Hi, are you looking for ways to make your snake plant grow faster? Then, read the article below and follow the easy steps below!
The snake plant is one of the most commonly grown houseplants. Being succulent plants, they do not need much care to thrive, but if you want to grow them faster then you need to be attentive and provide some more for your plant. In this article, we are going to discuss the factors that influence the growth of this versatile plant and some tips and tricks to grow them faster. So, let’s not keep you waiting anymore!
The growth of the Snake plants!
Snake plants are hardy plants and can be maintained with low care. Growing snake plants at home is an easy task so new gardeners prefer these plants to start gardening. The leaves of the Snake plants can grow up to 3 inches in a month and produce 2-4 leaves in the growing season.
These plants spread roots up to 1-2 inches in a year. The growth rate of snake plants slightly drops during the winter. It is okay if the plant stops growing in winter but it is a sign of illness when it is not growing even in the growing season. Let us see now why the plant stops growing.
Factors that influence the growth of snake plants!
Some factors can influence the growth of your snake plant. They may control the growth or encourage the growth of the plant. Now, let us discuss these factors so that you can follow them immediately!
1. Sunlight requirements of the Snake plant
Snake plants love to stay in bright but indirect sunlight. These plants thrive in moderate light conditions. They need sunlight for photosynthesis and thus grow faster when provided adequate light, but exposure to direct sun for a long time may affect the plant’s growth.
To provide enough sunlight for your snake plant, you need to place them near windows or in a place that gets bright light. But, remember do not place your plant under the direct sun. Dark rooms or room corners with minimum light may make the plant grow slowly. Indirect bright sunlight will enhance the growth of the snake plants. Placing the Snake plant in a low-light area can also damage the plant’s growth. It is better to use light meter apps on mobile to check whether your plant is getting enough light or not. Your Snake plant thrives if it gets at least 10000-20000 lux of light.
Also, remember that lack of sunlight will also show its effect on the plant’s growth. We know that sunlight is responsible for converting water and oxygen into carbohydrates, which convert the nutrients that are extracted from the soil into energy. So, provide enough sunlight to boost the growth of your snake plant.
2. Watering the snake plant
As we all know, watering a plant helps in its survival. But, inappropriate watering may be a reason for the fall in the growth rate of a snake plant. Provide enough water to your plant that will help the plant to thrive well. Let us know how inappropriate watering will spoil the plant’s growth and find a solution to help your slow-growing snake plant to thrive faster.
a) Overwatering the snake plants
Generally, snake plants do not require a lot of water to survive. These plants are considered succulents and they thrive with very little watering. As we discussed above, if the snake plants are placed in indirect sunlight, the soil will not dry too quickly. So, watering frequently may lead to overwatering, which finally causes root rots and fungal diseases in Snake plants. In this case, the plant cannot grow properly and stops its growth until the condition becomes favorable.
If you neglect the plant in this condition, you may lose your plant. The root rot which is caused by overwatering should be considered a danger because the root system plays a crucial role in the plant’s growth. If the roots get damaged then it fails to function properly and thus resulting in a fall in the growth rate of the plant.
b) Underwatering the snake plants
As Snake plants are tolerant of drought conditions, many new gardeners ignore watering them for a long time. They can survive without water for a while but, underwatering the plant may result in slow growth. You need to check for the dryness in the soil of the plant to water it.
You should immediately give a good drink of water when the soil is completely dry. If you do not do it, the roots get dehydrated and cannot supply water to the other parts of the plant which makes your plant grow slowly. That is why water them enough to get rid of this problem.
3. Temperature and humidity of the snake plants
Snake plants prefer moderate temperature and humidity conditions to survive. They love to stay in room temperatures and 40 percent humidity to thrive. More or less this range of temperature and humidity will affect the plant’s growth. Slight changes may not harm the plant, but considerable changes do.
Because if the temperature is high then the plant undergoes dehydration and the temperature below this range will not encourage the plant to grow. Similarly, a climate with humidity above 40% will not allow the soil to dry quickly which may cause root rot, and the humidity drops below 30% may dry the plant and thus affect its growth.
