Not only does the snake plant have roots in history, but it is also a popular decor element for a multitude of spaces. If your snake plant has droopy leaves, it's an indication that something isn't right. There are a few common problems with snake plant care that are easily fixed and can restore your snake plant to health. 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. New growth will appear, that’s for sure. Its common name is derived from the wavy stripe pattern on its leaves. You could always toss the leaf, but why? To fix this, repot your plant in potting mix for cacti or succulents. I've rescued over-watered plants a few times that others were going to throw out and I'll explain what I've done. That’s an indication of too much water. Bring the plant into the shade to protect the upper leaves. Archived. I noticed that a lot of the root centers of the clusters have popped out of the soil, I try to re-bury them and moisten the soil to get them reconnected but they don't "take". The most common reasons are overwatering, inadequate soil drainage, lack of heat, pests or disease, poor lighting or from being rootbound. The only way to propagate variegated chimeras is by division. read my article about some of the best ways to get rid of houseplant bugs naturally. Thank you!! I noticed they are very susceptible to overwatering during humid summers, so have cut back substantially (1/2 cup every 3-4 weeks for the larger plants). Inconsistent watering is the biggest perpetrator for brown and wilting leaves in a Snake plant. Snake plants (or mother-in-law's tongue) are one of the most popular and hardy houseplants. Wow, I've never seen a snake plant *droop*. It’s a lot of leaves and I don’t know if I will be able to find enough stakes. Brown Leaves 2. this can weaken it and make it susceptible to pests. […], Your email address will not be published. At the advanced stages, leaves start wilting and the plant growth is stunted. Why Is My Snake Plant Drooping? Is it an occasional random leaf that falls over, or are a lot of leaves falling over at the same time? The plant may also seem to be suffering a slight overall decline, such as wilting or fading of the variegation in the leaves. I would use this same method of pruning, healing over, & sticking back in with the mother plant outdoors too. To kill any potential root fungus, water only with 3% hydrogen peroxide for about three months. 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. Although it’s possible that a snake plant can get too hot, it’s unlikely this is your issue if the leaves are drooping. The plants are tropical in nature, so temperatures near freezing can kill parts or all of the leaves. New York, NY. Alternatively, simply add about half perlite to regular potting soil along with a bit of compost for fertility. Hi – Info in these posts will help you out: https://www.joyusgarden.com/?s=snake+plants As to cleaning off the roots, I usually don’t do it & I’ve repotted many Snake Plants with success! I have a snake plant that is about 4 months old. Sure is Alison. Snake Plant Wilting - Knowledgebase Question. I was horrified the first time I walked into my kitchen – where my nerve plant lives – and saw the leaves limp and drooping … Finally, repotting: Is it necessary to clean off all the roots, as some have stated? Drooping Leaves. Water only when the plant needs, i.e., the soil should be dry even from within. For a healthy plant, keep temperatures above 50°F. Sometimes older leaves that get tall just happen to start leaning—the snake plant’s dense leaves aren’t necessarily the most structurally sound past a certain height! The roots become infected with a fungus and the plant slowly dies. Sometimes it’s necessary to propagate in late fall & although spring & summer are the best times, just know that SPs are very tough. Thank you! In fact, this is the primary cause of deat… I’ve received questions as to why a random leaf will fall over and what to do about it. Also, in winter, make sure the snake plant pot is not beside a hot radiator, or it may start to wilt and have droopy leaves. The snake plant is stressed out, and thus it develops droopy leaves. It’s simple – just prune and propagate. Any advice you can give would be great. Nell 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. You can read our policies here. That’s scary. While the healthy foliage should have bright to dark green color, a pale yellow coloring usually indicates some problems with growing conditions. Don’t be discouraged if your Snake Plant leaves occasionally fall over, lean, or droop over the side of the pot. In extreme, persistent infestations, you may need to treat with pyrethrin-based insecticides. It’s hot in Tucson now so I only needed to heal mine over for a day or 2. It features long, thick, upright green leaves. Do you think it’s ok for me to go ahead and just prune all the drooping leaves and focus on the new / health growth? If you’ve ever been left disappointed when one of your houseplants got sick or died, and you weren’t too sure what happened, then I can help you. Treatment. Hi Nell, I just re-potted my snake plant a month ago and only watered it that one time since but now