The snake plant, also known as the mother-in-law’s tongue, is one of those plants that are very easy to grow. It can tolerate low light and dry conditions and it has an interesting shape that makes it a great conversation starter. Unfortunately, overwatering this plant can lead to root rot which will kill your snake plant quickly. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to avoid common mistakes when watering your snake plant so you won’t have any problems with them in the future!
Why is overwatering such an issue for Snake plants?
Snake plants are sensitive creatures that do best in environments with low humidity such as a bathroom or kitchen. They need to be taken out of their pots and allowed to dry out between waterings. However, overwatering is often the cause of plant death in many snake plants because they are sensitive when it comes to watering them properly.
What are the signs of an overwatered Sansevieria Snake plant?
Root Rot
A classic telltale sign of an overwatered Sansevieria Snake plant is root rot. The roots will start to have a slimy brown appearance and they will not be plump or white
How can I avoid this issue?
The best way for beginners is to use a humidity tray with high pottery around it. This prevents overwatering because you can’t overwater the plant if you can’t water it!
If you’re not looking for an easy solution, try using a moisture meter to see when your snake plant needs watering.
However, this may be difficult because humidity levels will change throughout the seasons and day-to-day as well. If that’s true in your area then check the leaves to see if they are getting yellow or brown tips.
Brown spots on leaves
Brown spots on leaves are often the result of overwatering. This is because not enough light reaches the leaves and they get very little air circulation resulting in unhealthy plants and brown tips or edges
What can I do?
Your first instinct might be to water your snake plant more, but this is a bad idea. If it’s root rot your best bet is to repot the Sansevieria Snake Plant in new potting soil and water sparingly until the roots start to grow back.
If the brown tips are due to overwatering, let your plant dry out before giving it more water. If they just need a drink of water then give them some and put them back in their pot.
– make sure that you’re checking for signs of root rot or yellowing leaves on the snake plant (low humidity is also a sign because snake plants need a dry environment)
– check your container for drainage holes and don’t put too much water into it or use potty trays underneath as well
– when in doubt, let the plant dry out and wait before you give them another watering
Wilting leaves
The leaves are wilting and there’s no water at the base of the plant. It could be due to overwatering, under-watering, or lack of sunlight. If you’re not sure which one is affecting your snake plant then try watering it more sparingly each day until its wilted state goes away.
Wilted leaves happen for two main reasons. The first is that the plant may be overwatered, meaning it has too much water in its soil and not enough room to breathe. Plants also wilt when they are underwatered or because they need more sunlight than what you’re giving them!
– if your snake plants leaves are wilting, it could be because of overwatering or under-watering
– if you’re not sure which is the issue then try watering more sparingly and see if that solves your snake plant’s problem!
Leaves turning yellow
If leaves are turning yellow, it could be because of overwatering. Overwatering can lead to root rot and brown spots on the leaves so take care with your watering!
– if you see a change in color from green to yellow then that may mean that there is too much water or not enough nutrients for the plant.
– overwatering will cause root rot and can lead to brown spots on the leaves, so take care with your watering
Leaves falling over
If the leaves are drooping or laying on top of each other then it could be due to overwatering. This is a sign that you’re watering your snake plant too much and causing root rot
– if the leaves start to fall over, try letting them dry out so they can take in the air before giving more water
Brown tips
Brown tips usually happen because you’re watering your snake plant too much and causing root rot or if you just watered them recently and they aren’t draining properly in the pot
– make sure that you are checking for signs of root rot or yellowing leaves on the snake plant (low humidity is also a sign because snake plants need a dry environment)
– check your container for drainage holes and don’t put too much water into it or use potty trays underneath as well
What should I do if I think my snake plant is overwatered?
-Move the pot to a sunny location.
-Cut back on watering your snake plant and allow it to dry out in its own time.
-Top up with fresh soil if needed so that the roots are no longer exposed or showing signs of excessive moisture (i.e. soil is still wet when potting it back in).
-Replace the plant with an alternative species if you’re not sure your snake plant will recover.
How to Save an Overwatered Snake Plant from Root Rot
-Move the pot to a sunny location.
-Cut back on watering your snake plant and allow it to dry out in its own time.
-Top up with fresh soil if needed so that the roots are no longer exposed or showing signs of excessive moisture (i.e. soil is still wet when potting it back in).
