Snake Plants, also known as Sansevieria trifasciata, are exotic-looking indoor plants that are suitable for novice indoor gardeners and those who live in homes with low light levels inside. From Black Coral to Laurentii and Cyclindrica varieties, Sansevieria trifasciata is a great houseplant to own. Its tremendous air purification capacity also makes the plant the roommate you always needed.
Although the plant requires very little affection from you, it may need to put some energy into it for repotting. It would give you more plants to keep your home filled with greenery and goodness. The process is very easy, you will just need some soil, a pot, and some effort to put in.
You can give it a try just by going through this article.
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When to Repot Snake Plant
There may be several reasons for you to repot your plant. You might find your plant trying to blast out of the pot, or maybe you find a rotten smell coming from the roots or maybe you suddenly got the idea of getting more plants out of your plant.
Whatever may the reason be, it’s high time you ought to get into action and repot your plant.
You might also find your plant root-bound. When your snake plant gets root bound, you will notice roots coming out of the pot through the drainage holes below the pot or water seam to come down straight through the pot as you water them.
Late winter or early spring is unarguably the best time to repot snake plants. As the plant is not active in growth mode at that time of the year, you may repot your plant at that time. But still, you can do it at any time of the year if you feel the need for repotting especially when it becomes necessary.
As the plant has great adaptive quality, you can make up your mind anytime you want so.
What are the Things needed for Snake Plant Repotting
In simple words plant repotting means moving plants to a slightly larger pot. It sometimes becomes necessary to repot to keep them growing and lively. As your plant grows it becomes more essential for the plant to repot, at least when a baby plant starts to grow into a mature plant.
You will need some basic gardening tools to repot your snake plant. At first, you would need to get the plant out of the pot and remove the soil. For that, you might need a gardening fork or trowel to get the plant out of the pot.
You may also use something to break the pot and bring out the plant if you want to do otherwise. You will also be required to use some gardening scissors or gardening shears to cut off the rhizomes. You may use a clean knife for the same.
After extracting the plant, to repot the plant you will be needing some fresh soil, a pot, and the tools you used while potting the point. You may also use your regular household bleach solution to cleanse the tools and keep your plant free from possible bacterial and fungal infections.
What Kind of Soil to use while Repot Snake Plant
As snake plant is allergic to wet soil and tend to refrain from waterlogging, it’s better to use dry well-draining soil for your plant. A soil with great drainage capacity, aeration, and nutrition will help you get some healthy greenery beside your bed. Succulent potting mix and cactus soil mixtures are ideal for snake plants since they do not retain water for lengthy periods and are extremely drainage friendly.
You can simply make a better version of the soil mix of your plant in your home. It’s very simple and easy to make your own version of snake plant soil mixture.
You need to mix 3/4 of the ready-to-use potting soil with 1/4 of the succulent soil. This will ensure that the soil is well-drained and aerated. The soil will be naturally richened by adding a handful of compost to it as well.
You may also use organic potting soil but do keep in mind that your soil mix should be able to pass through excess water. Otherwise, your plant would suffer from root rot due to soggy soil.
What kind of Pot to Get for Snake Plant Repot
Snake plants loved it when they are in dry condition. And a pot with sufficient water draining capacity aids the process. For it, you should look for a pot that has a good water drainage system with a huge drainage hole.
If you are looking to repot a plant that was previously bursting out of its pot, you ought to get a pot that is bigger and more spacious than the current one. Always keep a reminder about the drainage issue while choosing a pot for the snake plant.
How to Repot Snake Plant
After everything is set, you can now move into action. Repotting snake plants is another easier part of taking regular care. Keeping everything near your hands follow the steps below:
At first, fill up the pot with a good amount of soil so that the pot is ready to plant. You may use some perlite in your potting mix to improve the soil’s drainage ability. Don’t forget to keep a small hole in the middle to put the plant.
After preparing the soil for the snake plant, let’s move to the plant. Remove the plant from the current pot. Then lose soil and dirt from the root.
You can loosen the soil by using your fingers and removing most of it from the root ball to expose the root system. If you’re going to divide your plant so you can see the pups, this is crucial. You can use this opportunity to remove any old mushy roots from the root ball if you’re just repotting your plants.
To find an L or J-shaped protrusion from the main plant, you must first remove the soil. Using a sharp knife, we’ll cut away the pup, which is a fleshy white rhizome.
Isolate a pup that already has delicate roots on the white rhizome. These parts are the most likely to succeed in creating new plants.
Slice the rhizome with a sterile knife or box cutter, trying to keep as many little roots on the top half as possible. Work your way around the plant, removing a few more puppies as you go. To avoid shocking the plants, I would only do around 1/3 of their entire mass.
After clearing the root ball and cutting, gently place the plant into the pot of soil and fill up the pot with more soil until the roots are submerged in the soil level. Press the soil gently to help the soil set. If the plant leans, use a stick or straw to use as a support to stand.
After that, gently sprinkle some tap water to let the soil set. Remember to put a little bit of water and keep dry soil.
After the soil dries you can send the plant back to where it used to be and treat the plant like you used to do. Don’t forget to keep the plant in its suitable light conditions or simply in indirect light.
Final Words
Repotting snake plants is easier than it sounds. You can do a repotting after every three years. It would make your plant more lively and keep the green vibe alive.
You can also get some extra plants to gift your near and dear ones. Whatever you may do, best of luck and happy gardening!