Learning snake plant propagation takes time and care, but in this article we will show you how to propagate a snake plant and help you get started.
Do you love plants but don’t have a garden? Do you want to attempt planting smaller pieces of leaf cuttings to see if they will bloom into new leaves? Want to multiply cut leaf callus? Then the snake plant is the perfect option for you. You can plant snake plants in a planter and create a separate green area in the family room.
Also known as a mother-in-law’s tongue or sansevieria, the snake plant is hardy, and they thrive even when you neglect it. Be it summer or winter. These babies can tolerate different temperatures very well all year round. You can even go on a vacation for a week or two, and these plants can last for an extended period with very little lighting or water. In addition, they don’t rot easily.
If you want to inspire kids to grow plants, place these succulents in a designed planter or a fine vase and fill it with clay balls to make the perfect gift – a plant snake for their room!
Table of Contents
Gardening Journey
You can begin your green journey with just one or two snake plants. They won’t cost you much. You can learn to water, practice plant care, and track their growth. To watch them grow even a few inches in due course can give you real joy.
You can purchase more planters (not more plants) and make plenty of cuttings from the existing plant when ready. Then, you can create a garden for free! Just divide or split the mother plant and make the right cut to start propagating snake plants.
Creating a community
You can discuss important details about your plant, talk about problems you face, and have the best time discussing rhizomes, propagation by division, etc., with a friend.
Social media is also a great way to stay connected with like-minded people. You can post photos, share experiences, and even review products. In addition, you can join and find valuable links to a helpful article or post. This can be a great place to get help from a rhizome, division, or a thing with a full-grown plant.
Have trouble with propagation? Feel free to hop over to the section with free tips.
4 Easy Ways For Propagating Snake Plants
Have you decided to propagate a snake plant in your house? Propagating snake plants is relatively easy as they are the perfect houseplants. In addition, you can easily propagate new snake plants from the parent plant.
With just a little effort post cuttings from the main plant, you can see new growth within weeks of rooting your sansevieria cuttings.
Read this blog post to know more details about different ways to propagate snake plants, along with the pros and cons of each of the methods. If you don’t find discussions about rhizomes or division interesting, you can unsubscribe anytime.
Good luck with your new beginning. I hope you have fun and develop picture-perfect plants that look great in photos. I hope you find every detail in this blog helpful in beginning your green journey.
1. Propagate Snake Plant Leaf Cuttings In Water
Did you know you could just cut and propagate a snake plant in water? Yes, water is an effective growing medium for these houseplants. This is an easy way to propagate a new snake plant from existing snake plants. Propagating a snake plant in water is much easier than trying to propagate the cuttings in soil.
If you want to propagate snake plants from an existing plant, you need a few leaf cuttings from the original plant. With water propagation, you can propagate a whole new plant from a single leaf or multiple cuttings within a few days in plain water.
If you love propagating, all you need is a pair of sharp scissors or a knife, a glass vase, and some water. In this propagation method, you have to cut the snake plant leaves very close to the roots and place the snake plant cuttings in water.
Make a V shape cut to increase the surface area. Ensure the water is just above the V shape cut of the sansevieria leaf cuttings. After a few weeks, you can see your leaf cutting growing roots.
Wait till the tiny pups sprout, then you can plant the roots in the soil. The small shoots will also pop up from the soil in a few days.
Pros
- Very easy to propagate cuttings in water
- Can get more cuttings from a leaf
- Leaf cuttings do not require direct sun
Cons
- Requires patience as it takes a lot of time to grow new roots
- May fail if not planted the right way
- Since the leaves are heavy, you may require a mason jar or a heavy vase
- Requires a lot of indirect light
2. Propagating Snake Plants From Rhizome Cuttings
Want to grow new snake plants in your home from existing snake plants? You can propagate sansevieria using rhizome cuttings. The rhizome is a stem that will help new shoots called pups grow. You can grow new sansevieria plants from these pups or rhizome itself.
If you plan to propagate sansevieria cuttings using the rhizome method, you will need to slide out your snake plant from its pot onto a newspaper. Now, find the rhizomes in the soil area – rhizome is the shoot that looks like cloves of garlic. Next, you can divide the plant in half and search.
