A thirsty snake plant shows wrinkly, curling, browning leaves, and its soil may be so dry they seem baked.
If your snake plant is dehydrated, give it a thorough, deep watering and allow all excess water to run off. Your plant should revive shortly.
Their native environment, tropical East Africa, thrives in great heat and low water settings. For this reason, they are well known as easy-care house plants.
If your snake plant is thirsty, it will exhibit the same symptoms as other thirsty plants. The leaves will begin to shrivel and wrinkle. If neglect continues, the leaves will dry out and turn brown.
Eventually, the dead leaves will crumble and fall over. However, even when this happens, the roots of the rugged snake plant may persist beneath the baked soil.
Snake plants, also known as mother-in-law’s tongue or sansevieria, are one of the most popular houseplants due to their hardiness and low maintenance needs. However, while snake plants are drought tolerant, they still require some water to thrive. Learning to recognize when your snake plant is thirsty ensures you keep it in optimal health.
How Often Should You Water a Snake Plant?
Snake plants prefer a thorough watering when the top inch or two of soil becomes completely dry. During the active growing period of spring through fall, this usually means watering a snake plant every 2-3 weeks. In the winter when growth slows, you can often go 4-6 weeks between waterings.
Rather than sticking to a set schedule, observing the plant itself and feeling the soil gives the best gauge of when to water a snake plant. The soil type, sunlight exposure, humidity, airflow, plant size and other factors impact how quickly soil dries out. Let your plant’s signals guide you to keep it hydrated but never waterlogged.
7 Signs Your Snake Plant Needs Water
With experience caring for snake plants, you’ll soon learn to read the body language of your plant Here are 7 signs that indicate it’s time to give your snake plant a good drink
1. Dry and Shrunken Leaves
Healthy snake plant leaves are thick, firm and rigid Dehydrated leaves often appear shriveled or puckered and feel dry and brittle rather than plump The leaves may curl inward or droop down attempting to conserve any moisture they can.
2. Soil Feels Dry
The most obvious indicator your snake plant needs water is that the soil is dry. Check by inserting your finger into the soil. If the top few inches are completely dry, it’s time to water. You can also use a moisture probe for an even better read.
3. Leaf Tips Browning
When underwatered, you’ll notice the tips of the snake plant leaves turn brown. This browning starts at the ends and may progress down the leaf edges as well. It’s the plant’s way of signaling it urgently needs a drink.
4. Few New Leaves
Adequate water encourages new growth and leaf formation. If your snake plant isn’t putting out many new leaves, lack of water may be the culprit. Give it a thorough soaking and see if new growth appears.
5. Dry Air
Snake plants kept in dry environments need more frequent watering. Low humidity leads to faster moisture loss from the leaves and soil. Mist the leaves occasionally or use a humidifier to supplement humidity.
6. Rootbound
Once the snake plant roots fill its container, it dries out faster and needs more watering. Check if it’s time to repot into a larger container to allow more soil to hold moisture.
7. Light or Shrunken Leaves
Dehydration causes the leaves to become smaller and lighter green over time. If your snake plant has leaves that seem undersized or pale, increase water to plump them up.
How to Water Your Snake Plant
When those signals indicate it’s time to water, give your snake plant a thorough soaking until water drains freely from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Follow these tips for watering snake plants:
- Water early in the day to allow the leaves time to dry completely before night.
- Remove any saucers and place the potted plant in your sink or tub. This catches all drainage water.
- Pour water slowly into the pot, giving it time to soak into the soil.
- Add enough water so that it drains freely from the base of the pot.
- Allow all excess water to drain fully before returning the plant to its saucer and location.
- Only water again once the top few inches of soil have dried out.
- In winter when growth is minimal, allow even longer intervals between watering.
