively charged. Keep the soil slightly moist and never over water. If available, thrown in a handful of compost to the soil mixture. And the sizes of these pores differ a lot from few microns to 2-3 mm. Arrives before Christmas. These lucky plants also act as natural air purifiers. The ideal soil mix for Sansevieria should become damp after watering, so that roots can take in water. Keep it planted at the same depth it’d been at in its old pot, but keep it within 2″ of the pot’s rim. The best type of soil for snake plants is an African violet soil mixture with a bit of sand added for additional drainage. Snake plants (or mother-in-law's tongue) are one of the most popular and hardy houseplants. When it’s time for a drink, water thoroughly and let the plant drain. @perryscorners1855 How to Care for Snake Plants Best Soil for Snake Plants. Your email address will not be published. Use a clean, sterile knife to cut rotten portions away. An article titled Repotting Snake Plant: How To Do It The Right Way at epicgardening.com mentioned that the best time for you to do the repotting works is in late winter or very early spring. If you are growing many Sansevieria plants in your nursery or garden, and desire to have an optimal soil, the following table will be helpful to understand the nutrient requirements. and R.T. Poole. For the repotting purpose, you will have to prepare new planting soil as well as new pot that is larger than the previous one for you to put the plants. Frankly, snake plants are extremely tolerant and don’t need a special soil. An optimal soil mix for your snake plant is loose soil that drains easily. It involves three steps as mentioned in an article How to Trim Dead Foliage From a Snake Plant by homeguides.sfgate.com. On the other hand, Chloride, Sulfate, Carbonates and Bicarbonates are negatively charged. Place some of your potting mix in the new pot and set the plant on top of it. Why is choosing the right kind of soil important? It is also called coconut fiber or coco peat. Compost can encourage the production of good bacteria and other microorganisms that decompose organic matter to create humus. Water the snake plant occasionally when the soil is dry. It really improves the texture and consistency of soil. Snake plants aren’t too picky about their soil: Marino says general indoor potting mix should be fine. To separate the brick before using, you can soak it in water. It looks like porous, lightweight, white popcorn or Styrofoam balls. Garden soil is high quality and enriched with nutrients. If the roots of Sansevieria keep being soaked in water for too long, they start to rot. Ideally, this plant prefers soil that has fantastic drainage, and should be potted while keeping this in mind as well. Alkaline components such as limerock soils usually maintain a pH range of 7.5 to 8.5. Coarse sand up to 10 – 15% can be added to the soil mix for snake plants.Alternatively, gravel also works fine. "Snake plants don't tolerate over-saturated soils, so a container with good drainage is crucial," Cunningham explains. It is usually a soil-less grainy mixture of sand, peat, pumice etc. You can cut farther up the leaf, but it is unlikely to grow back from that point and maybe unsightly. As mentioned in the section on how to propagate a snake plant in soil, succulents like this one cannot handle being overwatered. And it may not drain well or need additional aeration. A good alternative for peat moss is coir. Both peat moss and coco coir have useful nutrients and encourage microbial growth in soil. Place a snake plant in a well-drained pot to avoid overwatering, as it can cause rotting. R.W. The water contained by the soil should be just enough for the plants taking in order for them to survive. It means that the best soil for a snake plant or sansevieria is the soil that has good drainage that does not hold too much water. It also provides good soil aeration and increases pore space. And peat moss is ideal for acid-loving plants. Compared to other houseplants, it is quite easy to care for snake plants. If you feel like your mixture is a bit too heavy or compact, you can throw some perlite or pumice. 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