How to Re-Pot a Snake Plant? (+ Tips to Grow Faster)

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Are you a newbie gardener? Then you must be fed up scrolling through the list of the best plants for your garden. Well, what can be better than a snake plant which requires the least of your attention and comes with a tendency to survive in extreme conditions?

The snake plant, or Sansevieria, is also commonly known as Snake’s tongue. It is an expert in tolerating dry and low light conditions, thus growing and thriving easily. Not to forget the beauty and serenity it adds to your home as an interior plant.

So, if you are up for having a snake plant in your garden, you must be ready to repot it at least once in two years. There could be many reasons why you should repot the snake plant, with uneven and excessive growth being the first.

However, if you have no clue about repotting a snake plant, worry not. Here we have given you a step-by-step guide (with pictures) on re-pot a snake plant. Besides, you can also find tips to grow snake plants faster to make your home flourish with them.

How to Know It’s Time to Repot the Snake Plant?

It is a question crossing the minds of many gardeners. You might also wonder when is the right time to re-pot the snake plants. Well, a few signs indicate the snake plants need re-potting, which you must identify and do needful.

1. A Cracking Pot

A Cracking Pot
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If you notice that the pots you have planted snake plants in are cracking, you must know it is time to re-pot them. The cracking of pots is an indication of vigorous growth, which mainly occurs when the plant faces extreme conditions.

A vigorously growing snake plant needs more space than a confined pot. The rhizomes begin spreading outwards beyond the pot and cause it to crack. If the pots crack open, your snake plants may not thrive well due to the outward spreading of roots and excessive moisture loss. Hence, you must repot them.

2. Outgrown Roots

Outgrown Roots
Image Source: bloomingbackyard

It is another sign you must pay heed to. When the roots start outgrowing the pot’s drainage holes, it indicates a lack of space for the roots to grow inside the pot. In such a case, the snake plant becomes overcrowded.

When overcrowding occurs, the plant might struggle for moisture and nutrients, which may lead to diminished growth. In the worst cases, the plant may perish. Hence, you must get rid of the overcrowding by re-potting the plant.

3. Increased Number of Pups

Increased Number of Pups
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Pups are the other name for shoots through which the snake plants propagate. Several times, you might encounter pups growing out of the soil near the snake plant, which is normal.

However, when the pups grow in excess, they are a sign the plant will eventually grow to crowd the pot. Hence, to prevent this, the pups must be re-potted to grow into new plants. However, you must only remove the pups with enough roots to survive separately.

4. A Quick Draining Soil

A Quick Draining Soil
Image Source: bloomingbackyard

Another sign your snake plant needs re-potting is if its soil drains quickly. There could be various reasons behind a quick draining soil. The soil you planted your snake plant in may be of poor quality, or the roots of the plant might have grown in excess, leaving no space for the soil.

Hence, the soil can no longer hold water and drains quickly. It might be a reason behind the stunted growth of the snake plants. Hence, you must consider this sign and re-pot the snake plant.

Read More About: Try These 9 DIY Gardening Tools to Save Money

Steps to Re-Pot Snake Plant

Now that you know when it is the right time to re-pot the snake plant, you can follow a step-by-step guide to do the job.

Step 1. Soil Preparation

Soil Preparation
Image Source: theheirloomlady

The first and foremost step for re-potting the snake plant is soil preparation. If you are planting the snake plant in a pot, it must have soil far different from the garden soil. Snake plants prefer coarse and well-draining soil.

It is because the snake plant is succulent and holds water in its leaves, thus surviving arid conditions for some days. However, excess water in the roots causes them to rot. Hence, well-draining soil is a must.

You can prepare the soil by mixing river sand with a standard potting mix. A potting mix of high-quality makes well-draining soil a must for snake plants.

Step 2. Plant Removal

Plant Removal
Image Source: cs.m.wikipedia

Now it is time to remove the plant from the previous pot. In order to do this, you must quit watering the snake plant for some days. You can squeeze out the plant from the pot and remove it by turning it upside down.

Now is the right time to check for any poor-quality soil or pest infection associated with the roots. After removing those, you can clean the roots with water.

Step 3. Pups Removal

Pups Removal
Image Source: bloomingbackyard

As excessive growth of pups is also a reason you might be re-potting your snake plant. Hence, you must ensure to separate them from the parent plant while re-potting. However, you must remove only those pups with a well-grown root system.

You must check for pups with rhizomes and cut them off with a knife from the parent plant. With their root system, the pups can grow separately into new snake plants. However, the ones lacking it still need nutrients from the parent plant.

Step 4. Pot Filling

Pot Filling
Image Source: aliexpress

Now is the time you must fill the pot with the prepared soil. You must fill the pot only one-third and check for large drainage holes, so the soil stays on the pot. The soil must be airy and non-compact while filling.

Step 5. Plant Replanting

Plant Replanting
Image Source: bloomingbackyard

After filling the pot to one-third, you must replant the snake plant. To do so, you must place the plant in the centre. Once established, you must fill the pot with extra soil around the roots.

After replanting with a slight press on the soil, you must water the plant immediately. The re-potting would be done then, and you can place the pot in indirect sunlight at your home.

Do Checkout: Potting Soil vs Garden Soil – Most Common Differences

Tips for Growing Snake Plants Faster

Now that you have re-potted the snake plant, you might want it to grow faster into a full-fledged plant. Here are the tips you can follow to serve the purpose.

1. Fulfill the Water Requirement

 Providing the right amount for snake plants is a must. Underwatering or overwatering may damage the plant with a crisis of nutrients in the former and root rots in the latter. You must also make arrangements for draining excess water off the soil.

2. Choose the Right Pot Size

 You must choose a pot of the appropriate size to enhance the growth of snake plants. Though snake plants prefer small pots, you must check for overcrowding of the plant and go for a larger size while re-potting it.

3. Provide Appropriate Sunlight

Sunlight is also a basic requirement center a snake plant to grow faster. You must ensure to provide the snake plants with bright and indirect sunlight. Natural sunlight is preferable. However, you may use a grow light during winter when there might be a lack of natural sunlight.

4. Please Get Rid of Pests

 Pests may diminish the growth of your snake plants and eventually kill them. Hence, you must keep checking for pest infections and insect webs and remove them as soon as possible to ensure the proper growth of the snake plant. Tiny white insects are common in the case of snake plants.

5. Add Fertilizers

There might be times when the plants lack nutrition due to unhealthy soil. Hence, you must keep fertilizing the soil for your snake plants to grow faster. You can repeat the process every 4-6 weeks.

FAQ’s

What can be the reason behind the stunted growth of snake plants?

A poor-quality soil, lack of water and nutrients, and overcrowding are the reasons behind the stunted growth of snake plants.

How to enhance the growth of snake plant roots?

A proper root care regime can enhance its growth. You can look for rots and dead roots and remove them before they affect the plant.

What is the correct size of pots for snake plants?

While re-potting the snake plants, you must choose a pot one or two sizes bigger than the previous pot to avoid overcrowding.

When is the most appropriate soil type for snake plants?

A well-draining and coarse soil are the most appropriate for snake plants.

How to deal with pups when re-potting snake plants?

You can cut off the pups with grown roots from the parent plant and plant them separately.

Conclusion

Snake plants are great survivors and the best choice for a beginner at gardening. However, it reaches a phase in a couple of years or two when it requires re-potting. There are various signs to identify the right time to re-pot the snake plants. Hence, you can follow this guide to re-pot your snake plant and help them grow faster.

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