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How to properly care for my Sansevieria "Snake Plant"

10 years ago

Hello!

I recently bought a Sansevieria "Snake Plant" from my local Home Depot to fill a "dead corner" in my living room. Prior to this one, I had another one there for about 2 years (that I bought from Loews) that died a very slow death. When I bought my new one, I compared the two care instruction cards and they are fairly different... see attached photos. Any insight to the CORRECT way to water (one says keep soil moist, other says to maintain on the dry side) and correct light conditions (one says bright light other says low light)? It currently gets indirect light all day, but wouldn't say it necessarily gets low or bright light. For watering, w/ the last one I watered it about once every 2-3 weeks, whenever the soil felt dry. Any insight would be great! Thank you!

Comments (11)

  • 10 years ago

    You want to let it dry out completely before you water it and go very easy on the water in winter time. If the room is kind of dark it might take a while to dry out. I have one that i have not watered in over a month now that i think about it but they can go a while without.

  • 10 years ago

    That is an especially dark corner too, so be careful with the water for sure. Have you repotted it from the original mix?

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Well...TECHNICALLY if you are growing in high light and high Temps (about 80 or more) then it would be appropriate to grow it more as a moisture loving tropical succulent in a fast draining, non-water-retentive (lean) substrate.

    However, low light and that moisture would lead to a long and slow death, as you have so clearly demonstrated. I would take that tag to the store and say they owe you the amount it costs for that plant because their label instructions killed it. They may give you a replacement, which would be much much much cheaper (for them) than giving you a refund.

  • 10 years ago

    For the best return for your efforts - treat the plant like a succulent that doesn't like intense sun. That means lots of bright light and a very fast draining soil that you can water to beyond saturation w/o having to worry about root rot or roots that remain soggy for so long it impairs root function. If you get to that point, you're at the point where you'll need something more challenging. What limits most people from rising to larger challenges (plants that aren't quite as bomb-proof) is the inability to keep the root system happy. Learn how to do that and there isn'y much you couldn't tackle.

    I bet you'd find some things to think about HERE ( Click the link).

    Al

  • 10 years ago

    Indoors, in that corner, in a presumably temp-controlled home (meaning you don't live in over 90* indoor temps) and in the original Lowes' soil it came in....I'd be surprised if you could water once a month. Mine are indoors in a not too bright room in basically pebbles and rocks without any soil and I water mine about once every two weeks. If you keep it in that pot with that soil, feel the soil at the bottom of the pot through the drainage hole and when THAT is dry--water.

    You should read the link Al attached above. If you only have one plant, it may not be feasible for you to make your own mix, but if you grasp the concept of what he is talking about, it's simple to find small amounts as replacements to recreate something similar, and even in the worst case, it would be better than the soil it's in. If so, then that Sans may very well be with you for the next 20 years. Whatever you do, I would not keep it in that soil. It's very rare that a big box store has something in even half decent soil.

    i love Lati's idea of taking the label back to the store and demanding a replacement! LOL I have no idea why you kept the label, haha, but since you have it, you could kick and scream. Can you record it while you do it, though? It would totally make my day. ;-)

  • 10 years ago

    "Can you record it while you do it, though? It would totally make my day." You're one of the funniest people I've come across at GW/Houzz. If I ever save up enough so I can throw a party, I'm going to invite you (and your SMS) with an RSVP just so I can read why you can't come. Keep it up - it's refreshing.

    Al

  • 10 years ago

    Both Lowe's & Home Depot offer a one-year guarantee on everything but annuals. But... you have to return the plant in question, as well as have the receipt.

    As for the tags, I hang on to all of mine. Just as long as it's not one of those with a generic description, such as "foliage," or "indoor plant," etc. If it has the correct name, I keep it for future reference. I have a little drawer full of those tags. They come in handy, should a particular name ever slip your mind, lol.

  • 10 years ago

    Good kind of "funny," Al....right? Lol

    And if you threw a party, I would go so there's no reason for me to decline.

  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Yes, of course - the good kind. Spontaneously being funny w/o having to try too hard (being phony about it), resorting to too much sarcasm, or making the joke at someone else's expense is a great quality to have. If I was in the business of providing survival kits, I'd make sure each had a sense of humor.

    Al

  • 10 years ago

    Awww, shucks, Al. You not only teach me how to keep plants alive and not swimming in soil, but make me feel all fuzzy and warm LOL. :-)