Hi everyone,

I got a snake plant recently. I am not 100% sure I checked in thoroughly before buying , but I do see some problems with it already and it has just been a month.

It is kept in a low light corner as the plant can grow in dark conditions. I ve been watering it only when dry and the soil and pot are well draining.

I see some of the leaves have dry , white patches in the middle. What is this a sign of ? Should I cut them at the base or just where I see the patches ? Would the grow back from there ? One or two leaves are wilted too.

Pics attached. Appreciate any help. Thanks heaps.

She needs more indirect lite.

She also, could be so rootbound that roots can't take up any water. So water just runs around rootball, and out of pot. Pull her out of pot to see. Then, put her in a pail of water, and let her soak for 20-30 minutes.
I'd up-pot her, after scuffing up her rootball some, so root can break out.
Barely moistened soil, of equal parts of cati mix, and perlite.
Then ! don't water for a week.

😎😎😎

Does the container have drainage holes? Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata) are succulent like plants and need a well draining soil. They can grow in bright light or low light conditions; I've seen them growing in full sun here in Florida but I think they are prettier in shadier locations. The dry brown patches on the leaves may be due to mechanical damage; being knocked around at the nursery/garden center, or during transit on the truck to the nursery. You can prune the damaged leaves off; I'd cut as close to the base of the plant as possible because they will not branch from the cut ends. Also, you can propagate the plant by laying the leaves out for 24 hours or so to allow the cut end to callous over and then stick them in soil; keep them in a brightly lit place and keep the soil evenly moist but not soaking wet ... eventually you will see new little snake plants sprout from the soil at the base of the leaf cutting.

@Dave

I have no idea how this happened but it seems gremlins have grabbed my post with another users name/avatar. The above post with pallavi's avatar name is what I typed in response to his/her question. It looks like Gremlins have grabbed my post!

Thanks a lot people. So here s a picture of how I ve pruned it at the base, and the pruned leaves. Should I plant these leaves back in the soil or just discard them ?

If you want more plants, you can pot them up. It's been a long while since I grew Sansevieria so I don't remember how long it took before babies appeared from the pruned leaves but they are fairly easy to propagate from leaf cuttings!

Ok great. Would it grow back from the pruned stems ? It's not a pretty sight right now but I guess it will not be seen once we have new growth.

plantladylin said:@Dave

I have no idea how this happened but it seems gremlins have grabbed my post with another users name/avatar. The above post with pallavi's avatar name is what I typed in response to his/her question. It looks like Gremlins have grabbed my post!

OP in a previous thread shared a link that was a special link that logs you in under their account. The link was generated from an email and the email should have had a message warning them not to share that link with anything. But they are able to share it anyway, and anyone clicking on it gets logged in as them. That's what happened here.

I've given a lot of thought in the past as to how to prevent that kind of thing from happening. It's something I'm not exactly sure how to resolve.

@Dave I don't think I like it that someone else can log me in under their account!

After I typed my reply and hit finished/enter, it took me back to what looked like my home page but all of my watched threads were gone! I thought something was going on with my laptop so I went back to make sure that my post was there and that's when I noticed it was under the original posters username. I then logged out and waited a minute and logged back in and my home page looked normal again but I noticed the post still showed under his/her name.

Thanks for letting me know about this ... I will certainly be more careful when replying to threads from now on!

Lin

I ve moved the plant to a brighter spot. Though it survives darkness , I see it's growing faster and brighter in the new spot. However , I see that the leaves are not upright. They are all bending/leaning towards one side. Is it too much light or over watering ? I see new growth but not sure if that will be upright or bent.

Just rotate the pot once a week...

Yardenman : You brat !!!
You took the words. Right out of my mouth.

😎😎😎

No plant will grow in darkness, and Sansevierias will tolerate indirect sun but they wouldn't be happy being in a permanently shady area. Mine all enjoy indirect sunlight and I move them around so they get some sunshine (they are indoor plants for me).
The taller varieties will naturally flop if the leaves get quite large.
Your leaf cuttings will eventually produce new offsets but it takes a while and you won't get the yellow edge. Let them dry out for a couple of days and then put them in compost making sure they are the right way up ie the same as they were when growing.
When in active growth I find my Sans will need regular watering.

Unlike many other plant species, Sansevierias do not orient strongly toward the light source. When they have not received a lot of light or have been watered improperly, the roots shrink back and provide less support. Subsequently, some of the leaves will start to lean one way or another and not always toward the light. It is an indication that the roots have shrunk back some. Rotating won't help.

Push the leaning stems to the vertical and tamp the soil down at their base to hold them in place. Improving the light will help stabilize the roots and the plant going forward,

Thanks all. So attached are the pictures of the rootball. How to tell if it's rotten ? I see firm white and tan roots and some white patches. Should I put it in a different , dryer soil ? How long can this remain alive without being potted back ? Am out of potting soil and will get it in a couple of hours.









[lightbox]2018-03-22/pallavi/5840c

The roots look fine. The white patches appear to be mold. That means the original soil was not sterile. But I don't suggest replacing the soil. If you allow the soil to dry out deeper in the pot, you will deprive the mold of the moisture it needs to survive. Keep it in the same pot, but water it less frequently and very lightly when you do water.

Alright. So we rule out root rot as the cause of leaning leaves. Could be improper lighting or watering. I ll try and follow the advice here and see if the old and new leaves are upright. This is current position. Will post another after 10 days.

The roots are not as extensive as they once were and should be because they were over watered. The shrinking back of the roots is what has caused the plant to lean. Improve the light and watering and there should be a slow recovery and expansion of the roots. You may want to add some stakes in the interim.

Thanks a lot Will. Sorry, I misunderstood shrinkage as rot. I ll do what you suggested. Should we water it a little while you put it back in the pit after you checked the roots ? Does the plant get a little shocked ?

Put it back into its pot and make sure it fits in snugly and securely, using your fingers to tamp it down tight. No need to water it until the soil is dry halfway deep into the pot. Then, water very lightly, not enough for water to flow all the way through. This is one of the few instances where partial watering may be recommended.