Nell, Susan – It sounds like the soil is too wet. If your watering regime seems to be in check, it could Sure is Alison. I would use this same method of pruning, healing over, & sticking back in with the mother plant outdoors too. Any thought s to why the leaves on my snake plant are rubbery? Although snake plants are extremely hardy and grow well without being exposed to direct sunlight, extended absence from bright light or exposure to intense direct light cause leaves to fall over. A great method if you want to give it away! apowers40. I previously had a snake plant and it died over the course of 9 months. What you can see, though, is the result of the infestation. Snake plants are hardy, … Cut the leaf all the way down to the soil line. Causes The causes of leaf yellowing in snake plants are environmental. The middle leaves, if growing densely, are able to prop each other up. Moving the plants from outdoors in could have caused some stress. In extreme, persistent infestations, you may need to treat with pyrethrin-based insecticides. Drooping leaves can easily be infested with spider mites or mealy bugs. Instead of simply carving the mass into a smaller root ball, carefully tease the roots apart, trimming entire chunks of root off where needed until the root system has room to move and branches outward. To trim the roots (whether for putting back in the same pot, or to fix a constricted root ball before repotting) remove the plant and lay it carefully on its side. An architectural species, it features stiff, upright leaves that range from one to eight feet tall, depending on the variety. A. The causes of leaf yellowing in snake plants are environmental. I do have some drooping leaves – quite a lot, actually, but since re-potting, I’m starting to also see some very healthy new growth. However, you can still propagate snake plants using leaves, as they remain unaffected. It features long, thick, upright green leaves. However, because it is a succulent and stores water in its leaves, it does require a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining potting soil. you may be able to revive them to some extent by following the tips above. Nell. Enjoy your stay at Smart Garden Guide. One way to tell if soil isn’t well drained enough is that when you water, you should immediately see water coming out the bottom drainage holes. Snake Plant Overview. That’s scary. I cut the bottom 5 – 10″ off of the leaves. When repotting, remove as much of the existing soil as you can and ensure that you use a large enough pot (see below). Jennifer – Skim down the post & you’ll find out how. A snake plant does not need frequent watering, especially if you are living in a cold climate or if you have kept the pot in an air conditioned room. Close. You might have to tie your leaf to the stake to keep it anchored; depending on how tall & heavy it is. The roots become infected with a fungus and the plant slowly dies. In this case I’ve written an article which will show you how to tell when to water your houseplants. The way I do it is to put the leaf back in the pot with the mother plant; the one it came out of. All are in deeper pots. Curling leaves on a Snake Plant could mean one of many things. Either way, you’ll probably need to stake the leaf so it stays standing while the roots form & it’s able to stay upright on its own. Do I need to cut all the leaves and start over? Often, gardeners react quickly and throw on an extra pour or two of water in the hopes that the leaves will perk up. I was horrified the first time I walked into my kitchen – where my nerve plant lives – and saw the leaves limp and drooping … The snake plant is a hardy plant that grows great indoors and outdoors. In addition to the curling leaves… How to Fix a Snake Plant With Drooping Leaves Step 1. To get your snake plant back to its former glory, first let its soil dry out completely. Do you have an occasional Snake Plant leaf falling over? © 2021 Joy Us Garden | Care, Propagation, and Pruning About | Contact | PRIVACY POLICYDesign By Viva la Violet, Mother Nature Inspired Christmas Ornaments, « 5 Reasons Why I’m Not Surprised Millennials Love Houseplants, An Easy Home Decor DIY Using Air Plants ». I’ll take you through the steps to what I do with my Snake Plants and give you a couple of options for propagation. I put my finger in the dirt and it feels moist, I don’t think it’s falling because it’s too dry. Alternatively, you can use curtains, sticks, or other obstacles to partially block the sun, gradually exposing the plant to more and more light each day without needing to move it around. A:Snake plant, aka mother-in-laws-tongue, belongs to the genus Sansevieria. You can also put it in a separate pot filled with succulents & cactus or propagation mix if you’d like. No worries. Comment document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ae50f3129970805bd4b071f1fa850ee8" );document.getElementById("a292d2ebd9").