The snake plant is known for its hard nature and impressive height of up to 4 feet. This plant tends to spread outwards, even in a small container, as its roots entangle under the soil. As pruning helps the plant to grow well and helps to get rid of old or damaged leaves. Thus, pruning of expanded snake plants is also necessary. But many home gardeners ask how to prune a snake plant.
For this, inspect your plant, notice any signs of poor health or damage, and cut that part. You can restore the shape, improve its visual look, control its size, and remove the damaged parts of your snake plant with pruning. In this guide, we will discuss the pruning process and factors that can affect pruning and post-pruning care. It will help boost your plant’s healthy growth, so let’s get started!
Pruning Vs Trimming
Pruning and trimming are two similar but distinct methods of plant maintenance. Both involve removing unwanted or damaged parts of a plant. However, pruning typically involves more extensive cutting, while trimming involves removing small details.
Pruning includes cutting larger branches or stems of a plant to encourage growth, shape the plant, or remove diseased or damaged sections. It is often done using pruning shears or saws and may involve cutting back the plant to a certain point or removing entire branches.
Trimming involves removing small, delicate plant parts, such as leaves, buds, or shoots, to shape the plant or remove unwanted growth. Trimming is often done using scissors or hand pruners and is usually done more frequently than pruning.
In the case of a snake plant, pruning may involve cutting back entire leaves or stems to shape the plant or remove damaged sections. Whereas, trimming of snake plants may involve removing small, discolored, or dead leaf tips for aesthetic purposes.
In short, pruning and trimming both involve removing parts of a plant. Still, pruning is more extensive and involves cutting larger branches or stems, while trimming involves removing small, delicate parts of the plant. The specific method used will depend on the type of plant and the desired outcome.
When to Prune a Snake Plant
The snake plant has a reputation as a hard and slow-growing plant. So it tolerates pruning without issues at any time of the year. However, it is important to provide it post-pruning care to grow actively. You can prune your plant in the spring and summer seasons. These are the best seasons as the plant can get a supportable environment for growth during this time of the year.
Avoid pruning your plant in other seasons because certain environmental factors can stress the plant. Don’t prune a snake plant if it is not healthy. However, waiting until it reaches the measure of general care encourages healthy growth, and promotes rapid healing.
Why Should you Prune your Snake Plant
Snake plant only requires pruning sparingly. Various factors show that your snake plant needs to be pruned. Here is the list of these factors:
Maintain the Size
Snake plant has the tendency to grow by expanding themselves from the underground stems. New leaves gradually develop and increase the plant’s size and eventually fill the container. The amazing roots of the snake plant are bigger than that of the plant itself. However, their close cobweb and attachment ensure that they can adjust in the pot.
But if this entanglement goes on, it would affect the growth of plants. That is why you should prune your snake plant to prevent and avoid frequent repotting of your plant. Moreover, snake plant leaves continue to grow, and a small plant you buy eventually has several feet taller leaves. So, expert gardeners always recommend occasional pruning and trimming of the plant to enhance its visual appeal and adjust its height.
Remove Damaged Foliage
The exceptional leaves of the snake plant can last for many years if provided with the optimal conditions. But any damage or stain that develops on leaves remains permanent. A little negligence in its care, such as overwatering, direct sunlight, and a pest infestation, can impact or even damage the leaves.
Don’t worry; pruning the leaves helps restore your snake plant’s beautiful looks. Remove the leaves that look unsightly. New leaves will sprout soon and replace them, but there is only a need to provide post-pruning care for better results.
Improve the Shape of Plant
Snake plants are hardy but they also require optimal conditions to grow and nurture. Its leaves can bend, droop, or curl in different directions and sometimes become difficult to handle. Along with this, it also affects the appearance of the plant.
If you notice that your snake plant leaves are spread enough then it’s time to shape it up. Pruning is the best option as you will not only renew its proportion but also easily fix other issues.
Propagation
Another reason why you should prune your snake plant is its propagation. This plant can propagate through its leaves, cuttings, or healthy stems. Thus, pruning is the best way to adjust the size and enhance the growth of your plant.
What You Need for Pruning Snake Plants
You need various tools to effectively prune your snake plant. Following is the list of tools to prune a snake plant:
1. Sharp Pruning Shears or Scissors: A clean pair of pruning shears or scissors is important to make a clean cut. Dull or dirty tools can damage the plant and make it hypersensitive to diseases.
2. Gloves: Snake plants have sharp leaves that can cut your skin, so gloves are recommended to protect your hands during pruning.
3. Disinfectant: Before and after pruning, it is necessary to disinfect your tools to prevent diseases. You can use rubbing alcohol or a diluted bleach solution to disinfect the tools.
4. Paper Towels or Cloths: Use paper towels or a cloth to clean the blades of your tools after disinfecting them.
5. Optional: If you plan to propagate the pruned sections of the snake plant, you can use the rooting hormone to boost the development of roots.
How to Prune a Snake Plant
The pruning of a snake plant is not a challenging task. Its first and most important thing is to check your plant’s size, health, and shape and then decide about its pruning. When you examine your snake plant, it will help you to make you analyze your target area. If you want to prune your snake plant, the following methods will help you:
Reduce the Spread of your Snake Plant
If you want to reduce the size of the snake plant, then start to prune it from the edges. To prune your snake plant effectively, use a sharp knife. In addition, you can also use any pruning tool. Now start by cutting the leaves closer to the soil. It will give a perfect look to your plant.
You can get good results by holding the leaf, applying upward pressure, and making a single cut horizontally across the leaf. In this way, you can cut off the leaf without leaving any marks.