-Replace the plant with an alternative species if you’re not sure your snake plant will recover.
-Fertilizer that has too much nitrogen in it can lead to leaf yellowing, so you may want to check with your local nursery on what type of fertilizer to use.
-Soaking the pot for an extended period and not letting some water evaporate after watering will also make overwatering more likely.
Saving Snake Plant by Propagation
If you want to save your snake plant from root rot, try propagating it. Propagation is basically cloning a new one so that the snake plant can grow and propagate itself without getting damaged by overwatering.
How To Prevent Overwatering Snake Plant
Water Consistently
-When you water your snake plant, top up the pot with fresh soil so that it is not completely soaked and letting some of the moisture evaporate.
-The roots should never be exposed or showing signs of excess moisture (i.e. moist when re-potting)
Stick to How Much You Normally Water
-If you start to see brown spots or drooping leaves, then it may be a sign that there is too much water in the soil.
-You should still check for signs of root rot and yellowing leaves as well because overwatering can lead to this issue but if you are watering regularly then overwatering will not happen.
-It’s also important to only water when the soil is dry and not watering your snake plant every day. This will help them be more drought tolerant and you won’t risk overwatering it over time.
-Make sure that there are no drainage holes at the bottom of the container or pot before filling with soil so that the water can drain out.
-Also make sure that you are not fertilizing your snake plant with too much fertilizer because this will also lead to overwatering and overfertilization of your snake plant as well. It’s important to only use what is recommended by a professional nursery or someone who knows about plants in general.
-Only fertilize your snake plant when the soil is dry.
-Soaking a pot or container for too long can also lead to overwatering because it does not allow the water time to evaporate after watering, so make sure that you are only soaking pots and containers briefly.
Remove your Snake Plant from the pot
If your plant is in a container and make sure that there are drainage holes at the bottom so that water can flow out of it.
-If you see white, fluffy fungus growing around the roots or if your pot is wet for more than one day then remove the plant from its pot and cut off any brown spots on leaves.
-Do not use bleach or a commercial fungicide (this will kill the plant).
-Instead, rinse your snake plant’s pot in diluted hydrogen peroxide and then replace it with fresh soil. Make sure that you are following up with these steps to help prevent root rot from occurring again: water consistently when dry, give them appropriate sunlight levels during the day, and cut back on fertilizing.
-It’s also important to replace the plant with an alternative species if you’re not sure your snake plants will recover because overwatered snake plants can lead to rot and, in turn, they may die off entirely from root rot.
Create a Solid Drainage System
-If you are using a container that does not have drainage holes at the bottom then it is important to create one for your snake plant.
-Use an old coffee filter, small stones, or even moss in order to make sure that there aren’t any water leaks when watering, and always check with local nurseries on what type of fertilizer to use for your snake plant.
-After watering the soil, check to make sure that there are no leaks where water can accumulate or pour out from below. Be careful of overwatering in this way too because it will lead to root rot and kill off your snake plants as well so be mindful when building a drainage system.
Transplanting in new potting mix
-When you do a transplant, it is important to have fresh soil in the pot or container.
-It’s also important to check for roots that are showing signs of damage and brown spots on leaves because this can be another sign of overwatering as well so make sure they are removed during the transplant process and not left behind.
-Potting mix will also need to be fresh and make sure that it is moist before putting your snake plant in the pot.
Place the snake plant near a window
-It’s important to place the snake plant near a window or give it enough sunlight during the day because this can help increase its root growth.
-If you are giving your snake plants too little light then they will begin to grow leaves that have brown spots on them and wilted tips which is another sign of overwatering as well.
-It’s important to follow these steps in order to prevent your snake plant from overheating or dealing with too much light exposure, both of which can lead to root rot and kill off the plant as well so make sure you are following up on all of them before transplanting it into a new potting mix again.
What are some tips to help my snake plant grow well?
-Water only once a week, even during hot days or periods of high humidity.
-Snip off yellow or brown leaves from time to time.
-Feed occasionally with a weak liquid fertilizer, but be careful not to overfeed as this can lead to root rot and the eventual death of your snake plant.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read through my content! I hope that these tips were helpful in understanding how not to overwater a snake plant and what steps should be taken if they are showing signs of being overwatered.
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