Using a sharp knife, cut the rhizomes from the base of the plant to minimize damage to the roots. Let it callous over just as you would soil cuttings. After the callous forms, plant the rhizome in a new pot and watch it grow.
Pros
- The new plant will look just like the mother plant
- Can grow multiple plants from rhizomes of one mother plant
Cons
- The soil of the parent plant can be disturbed
- Requires good succulent soil to grow roots
- It might take time to grow
3. Propagate Snake Plant Cuttings In Soil
In the soil method of propagation, you can grow multiple new sansevieria plants from sansevieria leaf cuttings when you root them into the soil. This is because you need one leaf to produce numerous new plants.
Choose a snake plant leaf with the help of a sharp knife, cut near the bottom of the leaf. Next, cut the leaf to get multiple leaf cuttings of one leaf. Let the leaf cuttings sit out for a few days to prevent the roots or leaf rotting from the soil bacteria.
Once the leaves callous over, plant them into new pots with the bottom part of the leaf in the soil. You can dip the bottom into rooting hormone and plant it into well-draining soil. Succulent soil has better success propagating new plants.
The existing plant cuttings will sprout tiny roots in a month and sprout new pups in another month.
Pros
- New pups will grow from leaves
- Single-step method
- Can mix different varieties in a single pot
Cons
- Soil has to be right- it can’t be too mushy or dry
- Leaf-cutting has to be precise
- Leaf-cutting must dry before repotting cuttings in soil
- It May not look like the mother plant
- It can take a long time to grow
4. Propagate By Division
Want to grow multiple snake plants from one mother plant? You can follow the propagation by division method and gift it to a bunch of friends challenged in gardening. Division means dividing the plant and cutting.
Gently ease your snake plant from its pot and lay it on its side. Use a newspaper underneath to avoid a mess. Now, separate the clump of roots and search for the rhizomes. Next, cut the main plant with sharp shears so that there is a clump of three rhizomes with at least one healthy leaf and a couple of roots in each of the sections.
If it is a small snake plant with not many roots growing, divide the roots in half and cut.
Now, repot each leaf cutting in soil, in individual new pots. Water a little and wait until the soil feels dry to water again. This will prevent rot and overwatering.
Pros
- Can grow multiple new plants at a time
- Once rooted, it takes very little time to propagate baby plants
- New plants look exactly like the mother plant
Cons
- Requires well developed thick roots
- Requires individual pots
- It needs good potting soil to grow roots
- The cut has to be precise
Tips For Successful Snake Plant Propagation
Propagating snake plants are pretty straightforward. You can choose the propagation process depending on your expertise with indoor plants. Snake plant propagation is the perfect choice for indoor gardening. Here are a few care tips to successfully propagate sansevieria plants at home:
The Right Pot
It would help if you had the right pot to propagate snake plants. Different snake plant propagation methods will require different pots. For example, while water propagation will need a glass vase, the soil method to propagate snake plants will require pots with good drainage facilities to avoid the roots’ rot. Terracotta pots with a drainage hole are a good option as they are porous and let the soil dry properly.
The Correct Potting Soil
You need healthy succulent soil for the snake plant cuttings to grow like the main plant. You can dip your snake plant cutting in rooting hormone for better success in propagation. Use well-draining soil so that the water does not stagnate and make the soil mushy. You can use perlite with your regular soil for better results with the roots.
Right Light
Snake plants require the right amount of light for better success with propagation. Therefore, it would be best to keep snake plant cuttings under the direct sun but keep them under the shade that gets enough bright indirect light. Roots begin to grow faster with sufficient light, or else root growth will take a bit longer.
Tools
It would help if you had a clean and sharp knife to make a clean cut while propagating snake plant leaves. The cut has to be precise and clean to get the best results of your snake plant propagation. Also, rinse the jar and the sharp knife thoroughly before cutting those babies.
Waterings
The soil should not be too dry or too wet. It would be best if you watered it right. Some propagation methods will require you to wait until the soil dries out before you can water it, while some methods will require you to keep them wet at all times. Overwatering your snake plant leaf cuttings can lead to rotting and killing it.
Temperature
Sansevieria or snake plants are indoorplants. Temperatures between 60-80°F are ideal for propagating snake plants from a snake plant cutting. However, when the temperatures get too cold, the plant may not stay fresh and might even die.
