Captivating Snake Plants are famous for their air-purifying properties. Their lush greenery and effortless charm can create a mesmerizing indoor oasis! Ever wondered, “How fast does Snake Plant grow?” In this blog post, we’ll unleash the growth dynamics of snake plants. Whether you’re a seasoned plant enthusiast or a gardening expert, the Snake Plant’s adaptability and low-maintenance nature make it the ultimate choice to grow.
This article explores the growth rate of the snake plant and the factors influencing its growth. We’ll briefly explain what to expect regarding growth rate and equip you with tips to maximize your snake plant’s growth. So, keep reading!
What Is Snake Plant Growth Rate
Snake plants are also known as “mother-in-law’s tongues,”. However, they are famous for their reliability and grace. Snake plants’ growth rates are different and vary specific on the species type. But generally, they can grow up to 6 inches per year. All the species of snake plants infuse your collection with an amazing and vibrant mix of growth patterns and characteristics.
Different factors including many environmental factors can affect the fast speed of snake plants. Under optimal conditions, these plants can stretch from 6 to 8 inches annually, however, some species manage to reach up to 12 inches per year. Furthermore, under proper care, such as abundant sunlight and carefully measured watering, the growth potential of these plants soared to new heights even faster.
How to Make Snake Plants Grow Faster
Snake plants add a touch of aesthetics to your garden with their vibrant and thriving growth, furthermore, they are easy to grow and maintain. This plant can survive in every type of environment and is hardy. The plant is beautiful but its growth is slow. For better optimal growth, the snake plant requires:
1. Keep the Soil Moist
The first thing you need to know to boost your snake plant’s growth rate is to water the plant adequately and keep the soil moist. Ensure to provide an adequate amount of water to your snake plant. Less water content can make the soil too dry and make it harder for the plant to absorb nutrients, compromising the overall growth of the plant. Whereas, overwatering leads to many other problems with the plant. Thus make sure to water deeply only when the soil is dry.
2. Provide Enough Sunlight
Snake plant requires a lot of bright and indirect sunlight for their vigorous growth. This amount of sunlight helps in photosynthesis better and helps enhance and increase the growth of the plant. Sunlight is one of the most important factors for making the food content for the plants.
You can ask a gardener about the right hours of sunlight your plant needs and then ensure sunlight uptake of your plant. Snake plants need almost 5 to 6 hours of bright and indirect sunlight each day. In addition, place your plant closer to a window to provide it with maximum bright indirect sunlight.
3. Fertilize the Plant
Fertilization is the main ingredient in making plants grow fast and deep. A diluted balanced fertilizer goes well for the snake plant. It is important to provide your plant with fertilization a few times a year in the growing season, and the amount depends on the size of your plant. If you fertilize your plant more often, it will help absorb more nutrients and water from the soil. If enough water and nutrients are available, they will help improve growth on a large scale with time.
4. Trim Your Plant
Another important method of increasing the growth of your snake plant is to trim it. If your plants are growing tall, trim them to a good size. It will ensure growth from the base of them. When the plant grows from the step, it becomes richer and fuller overall.
Snake Plant Growth Stages
There are 3 growth stages in the growing cycle of the snake plant. These include:
1. Vegetative Phase
The vegetative phase is the fastest-growing phase of the snake plant. In this stage, new leaves and stems are started to grow. When you plant your snake plant, at the start it undergoes the vegetative phase. New leaves and stems grow from the seed area and sprout quickly.
2. Flowering
The second growing stage in the life cycle of snake plants is the flowering stage. This stage lasts from one to 6 years of growth time. The flowers bloom in the form of clusters like a crown above the leaves. But after a few days or weeks, these flowers die. Flowers of this plant continue to bloom until consume all the seeds of the plant.
3. Seed Production
The final stage of snake plant growth is seed production for further harvest. This stage takes almost two months to complete. After this stage, the plant turns dormant and brown and later dies. These seeds can be further used for growing new plants and for other purposes.
Growth Requirements for Snake Plant
The snake plant is a famous houseplant usually planted indoors due to its air-purifying qualities. However, it is challenging to keep it healthy and fulfill all its growth requirements. Here are some tips that you need to keep in mind for the proper growth of the snake plant:
1. Provide Proper Lighting
Snake plants require good sunlight to nurture well and stay healthy. But they tend to grow if they have good low light because they are slightly tolerant of fairly dim conditions. However, do not place them in low lights for longer because it can result in their stunted growth. When your snake plant is not growing as it should, it means that it needs more energy for proper growth and development.
If your plant is habitual to growing in less light, do not suddenly expose them to direct or bright light. You need to gradually increase the amount of light your plant is receiving to avoid giving it shock or stress. If the plant is a little far from the window, you can try placing it a little closer to the window. Along with providing adequate heat, ensure to not provide excessive heat to the plant, not more than 85 degrees.
2. Adequate Watering
Snake plants need proper watering to grow however, their biggest hazard is overwatering. The plant’s roots need to hang in the muddy soils to absorb as much water as they need. But ensure that the water quantity does not exceed the tolerance of these plants. Water is undoubtedly essential and significant for plants to grow.
To ensure that your plants are growing in the optimum conditions, you must check the soil more often to check the moisture level. You need to make a schedule to check for the water level every five days and check for your plant soil if it is completely dry or not.