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I’m Nell, and this is where I celebrate all things garden and share my passion for plants, flowers and the great outdoors. As you can see, around the edges of the tip, the color and stiffness of the leaf/stem changed. poetryman6969 on February 22, 2015: That mother in law has a sharp tongue. I’ve found that the outer leaves are the ones that fall over. Now I know it’s just part of their life cycle. Most succulents need less watering than your typical houseplant and the snake plant is no exception, normally thriving in hot, dry areas of the West African tropics. Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), also called mother-in-law's tongue, is a common houseplant native to western Africa. Watering can be one of the hardest skills to master when looking after houseplants. However, they do much better in partial sun. I’m just worried if i start to propagate a bunch of the leaves now in November that the plant won’t survive as opposed to waiting until the spring. Leaves shrinking is one of the most well-known issues for indoor plants. Just go easy on the liquid love – you don’t want to over water a Snake Plant. For a healthy plant, keep temperatures above 50°F. I like to use jute string because it’s tough, inexpensive & non-obtrusive. Its common name is derived from the wavy stripe pattern on its leaves. 3.1k. You can prune them off & propagate them in a light mix. Drooping leaves means that you are overwatering. You can read our policies here. I do not water it, because a snake plant outdoors doesn't need anything more than rain to sustain it. Hello …… my question is what do you mean by letting the leaf heal over and how to do it? When we got home two of the three leaves are bent about halfway down. Hello Nell, Hi Toni – “Rubbery” to me indicates soft. Nell. Unfortunately this is the way of Snake plants. There are a few common problems with snake plant care that are easily fixed and can restore your snake plant to health. Because the plant roots are harmed, it is recommended to completely destroy nematode infested plants. It happens to my larger ones every now & then. Question by Nancy_Agabab October 25, 1998. Chimeras can't be propagated via leaf cuttings as with normal snake plants because the new plants will lose their coloring, turning into all-green versions. A guide to caring for succulents indoors. Inadequate Soil And Drainage. Active 27 days ago. One plant has dark, strong (not soft) but “tight” leaves that fold in half (one curls inward), with very visible vertical veining. Like its name suggests, snake plants have spiky, glossy leaves that extend into the air. Be sure to make clean cuts straight across. I’d wait until Spring if you’re going to do a lot of pruning. Drooping and wrinkled snake plant leaves are also symptoms of an underlying issue, often the same ones that cause curling leaves. Nell. To fix this, repot your plant in potting mix for cacti or succulents. Mother-in-law’s tongue cultivars grow outdoors in USDA zone 10 to 12. I’m tickled pink to have you here! It’s best to wait for new, healthy growth to come in before cutting off the old leaves, as this will ensure your plant will be back to full health much sooner. If the soil is absorbing a lot of water even after you’ve poured a cup or so in, this is usually a sign that you need better drainage. Follow the above tips for bringing your drooping snake plant back to health and you shouldn’t have problems with it ever again. They make great indoor plants since they soak up lots of sunshine and don’t need a lot of watering. Although snake plants don’t require repotting as often as other plants and will be fine rootbound to some extent, when it gets really bad they may become unhealthy and droop. I’ve received questions as to why a random leaf will fall over and what to do about it. I honestly am amazed that this plant is still alive! When leaves are uniformly green, open, upright and growing vigorously, your plants are well-cared for and healthy. Noticed they were this way so re-potted, cleaning off the roots well first. Thank you! With Snake Plants, I let them heal over 2 – 5 days. A lack of water will cause the plant to dry out, with the leaves turning yellow from the tips downward. ... or is this the type of plant that generally would require that boost in order to successfully take root? Solution: If you have been bearing with us and have read this far, you know everything there is to know about the snake plant leaves drooping. That happens when you transplant a larger Snake Plant – many of the leaves droop. Wilting matched by extreme yellowing means your snake plant is receiving excessive sunlight. Excessive Sun. (Photo by Nico Escondido) Wilting/ drooping leaves are most commonly a sign of problems with water and/or nutrients. existing leaves. Q: My snake plants are drooping. This is good news if you find your snake plant drooping, as it’s usually an easy fix. In fact, lack of water, low humidity, drafts or high temperatures, and exposure to direct sunlight are the most common reasons that this plant doesn’t thrive. For example, fungus gnats (fruit fly-like insects that come out of the soil from their larval form) may attack your plant if it is overwatered and/or has poor drainage. If the leaves turn brown and wilt, there is the possibility that you have been overwatering. Drooping Leaves. At this point it may be difficult to