4. Potting and repotting the Snake plant
Care guides for the snake plants include potting and repotting the plant correctly at the right time. It helps the plant to thrive, if not, your plant may not grow properly. Let us now discuss how to pot your snake plant and when to repot it to reduce the negative effects if done in the wrong way!
a) Pots that are used to plant the Snake plants
Pots that are used to plant a snake plant will show their significance in the plant’s growth. Because the pot becomes the home for the plant until it gets transplanted. So selecting the right pot will help the plant grow healthy. The main thing to consider while selecting a pot is always the drainage system of the pot.
A pot with good drainage will drain the excess water quickly and keep the soil dry. Your plant loves to stay in the dry soil and grows faster. Pot with porous walls will allow the aeration in the soil and thus helps to grow faster. If the pot of your snake plant does not allow aeration, water remains in the soil for a long time and leads to root-related issues. So, the plant may stop its growth.
Also, small pots may control the rot growth and lead to pot-bound and root-bound roots that stop the flow of water to the drainage. The waterlogged roots rot quickly and get damaged. This case may occur if you delay repotting your snake plant.
b) Repotting the Snake plant
You should repot your snake plant regularly otherwise, your plant may stop its growth. Because the nutrients in the soil may get exhausted during the period. Even though you feed the plant, it may not work as the change of soil does. Moreover, the root system can outgrow the pot and may not have enough space to grow even more and becomes root bound and pot bound. So repot your plant when you observe your plant is not growing as before.
5. Soil mix for Snake plants
Snake plants grow healthy when they are planted in a suitable soil mix. These plants prefer to stay in the dry soil, so a well-draining mix. If you use normal household soil or compact soil for planting these plants, it will surely show its effect on the plant’s growth. Well-drained soil mix helps to avoid the problems that occur due to overwatering. So, the plant thrives when it is planted in that type of soil. If the soil is not well-drained then it holds the water which may affect the root system and thus leads to the slow growth of the plants.
6. Fertilizing the Snake plants
Fertilizing snake plants encourages the growth of the plant by strengthening the soil mix but you need to fertilize it properly. If you do not provide the right amount of fertilization at the right time, it may cause damage to the plant and thus the growth of the plant gets affected. Let us now discuss overfertilization and under fertilization in detail!
a) Overfertilization of the snake plants
Snake plants do not need fertilization often because they grow in rocky soils that do not have much nutrition. To strengthen the plant, if you fertilize it often or provide more feeding at a time, it leads to over-fertilization. In this case, usually, the roots of the plant may get damaged.
Overfertilization may burn the roots and so the roots stop functioning thus you can observe an unusual drop in the growth of the plant. You can observe this case mostly in winters. The plants do not need fertilization during the winter season as the plant slows down growing until the spring. So, avoid fertilizing it more.
b) Under fertilization of the snake plants
Under fertilization is one of the most common reasons for the fall of the growth in snake plants. Many plant growers decide not to fertilize these versatile plants as they do not require much fertilization to thrive. Remember, fertilization helps to enrich the nutrients in the soil and thus helps in the improvement of the plant’s growth. If you ignore fertilizing your plant for a long time, your plant may not continue its healthy growth. Thus, under fertilization influences the growth rate of the snake plant.
7. Pests and diseases that affect the Snake plants
Pests and diseases will also show their effect on the plant’s growth. Snake plants are hardy plants that rarely get affected by diseases. But if it gets affected, it is not an easy task to recover the plant. The plant might undergo stress while suffering from some disease or if any pests like mealy bugs or scale attack them. This leads to the fall of its growth.
8. Propagation of the snake plants
Last but not the least, propagation allows the new plant to grow faster. Snake plants that are propagated through cuttings, grow faster when compared to normal plants. Also, propagation helps to develop new shoots in the mother plants. So, it is better to propagate these plants to help the plant grow better. Here is how you can propagate snake plant:
List of materials:
A healthy snake plant.
