If you love indoor plants, there is a good chance you have a snake plant. This versatile greenery is easy to care for, especially once you figure out the watering schedule. Here is more information about how often to water your snake plant.
How often to water snake plants: Snake plants like some water but don’t need a lot of it. Try to water every two weeks or once the soil is completely dry. Keep your snake plant in a warm, bright area to encourage steady growth.
How often do you water indoor snake plants?
Snake plants do not need a lot of water, which is why they are so easy to care for. They are an especially good plant to have if you travel a lot.
From spring to fall, you only have to water your snake plant every two weeks. In the winter, when the plant becomes dormant, you can decrease this to once every month.
How often do you water outdoor snake plants?
Snake plants are usually grown inside because they don’t like cold temperatures. However, if you live in a warmer climate, you can place your snake plant outside, especially on a patio or deck. Just note that if your nights are too cool, or it is approaching fall, you will most likely have to move your plant indoors.
Because of its temperature needs, most outdoor snake plants are still in containers. As a result, they need similar watering needs as indoor plants.
Start by watering every two weeks. If the weather gets hotter, you may need to water more frequently. Likewise, if your snake plant is exposed to rainwater, you won’t need to hand water as often.
What is the best way to water snake plants?
The best method to water your snake plant is called ‘watering from the bottom.’ With this method, you place your snake plant container in a tray of water or the sink.
Leave the container in about one inch of water for at least 20 minutes. This will give the soil time to absorb as much water as possible.
The benefit of watering from the bottom is that the plant’s roots will grow toward the water source, thus making the whole plant stronger.
If you forget about this method, your snake plant will still survive regular watering. However, be sure not to water too often.
Try to follow a two-week watering schedule. The soil should be completely dried out between watering or else rot can set in.
How do you know when a snake plant needs water?
Unfortunately, it’s not enough to simply look at your snake plant and decide if it needs water or not. Instead, you will need to test the soil.
Gently place your finger in the soil to see if there is any moisture. Don’t just test the top layer of the soil; instead, place your finger down an inch or two to ensure there is no moisture left.
It can take a long period of time without water for your snake plant to show signs of dehydration. When your snake plant needs water, it will tell you, though.
The leaves on a snake plant will start to dry out and take on a brittle texture. They may also turn yellow or brown.
Finally, the leaves on a snake plant may start to curl inward as the plant uses up all of its stores of water.
What are the signs of overwatering snake plants?
It is much easier to spot a snake plant that is overwatered rather than underwatered. This is good as it can give you a chance to dry your plant out and salvage it.
The tips and edges of the leaves will start to turn yellow and then brown. The leaves will become spongey with an excess of water and then will start to wilt as the plant tries to process all the water.
As for the base of the plant, this is where rot can set in. The roots of a snake plant are more vulnerable to rot than other parts so you may not be aware of the damage until it is too late.
If there is a lot of rot in the roots and the stem, a faint odor may appear. Gently dig around the soil to see what damage there is and to determine if you can fix it.
Do snake plants need to be in direct sunlight?
Another reason why snake plants are so easy to care for is because they can grow in many different light conditions.
Ideally, place your snake plant in a bright area of your home that is not in direct sunlight. This way the plant will grow steadily.
Having said this, however, snake plants will also grow in some direct sunlight, although too much can burn their leaves or dry out their soil too quickly.
You can also place snake plants in some shade or a dimmer room. While they will still live in darker places, they won’t grow as quickly.
Do snake plants need water in the winter?
Like many tropical plants, snake plants go through a dormant phase in the winter. This means they are still alive but don’t grow as fast.
Due to their dormant stage, you don’t need to water as much in the winter. You can scale back to once every three or four weeks.
Be sure to test the soil during this period to ensure it is draining properly. You should also still look for signs of over or underwatering, especially if it is your first winter with a snake plant and you don’t know what to expect from it.
Once the outside temperatures start to warm up, you can go back to watering your snake plant every two weeks.
Conclusion
Snake plants make for excellent indoor options as they can go weeks between watering. If you want to find out more information about snake plants or other indoor plants, be sure to read our other articles on the topic.
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