Snake plant Propagation Tips

Snake Plant Propagation

Propagating snake plants is easy, but it might take a while for you to grow enough extra plants to fill a pot. Snake plants, or Sansevierias, are easy to maintain. They thrive with bright light, infrequent watering, and low maintenance. They are often mistaken for cacti, but they're succulents. Snake plants come in several varieties, but all have smooth, shiny, dark green leaves. Although they come from tropical regions, snake plants grow well indoors in a bright, sunny room. They prefer high humidity, but not so wet that the leaves rot.

Snake plants are hardy and easy to care for houseplant. They are native to Africa and grow in warm, humid conditions. Because of this, they are an excellent choice for growing in bathrooms and kitchens, where humidity is relatively high. These plants grow epiphytically, which means they don’t need a soil-based medium. They like to be grown in almost dry soil.

The leaves are long, fleshy, and feathery. That’s why they are called snake plants. They are semi-succulent, meaning they are drought resistant and able to live for long periods without water. An adult, or mature, houseplant should have 3 – 6 leaves. They grow to 3 - 4 feet in length. With proper care, the snake plant can live many years.

 

Major Reasons of Propagation Your Snake Plant

 You should propagate your snake plant for a variety of reasons.

• If you have accidentally overwatered your snake plants and now your plant has root rot, repurpose a damaged leaf with sunburn markings or leaves that grow excessively tall and bow or shatter.

• If the damage isn't too severe, you may be able to recover your plant by propagating the healthy parts.

• You might simply remove a few leaves here and there to change the general appearance of your plant.

 Snake plant Propagation Techniques

• Snake plants are beautiful house plants that grow well in almost any light condition. They are easy to grow, do not require much water, and rarely have any problems.

• Propagation is fairly easy. The leaves are best propagated by cuttings. Propagation can be done from plants of different ages. This can be a bit tricky because older leaves tend to take longer to grow roots.

• When propagating, use healthy, unwilted leaves and cut the entire stem with a sharp, clean knife. Do not remove more than one-third of the leaf.

• Leave at least 2 leaves on the stem to grow roots. When roots begin to grow in water, transfer the cuttings to a soil pot filled with moist potting mix. Place the pots in a bright spot with indirect light. Do not allow the leaves to dry out.

 

Methods of Propagation

People generally adopt two basic strategies to propagate their snake plants;

• Snake Plant Propagation in Water
• Snake Plant Propagation in Soil

 Snake Plant Propagation in Water

If your cutting doesn’t have roots yet, you’ll generally want to go for this option: propagating directly into the water.
If you want to observe the roots grow, this method of propagating Snake plants is really simple and pleasant. There's no need to wonder if the cutting has taken root because you can see it all in real-time.

• A bowl or container is all you need to start growing a snake plant in water.
• Cut the leaves above the base and possibly divide them into small portions, same as when growing Sansevieria with leaf cuttings in soil.
• Set the cuttings in the water-filled container once they're ready, then place them in an area with indirect sunlight. You'll just have to replace the water once a week or so.
• Roots will sprout at the cut edges of the leaves after around 3 weeks, indicating that you are on the track to accomplish!
• The roots should be long and strong enough to repot into foundation as-is after 4-5 weeks.

It's quite acceptable for some folks to keep their cuttings growing in water. A snake plant can live in water constantly, and a good container filled with a cheerful green plant looks great on any rack.
 

Snake Plant Propagation in Soil

If your cuttings have roots, just put them directly into the soil.

• To begin, prepare your soil mixture. Sansevierias are succulents that require a lot of drainages to survive, therefore an airy mix is perfect. You can buy a pre-made succulent growing media or make your own by combining 60% potting soil and 40% peat moss.
• After that, you must choose a container. It's also crucial to consider drainage in this situation. Your fresh new Sansevieria will drown and rot if the pot does not have a drainage hole to let excess water out. Because it is porous and allows for evaporation, succulent growers prefer terracotta.
• Fill the container halfway with your soil mixture, then bury the leaves several inches deep in the substrate. As previously stated, place the leaves with the cut ends down! Place the pot in a bright spot, but not in direct sunlight (it'll be too severe on the fresh trimmings).
• You might be tempted to water the cuttings right immediately, but you should wait three days to allow the cuts to heal. This keeps decay at bay. After three days, you can begin watering the cuttings once every few days.
• The roots should be well-established in 4-5 weeks, and you should notice the first signs of growth. You now got brand new snake plants, so best wishes.

 

How To Care for Your Snake Plants

• Care for your snake plants by planting them in bright light.

• Place yours in a window that gets morning or afternoon sun, but make sure it's not in direct sunlight all day long.

• Water your snake plants thoroughly at least once a week, but be careful not to overwater. When the soil dries out, it's time to water again.

Snake plants have shallow roots, so water them slowly. You don't want to soak them, as that can lead to root rot. When the soil feels dry to touch, it's time to water again.

 Snake Plant Propagation Problems

• A snake plant only gets too little water on rare occasions. Your plants' leaves will get withered, curled, or dried up as a result of this. When reproducing this plant, rotting and root rot are two of the most typical issues.

• Snake plant cuttings that become mushy from the bottom up and turn a brown or black tint should be avoided. The cutting is disintegrating and needs to be replaced. This is not something you desire.