tell whether a plant is wilting because of poor health, or improper water levels. The plants are tropical in nature, so temperatures near freezing can kill parts or all of the leaves. be that the soil is simply holding too much water and doesn’t have adequate The most common reasons are overwatering, inadequate soil drainage, lack of heat, pests or disease, poor lighting or from being rootbound. This can be checked … A comment from Lindasilklemoine. Step 3. My Laurentii recently had a few leaves fall (very late Nov) over so I cut them off, healed them over for 2 days & planted them back in the pot. I’d wait until Spring if you’re going to do a lot of pruning. Nell, Hi Candas – It’s just like a wound on our bodies Candas. The best solution that has worked for me, is to buy a narrow but deep pot and plant it down in the pot--about half-way down--do not cover any of the stems, but allow the sides of the pot to offer support. It’s simple – just prune and propagate. If you’re dealing with curling, drooping or wrinkled leaves, read … Snake Plant Leaves Curling, Drooping, Wrinkling – Causes & Solutions read more » The leaves, roots, and rhizomes (the underground horizontal stem by which they spread) all store water. Article bySouthern Gardening Gal: Grow a Backyard You Love 3.1k I cannot tell if I was over or underwatering it. While other issues such as pests and diseases may be a cause, watering inconsistently should be your first assessment as a gardener and plant … check out my book, Houseplants Made Easy. Viewed 34 times 1. Thank you!! Why Is My Snake Plant Drooping? The snake plant is stressed out, and thus it develops droopy leaves. Although they can tolerate up to 8 hours or more of light per day, all-day direct light in a south-facing window may be too much for snake plants, however, also causing their leaves to droop. I’m here to share my experience and help you have more success and enjoyment growing plants. This is a great potting mix for your Snake plant. By the way, I’ve let leaves heal over for a month or so & they’ve propagated just fine. (On the other hand, all my cylindrical snakes are doing superwell.) This is a great potting mix for your Snake plant that I have used many times with great success. If this occurs, remove any dying leaves and allow the plant to dry out more than usual. I've rescued over-watered plants a few times that others were going to throw out and I'll explain what I've done. If your plant is getting barely any light, it is possible this could be making it unhealthy and causing it to droop. In severe cases of root rot, you may need to repot the plant (see below tip), removing any mushy or dead roots. The goal is to break up the clump of roots to make it look more like how you would envision a normal root mass. You can cut up the leaf into smaller sections if you’d like but I always take the route below. This could be another blog post and video so let’s move on. The leaves of the snake plant are straight and regal, growing nearly as tall as three feet (1 m.) in some varieties. Common problems with Snake Plants Leaves curling or falling over. The snake plant is stressed out, and thus it develops droopy leaves. The leaves seem mushy and squashy. Nell Your cost for the products will be no higher but Joy Us garden receives a small commission. I can't guarantee success as it depends on how long the plant's roots were left in wet soil and how badly rotted the roots are. One of the most common problems with houseplants is that they become rootbound without occasional repotting or root trimming. Dying Snake plants can also house fungus gnats that are the larva of fruit fly-like insects that come out of soggy soil. Another common cause for a drooping snake plant is a mix between weak drainage and overwatering. Unlike root rot, brown and wilting leaves are visible and hard to miss! I've tried repotting in deeper in the soil and this doesn't seem to help. Because it was happening to 2 of mine, I thought it was time to strike while the iron’s hot and fess up just in case you were wondering. read my article about some of the best ways to get rid of houseplant bugs naturally. You’ll need a sharp pair of scissors or even a knife, which you’ll use to cut the roots one at a time. It’s a lot of leaves and I don’t know if I will be able to find enough stakes. Either way, I let the mix stay dry & for 3-5 days after which time I water it. I guess I’ll go for the propagation and pray for the best. my snake plant leaves bend over and are droopy, is the only word I can think for it. own as new growth takes over. January 13, 2018. You're sure it's a snake plant, not like a corn plant (I believe it's a Dracaena but too lazy to look it up) or something else? Feb 16, 2017 - You may know mother-in-law plant as snake plant, appropriately nicknamed for its tall, slender, upright leaves. Very tightly bound roots can also lead to girdling (the roots strangle themselves), rot and other disease issues and can prevent the plant from “breathing” properly (plant roots need air too!). You can find this plant, more houseplants and lots of info in our simple and easy to digest houseplant care guide: Keep Your Houseplants Alive.