Remember to occasionally do a close search of the dirt, chop leaves above the surface prone to damage, cut edges while keeping the rooted plant intact. Check the entire plant from time to time – the root, shoot, leaves, everything!
Common Snake Plant Propagation Problems
There are many ways to propagate Sansevieria. Though easy to propagate, here are a few common problems you may run into when you propagate snake plants.
Wrong Temperature
When you propagate sansevieria, be careful with the temperatures. If the room is too cool, this houseplant cannot grow well. In rare cases, the snake plant might not be getting enough water. It can look withered and turn brown or yellow in color as the edges get dried up.
No Growth
Don’t see any new growth recently? Don’t panic or lose hope. It could be because the root is growing below the soil line, delaying the growth above the soil. Cut straight to the chase and check for root growth if your plant seems to have stalled growing.
Root Rot
If the leaves have a wet spot that spreads, your roots could be rotting. Sometimes, the leaf cuttings can recover and start growing, so don’t hurry to cut them off. Instead, ensure the water drains out from the soil before watering again to prevent root rot.
If the snake plant has started rotting, pull it out, cut away the rotten bits with a sharp knife, and remove and throw them away. Once replanted in fresh dry soil, your snake plant is ready to grow again. Don’t worry; this is just the law of nature.
Diseases And Pests
Always propagate snake plants from leaf cuttings of a healthy plant. If you propagate from a dying snake plant, your plant is vulnerable to diseases and pests. On the other hand, if you are desperate to save your snake plant, you can try propagating it, but it may not successfully grow longer or grow pups.
If there is too much humidity or moisture around the leaves, it can cause fungal disease. Keeping your leaf cuttings dry and not overwatering the base can prevent this from happening.
Get Help
If you want more help with your plants, you can join garden-related communities. Just post a photo and be prepared for some helpful tips. People will share ideas heard from others or help by linking to ready-made solutions. Take note of each comment mentioned and revert with updates. It can help others.
Check for a recently added post on how to plant snake plants. In addition, you can search through sites for details regarding water, dirt, soil surface, growth mixture to speed up the process, etc.
Snake Plant Propagation FAQs
1. How many varieties of Sansevieria plants are there?
Over 70 types of plants fall under “Sansevieria” or “snake plant”.
2. Is a snake plant toxic to animals?
If cats or dogs were to ingest the snake plant leaves, it can cause the throat and tongue to swell.
3. How long does it take snake plant cuttings to root?
Generally, it takes a few weeks to about two months. However, some varieties can even take several months before the cuttings start rooting.
It also depends on the method of propagation. For example, if you follow the division method to divide the roots in half and cut, you will notice new babies emerge within weeks.
Similarly, if you happen to propagate the cuttings in water, it will typically take you a bit longer.
4. Why is my snake plant not propagating in water?
The chances are that the snake plant requires a little longer to root. Some varieties of snake plants take more time than the others before a new leaf or fresh leaves begin to appear. If the original cutting has healthy leaves, it will propagate faster.
You have to change the water too. You can start once a week. If the room is too cold or the weather is dry, you can water it twice a week. If the water seems to turn cloudy, change the water more frequently.
When you cut the snake plant leaf, ensure you cut it as close to the soil line as possible. When you plant the leaf, do so in the same orientation as the cutting. If a mistake is made in these areas, the plant will not propagate successfully.
5. What materials do you need to propagate the snake plant?
Propagating a sansevieria plant is an easy task. All you will need is some cuttings of few inches long from a snake plant. You won’t need the entire plant for propagation.
Then, you will need a pair of clean, sharp scissors or a knife to make precise cuts, a glass vase or a Mason jar to keep the leaf cuttings in. You need little water and a lot of time before you can see new growth sprout from the cutting.
6. How do snake plants grow step by step?
Snake plants are easy to grow houseplants that hardly take any effort to propagate. The plants grow and spread by producing rhizomes. A rhizome is a small garlic-like stem that grows horizontally below the soil line.
7. Can snake plants survive without roots?
Yes, they can. Snake plants are propagated in water without the roots. You need a leaf cutting and a jar of water. In a week or a few weeks, you will see the growth of tiny roots.
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