a bunch of the leaves are started to fall over. We were visiting my in laws out of state and she gave me a snake plant but we placed it in a box in the back of the truck bed. What is happening to them? poetryman6969 on February 22, 2015: That mother in law has a sharp tongue. Too much water can cause root rot. Drooping leaves means that you are overwatering. Sansevieria are evergreen perennials that can grow anywhere from eight inches to 12 feet high. 08/21/2018. This could be another blog post and video so let’s move on. More than likely it isn’t receiving enough heat. Snake plants usually have green banded leaves, while the variety called mother-in-law's tongue typically features a yellow border. Keep in mind that the tips of these cut leaves will never regrow. Root and all. Thanks for the advice. I’m not talking about a lot of leaves here; just 1 or 2 every now and then. Huge thank you! You can cut up the leaf  into smaller sections if you’d like but I always take the route below. Why is my Snake Plant wilting? The Zeylanica (L) & Laurentii leaves after a portion of the bottoms has been cut off. You need to make sure that you take it out and keep it in some shade. Snake plant, or mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) is known as a particularly tough houseplant, tolerating neglect of watering, feeding, and low light. Last year (2018) I inherited a snake plant from my Mom that she was given when my Dad died – almost 46 years ago. I’m tickled pink to have you here! 17. 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. However, if the plant continues to die, remove it from its pot, discard of any rotted roots and leaves, and repot in fresh soil. You’ll want to take off those weak lower portions. 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. look for a place where you can put the plant closer to a heat source or a bit Nell. check out my book, Houseplants Made Easy. It happens to my larger ones every now & then. I honestly am amazed that this plant is still alive! I like to use jute string because it’s tough, inexpensive & non-obtrusive. If it’s just a random leaf drooping or falling over, that’s perfectly normal. If you’re struggling to get rid of pests on your houseplants, read my article about some of the best ways to get rid of houseplant bugs naturally. If the root ball is completely solid, you may need to tease the roots apart until they form a nice branching pattern rather than a clump before repotting. Noticed they were this way so re-potted, cleaning off the roots well first. if it’s cold outside the temperature by the window may be cooler. You’ll know something is wrong, though, when you see curled leaves on snake plants. drainage. Since western sun can be more intense, a west-facing plant will do better a few feet away from the window as well. Snake Plant's leaves drooping and curling. Drooping leaves can easily be infested with spider mites or mealy bugs. Snake plant (Sansevieria Trifasciata) has wide, upright leaves with pale green horizontal stripes. Watering can be one of the hardest skills to master when looking after houseplants. I’m here to share my experience and help you have more success and enjoyment growing plants. apowers40. Because the plant roots are harmed, it is recommended to completely destroy nematode infested plants. 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. No worries. How to Fix a Snake Plant With Drooping Leaves Step 1. 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. So, keep the plant away from air vents, open windows, or air-conditioner airflow. Question by Nancy_Agabab October 25, 1998. You can always propagate the lower leaf sections if you’d like. As is the case with other plants, pests can become a serious issue when it comes to … This is a great potting mix for your Snake plant that I have used many times with great success. I’d wait until Spring if you’re going to do a lot of pruning. I used to grow Snake Plants in my garden when I lived in Santa Barbara. Thank you for your speedy response. January 13, 2018. No worries. I don’t want to tell you what to do in this case, but propagating may be your only choice. If your plant is getting barely any light, it is possible this could be making it unhealthy and causing it to droop. Hello …… my question is what do you mean by letting the leaf heal over and how to do it? Q: My snake plants are drooping. This is good news if you find your snake plant drooping, as it’s usually an easy fix. begins, and then cut them off, or simply let them be until they die on their 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. My once lush, multi-fronded Snake Plant has lost many leaves - they've wilted or dried up and I can't imagine what happened. I’ll take you through the steps to what I do with my Snake Plants and give you a couple of options for propagation. 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. 