Snake Plant Most Leaves Gone
Plant: Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
How long have you had the plant? About 3 years
Concerns:
Most of the leaves have gotten mushy and fallen off.
Light Situation:
How do you determine WHEN to water: I wait for the soil to become completely dry
Describe HOW you water: I pour in a small amount of water
What fertilizer do you use? I have never used fertilizer
When was the last time you repotted? I have not yet repotted the plant
Darryl
Thanks for the photos and your care details.
Any plant – even a snake plant – will gradually deteriorate when light is poor. If you’re going to put a snake plant far from the window but want it to survive, you want the light levels to be at least 100 FC most of the day.
But let me reframe this: if you want your snake plant to actually grow well, put it as close to your window as possible.
Once your plant receives adequate light, you will want to water it thoroughly whenever the soil is completely dry. You already have the correct “WHEN to water” – but when it’s time to water, you want to thoroughly and evenly soak the soil, not just pouring a small amount of water. This will leave dry pockets where roots will die off, and corresponding leaves will be lost.
The saying “thrives in low light” is definitely responsible for countless houseplant deaths. For best results, put your houseplants as close to your largest windows as possible – you only need to diffuse direct sun if it will shine on the plant for longer than 2 or 3 hours.
If you want to become confident with houseplant care, I think you’ll enjoy my book and online course – they’ll guide you in the right direction.
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