I've been repotting the Sansevierias I bought a year ago. It's satisfactory to see that they look pretty healthy and most (not all) of them have grown. Actually, I have a question here. Those that grew I repotted into larger pots, even thought there probably would have been room in the old pots if I wanted them crowded. Seems like I read that crowded Sans bloom better; but I want mine to get bigger before they flower so I'm giving them room for their roots. Is this likely to do what I want? Feedback is appreciated, as I'm still fairly new to Sansevierias.

My S. grandis just sat in its pot for a year looking like a plastic plant. When I dumped it out it had a large new shoot that hadn't yet emerged from the soil--good--but when I looked more closely I saw that the shoot had been long galleries and holes chewed in it, all of them superficial, about 1/8" deep and wide, but extensive, from some animal that was working from the outside in, that is, not eating its way through the shoot or living in the shoot. No sign of the animal--insect? slug? No rot; no sign of fungus. I called up Alan Butler, from whom I buy my Sansevierias: he had no idea what it might be. The surface of the compost was undisturbed, the leaves were undamaged. The shoot was gnawed all up and down its length. I spread out the dumped out compost and stirred through it: nothing. The Sansevierias spent the summer out on my terrace exposed to possible pests. Any suggestions as to what the root gnawer might be?

I cut off the shoot, cut off the worst chewed part, and was left with two pieces of tuber or corm or whatever, which I rinsed with a jet of water and left to dry on a kitchen shelf. I intend to pot them, I hope minus their pest. I rinsed off the roots of the parent plant with another jet of water and repotted it, again, I hope having gotten rid of the pest. I hate anything the name of which ends in -cide, so didn't use any such product.

Again, I would love to hear any ideas as to what's eating the shoots. Thanks.

Melissa