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. Snake plant’s are similar to cacti and thus require less water than most succulents. The leaves will curl or fold in on themselves. At this point it may be difficult to tell whether a plant is wilting because of poor health, or improper water levels. That happens when you transplant a larger Snake Plant – many of the leaves droop. Submitted by The Editors on March 8, 2020 - 11:15am. Let’s take a closer look here. Snake plant is too tall and droops due to thin leaves... is it salvageable? A:Snake plant, aka mother-in-laws-tongue, belongs to the genus Sansevieria. 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. The leaves on my taller Snake Plants bend over time Monica. 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. Please help, don’t want to lose it. The leaves grow tall (some will reach 5′) so if the base cinches in, the weight of the middle and top of the leaf pulls it down. Should I cut off the drooping leaves? The middle leaves, if growing densely, are able to prop each other up. Snake Plant mania—I definitely have it. To get your snake plant back to its former glory, first let its soil dry out completely. Just make sure to put the ends that were growing out of the soil into the propagation mix; not the other end that you cut the top portions off of. If the leaves turn brown and wilt, there is the possibility that you have been overwatering. Nell, Hi Candas – It’s just like a wound on our bodies Candas. Excessive Sun. Leaf by leaf it would get very soggy/wilted. My whole plant is falling over. The snake plant is stressed out, and thus it develops droopy leaves. If your snake plant has drooping or brown leaves, you need to read this article. If you’d like to really understand how to keep all of your houseplants healthy, check out my book, Houseplants Made Easy. 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. It is because it lacks water. That happens when you transplant a larger Snake Plant – many of the leaves droop. 3.1k. Oh, I love to create so you’ll find a bit of that in the mix along with lots of videos too. I put my finger in the dirt and it feels moist, I don’t think it’s falling because it’s too dry. Why do Snake Plant Leaves droop. You’ll need a sharp pair of scissors or even a knife, which you’ll use to cut the roots one at a time. The first thing you should do is diagnose the issue. An example of healthy plants, with leaves cupped upwards toward the light. In some cases, we will overlook when to water our plants, and frequently we care for them so much that they begin to kick the bucket. With Snake Plants, I let them heal over 2 – 5 days. Close. Even snake plants require soil for their roots to get the nutrients and water they need. Snake plants are resilient and typically recover. Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), also called mother-in-law's tongue, is a common houseplant native to western Africa. Mother-in-law’s tongue cultivars grow outdoors in USDA zone 10 to 12. Often if your snake plant has one of the above problems, Hello Nell, Your options are to leave them alone until new, upright growth How much depends on how thin the bases of the leaves are. Snake Plant Overview. 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. If a lot of your Snake Plant leaves are falling over, it’s a good bet the cause is overwatering. I had them on the balcony, but now I keep them in the apartment. An architectural species, it features stiff, upright leaves that range from one to eight feet tall, depending on the variety. Any thought s to why the leaves on my snake plant are rubbery? If you notice the leaves drooping on your snake plant, it’s a clear indication that your plant is receiving a bit too much sunlight. 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!). Usually snake plants require watering only once every two to four weeks, with plants that receive more light or heat needing watering more often. Moving the plants from outdoors in could have caused some stress. 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. As your Snake Plant grows, this can happen 1 or 2 times a year. 3 years ago. Drooping and wrinkled snake plant leaves are also symptoms of an underlying issue, often the same ones that cause curling leaves. Required fields are marked *. I guess I’ll go for the propagation and pray for the best. 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? The leaves are dry and brittle. I’ve written an article which will show you how to tell when to water your houseplants. Those droopy leaves won’t stand up again straight so you can cut them off all at once or gradually. 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. In this case existing leaves. If this occurs, remove any dying leaves and allow the plant to dry out more than usual. It’s just gravitation. When it comes to drooping leaves, the issue is most often due to over -watering, believe it or not. Jennifer – Skim down the post & you’ll find out how. Another common cause for a drooping snake plant is a mix between weak drainage and overwatering. Do you have an occasional Snake Plant leaf falling over? However, if they are in bad shape, you probably can’t do anything to fix the The leaves, roots, and rhizomes (the underground horizontal stem by which they spread) all store water. Though, it can still grow in darker corners or in brighter window areas. Especially if it’s a tall leaf. 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