It may require little effort to cut off snake plant leaves as they are tough enough. Now, try to cut them efficiently instead of making a series of spiked cuts, because it will increase disease risk. So cut it nicely with patience!
Reduce the Height of your Snake Plant
After removing the outer leaves of the snake plant, pay attention to its height. Now, cut each leaf according to your desired height. You can use different tools such as pruners, scissors, and knives when cutting the leaves. But ensure that they are sharp enough.
When cutting the plant’s interior, the pruners and scissors are easier than the knife. But cutting the stem from its base with a good finish is difficult. Don’t worry, no one can see the plant’s interior, so its appearance will not affect it, and the snake plant still looks beautiful.
Remove Damaged Leaves
Before starting trimming your plant, first, recognize the damaged leaves. You can prune them to improve the appearance of your snake plant. Make sure that the removal of these leaves may not impact the plant and doesn’t leave any imperfection in its looks. So don’t worry about removing a single leaf with a small issue that can ruin the shape the of plant.
Remember that only reduce the size of the snake plant by one-third. After pruning, the plant will struggle a lot as it will be prone to disease. If you prune it more than enough, it may struggle for months, and the pruning will become a stressful experience for the plant.
Another important thing is to avoid cutting the leaves’ brown tips. Although cutting these brown parts looks very tempting, it is ineffective. Instead of having a good impact, it may increase the disease risk. So it is good to prune snake plants when it is needed!
How Often do I Need to Prune my Snake Plant
Snake plants are low-maintenance houseplants and don’t require frequent pruning. But occasional pruning keeps them looking neat and healthy. Snake plants must be pruned once every few years or when they become too large or overgrown for their pot or container. You can also prune the plant to remove any yellow or brown leaves or to shape the plant if it’s deformed.
You can cut off the unwanted leaves or stems by using clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears close to the base of the plant as possible. In addition, ensure sanitize your tools before and after pruning to prevent the spread of disease. If your snake plant doesn’t show any sign of damage or overgrowth, then there is no need to prune it very often.
What to do with the Discarded Snake Plant Leaves
After the successful pruning of your snake plant, you will end up with a pile of leaves. You can do several things with these discarded leaves instead of throwing them. Following are the ways that help you to deal with them:
1. Propagating New Plant
Snake plants’ leaves can propagate in water or soil until their root system develops. You may need to cut discarded leaves into a few sections to ensure each contains a node. Just make sure to keep this node section in the soil pot or a vase of water so that the root starts to develop.
2. Composting the Leaves
The other use of these discarded leaves is to add them to a compost pile. With time, these leaves break down with the other compost mixture and add vital nutrients to the organic material. It is a natural way to use them to benefit your garden and its soil.
3. Discard the Leaves
You can also discard these snake leaves if you don’t want to use them for propagation and compost. Simply discard them into the trash. But it is good to check your local waste management guidelines to dispose of plant material.
(Friendly Tip: You can choose any method to discard the leaves, but it is important to handle them carefully. Snake plant leaves are sharp and tough. They can damage the plant and yourself. So use gloves before dealing with them.)
Post-Pruning Care of Snake Plants
Aftercare of your plant after pruning help the plant to grow well and continue to thrive. So, follow these tips to provide better aftercare to your snake plant:
Optimal Watering
Your snake plant requires water when the soil becomes dry. You can check the soil by touching it; if it feels dry, water your plant. Don’t water too often as it can lead to root rot and various fungal diseases.
Fertilizing the Plant
Apply fertilizers if you want to boost the growth of your snake plant after pruning. You can use balanced fertilizers as they help a lot. However, remain cautious while using fertilizers as they can damage the plant if used excessively.
Bright Indirect Sunlight
The snake plant thrives in bright light, so place them in a bright spot where they can get indirect sunlight. But don’t place them in direct sunlight because direct exposure can develop sunburned leaves.
Temperature and humidity
Mild humidity and temperature levels are best for the growth of the snake plants after pruning. So, keep them away from extreme cold or heat, and provide mild humidity to your snake plant.
Regular Monitoring
You need to check your plant regularly and monitor the signs of problems and stress. If you notice any signs of brown spots, wilting, and yellowing leaves, address them immediately. You may lead your plant to damage further if you avoid these issues.
Final Verdict: Snake Plant Pruning Summed Up
Snake plants are hardy creatures that demand low care. However, they do require pruning after a certain amount of time. Their pruning is not a challenging task, you can do this urself with the above-mentioned tools and techniques. You may need sharp, clean pruning tools and handle the leaves carefully to avoid any damage. When you prune a snake plant, provide it with post-pruning care like fertilization, watering, and placement. Thus, by following these tips, you can enjoy the healthy growth of your snake plant!
FAQs
1. Should you Trim Snake Plants?
The best time to give pruning to your snake plant is in their growing seasons i.e., spring or summer. However, there is no specific season required to give a nice trim to your snake plant, so you can do it whenever required.
2. How do you Keep a Snake Plant Upright?
The snake plant leaves may fall over as they grow, which may happen a few times a year. So you should tie them to keep them anchored. It also depends on the height and weight of the leaves. But a jute string is a good option to tie the leaves as it is non-obtrusive and cheap.
3. How long does a Snake Plant Live?
Snake plant’s life span is up to 10 years generally, but some of its species can live up to 25 years. However, the life span of this plant depends on the care and maintenance of the plant. The life span is good enough if you want a long-life plant for your house.
4. How do I make my Snake Plant Full?
Snake plants thrive in bright light and the dark corners of your house. Although they can survive in the dark, they may experience slower growth. Exposure to full light, even for a few hours, can boost the growth rate of the snake plant but don’t put them in direct sunlight.