Growing snake plants indoor – Best selling plant online

Snake plants are one of the top 10 plants grown indoors. It’s known for its air purifying benefits but it also adds as a decorative piece in homes. They look elegant, are easy to care for, thrive in various conditions, and require very little care. Categorized as a succulent, the snake plant is one of the few plants which can be neglected indoors or outdoors and you can expect it to fare well in most conditions. Except for flooded or freezing conditions, the snake plant is known to thrive, propagate itself and often flower too.

There are 3 common genera grown indoors and they have their beauty and benefits. Talking about benefits, the snake plant is known to be a great air purifier and lists the top ten indoor air purifying plants according to NASA. 

There is one interesting thing about snake plants. Scientifically, the snake plants were categorized as sansevieria but recently they were recategorized or classifieds as the dracaena species. The snake plant is commonly known as the mother in laws tongue. They are also referred to as Saint George’s swords in some places. 

While the snake plants may adorn homes today as decorative pieces and are known to be air purifiers, they had used in the past. They were also referred to as the Bowstring hemp. The plant’s fibers were used as drawstrings in bows in the past. Of course, these were nearly centuries ago and mostly in South Africa, nevertheless, it was a very useful plant for natives once upon a time.

While it may seem like a decent plant that has its kind of beauty, the snake plant is also known to be invasive. The root nodules tend to spread out giving rise to more snake plants, especially where the weather conditions are conducive. Consider treating a snake plant like bamboo. Just like bamboo plants, they do spread out, sometimes faster than you could think. 

Growing Conditions

Snake plants are one of the easiest plants to grow and thus one of the best plants for beginners. They take very little effort or maintenance, are resilient to a range of weather conditions, can tolerate low and medium light, and theoretically, one of the few plants that you can kill unintentionally. The one way you could go wrong is by overwatering your plants. Snake plants don’t like wet feet and it’s recommended that you water the plant sparingly. Once in a week is usually good enough indoors in a pot. Once in a fortnight during winters or maybe once in a month will also work.

For a perfect growing condition, it’s recommended that you place your snake plant in indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight tends to burn the leaves giving them an ugly look. Try to water the plants only once a week or oncfor e 2 days. Do not place the plants in an area where it’s dark. Kitchens without a window or bathrooms are usually not recommended for snake plants, especially because these areas are moist and humid. Choose an airy place for your snake plants. IF your kitchen has an open window with indirect sunlight, go for it. People who live in flats can usually use their rooms near the balcony for snake plants. A balcony is a great place for your snake plants. 

Think of a place that does not have excessive rains, where the soil is fertile and the weather ranges between 18 and 35 degrees. This is one of the best conditions for growing snake plants. If you can create a system that meets that requirement, chances are you will find a perfect place for a snake plant. While this may seem complicated, most homes have indirect sunlight, the temperature is between 18 to 35 and as for soil, we always have control over it in our homes with a pot installation. 

Indoor Snakeplant Care

When indoors, Snake plants require only 3 important things. 

  1. Proper light
  2. Just the right amount of water
  3. Ventilation

When you have these 3 things in place you need not worry about much when it comes to snake plant care. Of course, there are other needs like soil condition, fertilizers, and rarely, pests. But all these other factors are easier to control than you would imagine. To begin with, you could use soil with half organic matter. Vermicompost or leaf compost should work just fine. Do not add too many nutrients or cow manure. Cow manure, if not well composted will add a smell to the soil which isn’t ideal for indoor conditions. Dry cow manure, though is an excellent source of nutrition again, you don’t want the plants to grow too fast and outgrow the pots. The slow growth of plants is ideal for indoor conditions as long as the plants are healthy. Place the pot with the plant in an ideal space, where there is maximum sunlight indoors. Ensure that the plants are away from direct sunlight though. If there is a window with direct sunlight to the plant, avoid this area, but find a place just near the window where direct sunlight will not hit the plant. And most importantly ensure that the plant’s area is well ventilated. Closed rooms are ok if you have a running fan for at least 3-4 hours a day. And last but not the least, water the plants only once a week but when you water them, water them well. A 2 feet pot with 1 feet diameter should hold 1 to 1.5-liter water a week and that should be sufficient for 10 days during monsoon when the humidity is high.

How Snake plants Grow

Snake plants grow as stumps, very similar to bamboo. New leaves arrive from the root nodules and start creating a clump of leaves. The roots are not very deep and can usually begin from around 1-2 centimeters from the soil surface. They grow up to 2 feet tall indoors and sometimes if conditions are well can get up to 3 feet in height. This also depends on the variety of the snake plant. Some varieties are just over 3-6 inches tall and are apt for tabletop decorations. 

Location: Locate your plant ideally near an indirect light source where the temperature does not exceed 35 degrees at any point of the day. Also, ensure that the plant is not directly placed under air conditioners or fans. Placing them too near to ventilation sources will dry the soil more rapidly and will require watering more than once a week. 

Caring for Snake plants

The main reason people love snake plants, apart from their looks, is because of their care needs. Snake plants require little to not care at all. Once potted and set in place, they require watering once in a week or 10 days. Nutrients are rarely required. There is no pest attack in most cases and they grow very slowly Pruning is not usually practiced and will leave scars if you do try it. Repotting is usually required once a year or 2 years depending on your soil condition and the overall health of the plant. The only other thing which, though not mandatory, you need to do is wipe the leaves off once in a while to give it a glossy look. Some people also spray neem oil mixed with water and wipe it clean to give it a smooth shiny finish. Though this is not mandatory, it sure adds some great looks to the plants while also preventing pest attacks.

Common Varieties: There are numerous varieties of snake plants but the most common ones are as below.

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