How to grow Snake Plant

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Snake Plant (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue)

Learn How to grow Snake Plant (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue), Growing Snake plant in pots propagation and more about these houseplants. Snake plants (Sansevieria) are a popular houseplant with the least care. The height of its leaves ranges from one to eight feet. It is also easy to apply for the novice gardener. Snake plants are special because of the leaves, its leaves are like snakes, smoothed, and waxy. Due to its simple nature and less care, there is an attractive gift inside the house and office. This plant can die only by excessive water and the roots are rotten.

Mother-in-Law’s Tongue plant is native to Africa, Madagascar, and Southern Asia, with about 70 different species being found. Primarily its fibers were prized and used to make ropes and baskets.

Overview of Sansevieria

Snake plants are perennials and go up to eight inches – 12 feet high. Like their tongue, long leaves are almost two feet. These dark green leaves have white and yellow stripes. It grows and survives in inappropriate conditions.

Botanical Name Sansevieria trifasciata

Common name Snake plant, mother-in-law’s tongue

Plant type Houseplant

Sun required Full Sun / Part Sun / Shade

Soil Well-drained sandy soil

Soil pH Sl

Bloom time rare

Zone 3-9

* Snake plants are light toxic, so they should be put in place where small children cannot easily reach. On ingesting, swelling can occur in the throat and tongue and there may be problems in the digestive system.

Soil and Location

Snake plants prefer to loose and well-drained sandy soil. Growing in sandy soil, it performs well. It is best to plant cactus potting soil. Keep the system draining out in the pot well. This plant is the easiest care. Sansevieria flourishes well in both sunlight and shadow, but it requires sunlight for 4-5 hours a day to perform well. They grow faster when it comes to contact with sunlight.

Temperature

Snake plants do best in 60- 85 degrees Fahrenheit temperature. This plant is good in some hot conditions (50 degrees Fahrenheit), the performance is affected at below temperature. Install Sansevieria plants in a place where they can avoid exposure to the draft.

Watering

Mother-in-Law’s Tongue plant can easily rot through water, so you should be used well-drained soil. Do not water too much this plant, especially in the days of cold. After drying the surface of the soil, give it water again. This is the reason that these plants do well in sandy soils. Read watering tips.

Fertilizer

During the growing season, give light cactus fertilizer to the plant in the pot, it will get benefits. You use a general-purpose slow-speed liquid fertilizer (10-10-10 diluted). Do not fertilize your snake plant in winter.

Sansevieria Propagation

01. Leaf cuttings

You can easily propagate snake plants with leaf cuttings. Cut 2-3-inch long leaves into sections and put them in the soil and water them regularly. After a few weeks, its roots start growing, after roots matured you can transplant them. It takes a long time to develop this plant with the leaves cutting, if you do not hurry, then this is an easy way.

02. Divide

After some time the snake plant fills the entire container with roots, then you need a re-pot in a large container. Separate the root clump at this time, develop it in another container. This is also the easiest way of propagation.

Snake plants care

This plant does well in 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the performance is affected by temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The plant performs well in the sun for 4-6 hours a day.
Be sure to water the plant once in the week during spring and summer, the plant starts drying up with too much water.
Every 3-4 years, re-pop the plant in large containers, the root of this plant is not tied, so do not rush to plant it again.
If there is too much water, the plant becomes a problem of root rot, so the plant should be well-drained into dry soil.
Your Sansevieria plant is grown in pots, then you can use a few general-purpose fertilizers. Read more.

Growing Snake plant in pots

Choose 18 to 20-inch width and deep container, 1/3 large container is right from the root ball. You make a choice of plastic containers, its roots are very aggressive, so your terracotta container can break.
Before planting in the container, check the drainage hole, if the surface does not hole then do it with the help of tools. If this plant does not have good drainage, then the plant will die due to root rot.
Choose the fast-draining material to fill in the container. All-purpose cactus potting soil is a better choice. This especially helps in low-watering plants grow stronger.
Keep the potting soil that contains approximately one inch below the rim. After planting in the container, fill it with the soil around the root ball and press it lightly.
Now water your plant well and let it dry slightly, then set it on a tray or saucer and take it to the appropriate place in your house, where some sunlight comes. Read more.

Varieties of Snake Plants

Sansevieria has many varieties, which can be identified on the basis of their colors, shapes, and effects.

Sansevieria trifasciata (Hahnii)

This snake plant is about six inches tall. Their leaves are in the flakes and feel the bird’s nest.

BlackJack Sansevieria Plant

BlackJack Snake Plants are a small variety, its leaves are dark green and the edges are colored with gold.

Futura Robusta Sansevieria Plant

The plant of this snake plant is compact, its leaves are dark green and light green-green.

Golden Flame Sansevieria Plant

The new development of the Golden Flame variety is of the golden yellow color. The leaves become faded and rich dark green colors when they immature.

Bantel’s Sensation Sansevieria

It is a popular and patented variety of snake plants whose leaves are thin, dark green, they contain beautifully creamy and white stripes. This type is about 36 inches high, it is easy to develop.

Cylindrica Sansevieria

Its leaves are round shape, these are hard leaves that can go up to several feet in length. Its leaves come out of a central crown. Read also.

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