Repotting a snake plant, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, is essential to caring for this long-lived houseplant. Snake plants in captivity require regular maintenance and care to remain healthy and happy. One of the essential parts of this care involves knowing when and how to repot a snake plant. Repotting a snake plant involves transferring it from one enclosure to another, which is necessary when it has outgrown its current enclosure.
This article contains complete information about how and when to repot your snake plant, as well as some tips to help keep your snake plants safe and comfortable during the process.
When to Repot Your Snake Plant
Before diving into the process of repotting your snake plant, you should know the conditions and signs in which you should consider repotting your snake plant. So, first check that whether your plants needs repotting or not. If you repot the plant unnecessarily, it will stress the plant’s health and growth. Here are a few signs that will tell you that it is time to repot;
1. The Roots Start to Grow From the Drainage Holes
When the roots of the plant came out of the drainage hole, it means that your plant needs repotting. This sign is not limited to snake plants; if you have any other plants whose roots are coming out of the pot, you must repot them too. Roots expand out of the pot when they cannot find any other place to grow inside. So, there is no place left for the growth of plant after the roots take up all the space.
That is why they are getting out of the pot, as they don’t have any space to grow. In this situation, plants do not get all the essential nutrients and water. If the plant is not getting sufficient nutrients to grow, it will automatically suffer, grow less, and die automatically. Hence, whenever you observe this situation, get your tools ready.
2. The Pot Is Breaking
In some conditions, the snake plant might grow to an extreme level, and there is no place left in the plant to continue the growth. In such cases, the pot starts to crack and, at last, breaks due to the lack of space inside the pot to let the plant grow fully. Although snake plant is hardy and can bear this situation, but it may suffer in its growth and development.
When there are cracks in the pot, whenever you water, the moisture will directly leave the pot from the cracked area. So, the plant will never have enough moisture to grow. The moisture will also leave the soil drainage hole, causing the roots to grow. The soil boundary of the snake plant will get disturbed if there are cracks in the pots. Preparing the plant for repotting is better as soon as you see the cracks.
3. Soil Gets Drained Immediately
When you notice that after watering, the water gets out of the pot quickly, it will negatively impact the growth and health of plant. Snake plants are tough and endure many difficult situations, they might also live without water for a long time, but this will become a problem for them as water is essential for the health of plants. There is a specific limit to which these plants can live without water. When that limit exceeds, the plants die.
If the drains out quickly, it might be due to lousy soil quality; the soil might lose its structure after some time of regular watering and root growth. This soil cannot absorb and saturate water and nutrients into it. If the soil cannot hold the water, the roots will suffer water shortage automatically, and the plant will die after a while. Water goes out quickly when there is not enough space inside the pot due to overgrown roots. You should repot the plant as soon as the water gets out quickly instead of holding it.
4. The Plant Often Falls Over
Snake plants have a heavy top when they grow up as they are tall. Its appearance looks healthy with thick leaves and developed rhizomes. This heavy top of the plants makes it top over as the soil also disintegrates. When the plant falls over more often, this is a vital sign for you to guess that it is time to change the pot, as there is no more space available to grow, and it keeps tilting over.
Whenever you notice that the plant exceeds twice the size of the pot, you should change the pot. As soon as it increases twice from the pot size, the plat starts to tilt over and fall quickly as soon as you stand it. When you repot the plant, ensure that you use the pot that is one size up from the previous plants. This pot will have more space available in it for smooth growth.
5. Pup Growth on the Plants
Whenever you notice new shoots emerging out of your plant, it is a sign that you should repot the plant. These shoots are also known as pups; they grow out from the base of the plant. These pups are tiny snake plants connected down through the rhizome. When you notice a single pup in the snake plant, you do not need to repot it immediately. But, when you see several pups on the plants, you must repot it immediately.
How to Repot a Snake Plant?