Problems Caused by Overwatering
While underwatering causes snake plants to have dry, shriveled leaves, overwatering can be even more detrimental. Too much moisture results in:
- Soft, mushy, translucent leaves
- Leaves drooping and collapsing
- Wilting or rotting stems
- Foul odors from rotting roots and leaves
- Mold, fungus gnats, root rot
To treat an overwatered snake plant, stop watering and move it to a warmer spot with plenty of air circulation. Remove any diseased leaves and trim off damaged roots before repotting it in fresh, dry soil. With less frequent watering, it may recover and resume growth.
Achieving the Right Balance
Learning the ideal watering rhythm for your specific snake plant requires paying attention and getting to know your plant. With time and experience, you’ll easily read when it needs that next drink. Maintain that balance by watering thoroughly only when your snake plant shows signs of thirst. Then allow the soil to dry before repeating the cycle. By tuning in to what your plant tells you, you’ll keep your snake plant hydrated and flourishing.
How Can You Keep Snake Plants From Drying Out?
Continue to provide your plant with the right amount of water by using the soak-and-dry method of watering. Then, when the soil is almost entirely dry, give your plant a good soaking.
The plant will take up the water it needs and store it in its succulent leaves. This will let the leaves stay nice, even when the soil is nearly dry.
Take care not to overwater snake plants with frequent, small drinks because this will lead to root rot. Instead, your goal is to give the plant a deep drink before it needs it.
The leaves should always be upright and display the desired shades and coloration for the type of sansevieria you have. Avoid having leaves that are:
- Slow-growing:Healthy sansevieria should grow tall and strong fairly quickly. The plant should also produce many offsets to get the right water, nourishment, light, and warmth.
- Brown:Depending upon the type of sansevieria you have, healthy leaves may be grayish-green, deep green, bright green, and marked with streaks of bright yellow, orange, or cream colors. But they should never be brown. Brown tips or segments mean thirst.
- Wrinkled:If the plants’ leaves are wrinkled, lack of water has started to damage the plant.
- Droopy:Healthy sansevieria leaves should always be upright.
- Crunchy: Sansevieria leaves should always be slightly flexible, never dry, and crunchy.
- Fallen:When healthy, the leaves of this plant will stand for years. It is unusual for sansevieria leaves to die of natural causes.
- Curled:Again, sansevieria should always have tall, upright leaves, never curly.
In addition to establishing a regular soak and dry watering schedule, you should give your healthy snake plant a monthly feeding of half-strength, water-soluble fertilizer during the growing season (spring and summer). Don’t fertilize in the autumn and winter.
Mist your snake plant daily between waterings to keep humidity high around the plant and help prevent dehydration.
What Can You Do For A Dehydrated Sansevieria?
When your snake plant shows signs of thirst (or even if it appears dead), you’ll need to give the soil a good soaking.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Place the pot into a container of lukewarm water and allow it to sit for at least 15 or 20 minutes.
- Check to ensure that the soil is completely soaked.
- Place the plant in a position that allows excess water to run off.
If your sansevieria is only beginning to show signs of thirst, it should perk up and look better within the hour.
If it seems to be dead, be patient. It may show signs of new growth within a couple of weeks.
TIP: If your plant has wrinkled leaves, they will plump once it’s watered. If the leaves are damaged and brown or appear dead, remove them with a sharp, sterile tool. Those leaves will not recover.
Water Your Snake Plant (Sansevieria) Properly
FAQ
What does an underwatered snake plant look like?
An underwatered snake plant will exhibit several signs of dehydration, including wrinkled, curling, or drooping leaves, as well as dry, crispy foliage. The soil will also be dry and hard, and may be light in color.
How can you tell if a snake plant is overwatered?
Too much water and a snake plant’s leaves can turn yellow and mushy, too little and the tips can turn brown.Aug 16, 2024
How long can a snake plant go without water?
Snake plants are known for their drought tolerance and can typically go two to three weeks without water in optimal conditions. However, they can survive for even longer periods, especially during winter or in low-light conditions.
How often should I put water in a snake plant?
Watering: Don’t forget to water your snake plant at least every two weeks, or whenever the top two inches of soil feel dry to the touch. But remember, not too much, you want to avoid letting that water sit there for too long as it could cause root rot.