Clean cutting tools (shears, pruners, garden knives)
A container with a drainage hole.
Potting soil.
Glass jar (for water propagation)
Method:
Soil propagation:
Soil cultivation is nearly as effortless as water propagating, but not as aesthetically satisfying as there is dirt involved! This method works perfectly during the spring and summer as the roots of the plant will expand quicker than in the freezing, and dark winter months.
- Prune the leaves of a healthy snake plant into 1-2”.
- Mark the bases of per cutting as you will be burying the bottom side into the soil.
- You can allow the cuts to become callous over a few days before you sow them into the soil, but it is not a crucial step, it just gives an extra boost.
- Fill up a pot with new potting soil, mix slow-release fertilizer, water it, and put the cuttings into the soil until they stand up on their own.
- Set the pot in bright but indirect sunlight.
- Water the soil mildly after it becomes dry. They will require frequent water but be aware of not getting the cuttings rot.
- It may take months to notice any new root growth, but warm temperatures, sunny indirect light, and high humidity levels will allow the roots to grow quickly.
Water propagation:
The most effortless and perhaps most appealing way of cultivating your snake plants is putting leaf cuttings into a vase or glass jar filled with fresh water. Not only will your snake plants someday grow roots, but the cuttings display will look beautiful during the whole rooting process.
- Remove the leaves from a mother snake plant from about 1/2 inch past the soil line.
- Make a neat snip at the broadest part of the leaf. Take more than one cutting to increase the chances.
- Put the cuttings in a glass jar filled with room-temperature water.
- Use fresh water and replace it every week to help stop the cuttings from rotting and deliver oxygen to the leaves.
- Preserve the snake plant cuttings in a room with bright indirect light.
- It may take up to a month to six weeks before you see any root growth if the temperature is below 65°F and the light levels are lower.
- Raise the humidity by putting a glass dome over the vase to support and speed up root growth. This process is optional.
- You can plant the rooted cuttings in soil or you can keep your rooted cuttings in water for a longer time, but add a drop of liquid fertilizer in your water once a week to supply nutrition.
How do snake plants grow faster?
After knowing the factors that influence the Snake plant’s growth, now let us know some tips to grow the Snake plants faster.
Tips to grow snake plants faster:
- Select the suitable pots that have porous walls to allow the air circulation into the soil, to plant your snake plant. The pot must be at least 1-2inches larger than the root system.
- Use a cactus mix or mixture of well-draining soil and sand to plant your Snake plant.
- Snake plants need to be planted in the right way to maintain healthy growth. Fill the pot with gravel at the bottom to avoid clogging the drainage hole. Use the suitable soil mix to fill the next layer of the pot. Place the plant in the middle as it is in the old pot and now fill it with the remaining soil. Remember the pots that are too large may hold the water for a long time.
- Place the plant in a well-lit place that gets bright and indirect sunlight. Try placing the plant outside in the early mornings and late afternoons.
- Water it thoroughly once a week or when the soil becomes dry completely during the summer. In winters delay the watering schedule until the soil becomes dry.
- Place the plant where the temperature ranges between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the humidity in the surroundings of the plant must be around 40%.
- Repot your Snake plant every year to keep it healthy. Remember to choose a 1-2 inch larger pot for repotting the Snake plant.
- If you follow all the steps that I have given above, there will be no pest attacks that can bother your plant, but, if there is any pest that is troubling your snake plant then wipe the affected part with neem oil or rubbing alcohol to get rid of them. You can also use respected pesticides and fungicides to avoid those troubles.
- Fertilize it once in 2 weeks during the growing season and once a month during normal days. Avoid fertilizing it in the winter to maintain its health.
Conclusion
Snake plants are beautiful plants that have leaves that are long and grow straight upright. They enhance the interior of the home with its pleasant looking and spread positive vibes. Growing these plants is quite easy, but you need to provide proper care to make your plant grow faster.
We hope you like our article, if you have any further questions regarding this article, please feel free to comment down below, and don’t forget to share this article with your friends and family!