When you notice any of the above conditions, you should know it is time to repot a plant. You can follow these steps to repot a snake plant:
Prepare the Soil
Before repotting any plant, the first thing you need to do is to make the base of the plant ready for implantation. The base of the plant, i.e., soil, requires different types of soil compared to the soil needed to grow the plants in the garden. Garden soil is denser and provides a home for different types of weeds and pests, while pot soil is compact and has no space for weeds and pests. You can buy the soil from any nursery or make your soil.
Making your own soil will help you add all the essential supplements needed for the plant’s healthy growth. The snake plants have succulent leaves that allow them to store a lot of water and this capacity to bear situations where there is water deficiency. Snake plants can get affected by root rot easily if water is in access. These plants grow perfectly well if the soil is coarse and the draining is well-managed.
You can prepare your soil by mixing half river sand with 50 % standard potting mixture. When river sand and standard potting mix are combined is enriched with all the supplements that you
Find the Perfect Sized Pot
If you have a perfect pot size, you can give your plant extra room to grow, ideally without any problem. Mostly try to choose a larger pot than your previous pot in which you faced specific problems. The main problem might be the size of the pot, and if you find the right size, the snake plant can grow well in the same pot for a long time.
The ideal size of the pot should be 2 inches or 5 cm larger in diameter than your current pot. Any size greater than 2 inches will retain a lot of moisture, and it will not be able to support the perfect growth of the plant.
Sanitize the Equipment
When you buy a new pot, make sure to wash it to avoid several viral diseases of the plants, as this pot will hold the snake plant for some time. Sanitize all the tools and equipment that you are going to use for the transferring of the pots.
Remove the Plant
After taking the soil out, it is time to take out the plant. Its best to not give water to the plant for few days. In this way, you can easily take out the plant. Shake the plant a little to remove the soil from the walls of the pot, then turn the pot upside down and start pulling it out of the pot.
Cut Out the Pups
When you take the plant out of the pot, you might see some pups emerge. If these pups are fewer in number, you can leave them. But you will have to remove the excessive number they grow swiftly and take up all the space inside the pot. It is better to cut the pups if the number increases from 3 as they grow out fast, and you will have to change the pot again soon.
Mark a fine cut using a sharp knife to remove the rhizome of snake plant. There should be enough roots on the plants to help the pup grow onto the plant. If you see the number of roots is less, let the root grow inside the previous plant. Separate the pup from the parent plant and keep the divisions with you to grow them onto the new plant.
Plant in the New Pot
It is time to fill the plant with soil and replant the snake plant. Add the soil mixture into the new pot and ensure it fills the 1/3rd pot. The drainage holes at the end of the pot should not be extra to drain away all the water. Add the plant at the center of the plant and start filling the roots of the plant with extra soil mix.
Ensure the soil only covers the plant’s roots and the crown is out. Press the top layer of the soil, and your plant is secure, with no air pockets left in the pot. Water the plant thoroughly to make the roots grow. Put the plant in direct sunlight inside the home, where you can look at it and enjoy it.
Final Thoughts
Repotting a snake plant is necessary if you want to let it grow well. When you repot the plant, avoid transplant shock that can happen if you trim the rotten roots. Snake plants are well equipped to endure drastic situations, but you must put them in direct sunlight once a month to enhance their growth. Follow all the dos and don’ts of repotting snake plants that are mentioned in the article. I hope this article gave you all the information you needed on when and how to repot a snake plant.
FAQs
1. What Is the Best Time to Repot A Snake Plant?
In spring or early summers, snake plant starts to grow. It is the best time to repot your snake plant as the new leaves starts growing in this season.
2. Which Soil Type Should I Use for My Snake Plant?
You can use a well drained soil either cactus or succulent potting mix or a balanced soil mixed with perlite. These kinds of soil enhance the growth of snake plant.
3. Can I Trim the Roots of My Snake Plant During Repotting?
If you only want to trim the roots a little bit in case of their excessive growth, then it would be helpful. However, if you cut too many roots in an instant, the plant will suffer a heavy shock.