Snake Plants Are So Easy To Care for With These 5 Expert Tips

Snake plants are incredibly popular right now, and there’s a good reason for this. Ideal for new and busy plant parents, they’re easy to take care of and maintain as long as you know what to do. Even if you’ve failed to keep other types of plants alive, it’s pretty difficult to kill a snake plant. Read on to find out the best snake plant care tips our experts have to offer so your spiky greens can thrive.

Place Snake Plants Somewhere with Indirect Light

When you take your snake plant home from the nursery, you might be wondering where to put it. Should you put it in your sunny living room? Or your home office that faces a shady tree line? According to Kaylyn Hewitt, lead floral designer of Bouqs, you have a lot of options.

She recommends, “A cozy spot with indirect sunlight will work, although snake plants can tolerate low light as well. There is always that spot that could use a plant but you are unsure of if there is enough light—this is that plant. It adapts so well and tolerates moderate growing conditions.”

Make Sure the Room Isn't Scorching Hot or Dry

On that note, avoid putting your plant in a room that tends to get hot or faces south. “Hot, direct sun is not its favorite—they yellow and look sickly with too much direct sun,” says Sara Bendrick, landscape contractor and Stihl spokesperson.

The Sill's plant expert Paris Lalicata says, “The best environment would be a stable one that doesn’t have too many drafts, with temperatures ranging between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Snake plants can tolerate normal room humidity, but being a tropical plant, they won’t mind if humidity is higher which can speed up their growth.”

Don't Overwater Your Snake Plant

Are you super busy? Do you travel frequently? There’s little need to worry about your snake plant. “Typically, snake plants are in jeopardy of being over-watered rather than under-watered,” explains Hewitt. “A good cadence is once a week during the warmer months and up to once every two weeks in the colder months.”

It's crucial to take a less-is-more approach when it comes to watering. “Snake plants are susceptible to a disease known as soft-rot which creates oozing, water-soaked lesions on the foliage that can quickly spread,” explains Lalicata. “Keep the leaves dry and provide ample lighting so the plant can be strong enough to fight off possible illnesses.”

But if you do overwater it, don’t fret! We all make mistakes and this one is easy to remedy. “If you overwater your snake plant, elevate the container so the bottom of the container can drain out freely and let it air out for a little while before you resume your reduced watering schedule,” says Bendrick.

Pick a Planter with Proper Drainage 

The last point brings us to the next one: It’s important to set your plant up for success by potting in a planter with a generous drainage hole. Lalicata says, "This plant does not want to sit in a bowl of supersaturated water for long periods. Water it enough so the water drips out the bottom of the pot and the soil feels like a wrung-out sponge.”

Repot Your Snake Plant After a Few Years

Is your snake plant becoming so large that it’s overgrowing the pot? This means your plant likely needs a new home, and it's time to repot. Keep in mind, this will probably take several years because they have shallow roots. “Just use any standard, well-draining potting mix and upgrade the container size by an inch or two in diameter,” says Lalicata.