Different tools are used to check moisture. For example, you can use a wooden skewer or moisture meter to check the moisture conditions near the roots. f the plant is already soaking in a lot of sun, you can take care of the water needed as the sun evaporates the water.
If the plant is kept indoors under minimum or dim light, the chances of drying are less because there is no sun to absorb the water. Ensure the plant contains fast-draining soil that helps absorb the chunky mineral components.
3. Supplement Diet
When growing a snake plant indoors, you must ensure it gets enough sun and air from its environment, as well as nutrients and water. You also need to fertilize your plant 2 to 3 times a year to help it grow perfectly. Avoid excessive fertilizing, otherwise plant will build up all the unhealthy minerals and salts around the roots, which results in stunt growth and wilting.
You can also ensure a half-strength dose of liquid fertilizer that contains all the essential balanced components, such as potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc. You can stop fertilizing when the plant’s growing season is ending. If you continue to fertilize your plant after the growing season has ended, the plant might suffer. If you have recently repotted your plant, there will be enough fertilizer in the new potting mix to ensure growth and development.
4. Provide Space
One essential thing your plant needs to grow properly is enough space for root growth. Snake plants need full space to grow to their full size. Ensure to use a pot that allows 1 to 2 inches of space around the root balls. You need to check for root-bound signs. If you see the plant getting root-bound, repot it immediately.
Why is My Snake Plant Not Growing
Although snake plants do not require extensive care, however, you need to provide ideal growing conditions for their good growth. Still, if you notice the stunted growth of your plant, below are the possible reasons:
1. Lack of Moist Soil
Snake plants require moist soil for proper growth and extra space for the roots. The roots of snake plants need well-drained moist soil. If grown in compact soil, the growth of roots as well as the plant is hindered. It is crucial to ensure the air spaces and moisture in the soil for the proper growth of the soil. Thus, deeply water the plant when the soil is dry.
2. Inaccurate Lighting
Snake plants need full, bright but indirect sunlight. They prefer indirect sun from a window during the day and low light from a lamp at night. They don’t need excessive light for proper functioning. If your house has low-level artificial light, your snake plant can grow in that light all day. But if the light is not right, your plant’s growth will eventually reduce and stop.
3. Inaccurate Temperature
Snake plants grow better in areas with hot climates having the ideal temperature between 65 to 80 F. If your house temperature is too cold, the snake plant will not be able to tolerate a freezing temperature. If the temperature of your house is below 50, the growth of your snake plant will be hindered.
4. Adaptation
When you bring it home, the snake plant needs time to adjust to a new environment. Adapting a snake plant is a process, as humans need more time to adjust, plants need the same time. Understanding the snake plants’ adaptation process is critical. Hence, you need to give them some time to get used to the environment and ensure proper light, water, and other conditions.
5. Potting Mix
Another important factor for the growth of snake plants is the plant’s potting mix. It plays an essential role in the care of snake plants. These plants will absorb all the nutrients and minerals they need from the soil. The soil needs to be highly drained and must prevent overwatering. There are different types of potting mix, and each plant needs a different type of mix. The ideal potting mix for snake plants is a well-drained succulent or cactus mix.
Factors Affecting Snake Plant Growth
Different factors affect the fast growth of snake plants. Some of these factors include:
1. Care and Maintenance of Snake Plants
If you want the optimal growth of your snake plant, provide it with all the necessary conditions. These include bright indirect sunlight, a humid environment, moist and well-drained soil, and suitable temperature etc. If you provide these conditions to your plants, it will have a big impact on their overall growth rate. Pruning and trimming are also part of the care and maintenance of these plants. Pruning helps cut past prime foliage, add aesthetics, remove damaged leaves, and ensure healthy growth.
2. Environmental Consideration
The number of light hours a snake plant needs has significant effects on its growth rate. A significant amount of bright but indirect sunlight will initiate faster growth. For example, areas with long days and more sun hours will have fast-growing snake plants. On the other hand, snake plants growing in bright areas of the home will grow more quickly. Ensure the provided temperature for the snake plant is between 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Conclusion
Snake plants are famous and easy-to-grow houseplants. You only need to fulfill some requirements to have your snake plants grow faster and better. You need to know that snake plants are not one-size-fits-all home plants. There are significant features and conditions to ensure proper plant growth, such as water, fertilizer, and light. These optimum conditions will help the plant to grow well while living indoors. Read the complete article to foster a healthy and thriving snake plant!
FAQs
1. Do Snake Plants have Fast Growth?
Snake plants have moderate and steady growth, and you can ensure their optimal growth by considering several factors discussed in this article. Snake plants can grow 6 to 8 inches per year. Planting them in a terrarium is better because it can create humidity which is good for the growth of snake plants.
2. Why Is My Snake Plant Not Growing Tall?
Different factors including soil conditions, water quantity, and quality, and light quantity and quality affect snake plant growth. You need to check all these conditions and ensure the growth of your snake plant.
3. Do All Snake Plants Get Tall?
There are different varieties of snake plants varying in their growths and heights. Some varieties of snake plants grow to their maximum height of 6 feet. Whereas, some of the varieties can only grow 2 to 3 feet. However, it depends on the change in the living conditions and space available for the plant.
4. Why Is My Snake Plant Growing Tall and Skinny?
If the snake plant looks thin and narrow, it is because it does not have optimal growing conditions. You need to ensure that the plant has enough sunlight, moisture, and nutrient levels to support growth. If the plant gets bright indirect sunlight, it will continue to grow properly.