Snake plants are easy to propagate using leaf cuttings or as multi-stemmed plants. They tolerate light and drought conditions but should not be overwatered as this can lead to root rot.
Grow new snake plants using either soil or water by cutting leaf cuttings from existing ones using the leaf-cutting method. Be patient; rooting can take time!
Leaf Cuttings
Snake plants (Sansevieria hirta) can be easily propagated via cuttings. Leaf cuttings will root quickly in water while the roots may take more time to form in soil – this technique is ideal for propagating rare or hard-to-find Sansevieria cultivars that don’t produce seed.
Cut a leaf from an adult plant that is healthy but not overly aged using clean shears, leaving only three-inch-long and green areas unclipped from one quarter of each leaf behind. Place this cut leaf into an appropriate glass of water that’s tall enough to contain it and place in indirect lighting with warm temperatures; change its water every couple of days as roots start forming; once this happens, take out of water and plant in soil or peat moss as described below.
This method of propagation can be less costly and easier to care for than purchasing snake plants from a nursery, since you don’t need to plant them directly into soil. Unfortunately, their roots don’t grow quite as rapidly when planted in water, causing cuttings to eventually rot away – this should be avoided whenever possible as propagation by this method could potentially kill off plants from Sansevieria species altogether.
Snake plant cuttings can also be directly rooted into the soil for propagation purposes. While not as quick and easy, this method is very effective at propagating these slow-growing houseplants. Fill a pot with high quality potting mix containing perlite for drainage; make a hole and stick the cutting in an inch deep; use rooting hormone for added support (if desired), and water when the top two inches of soil become dry.
Rooted snake plants will be ready for planting within weeks and will continue to develop much like they did prior to being separated from their parent plant. Rooting this way may not produce plants with identical margins and stripes like its parents’ do; but it’s still an easy way to add more of these popular indoor plants to your collection!
Rhizome Cuttings
Snake plants grow both above and below soil, storing water in their leaves and thick stems known as rhizomes. Rhizome propagation is much quicker than taking leaf cuttings and provides a quicker path towards multiple new snake plants from one parent plant. Furthermore, you can divide your existing snake plant into sections and replant each section as more new snake plants emerge from one parent.
Start with a healthy, mature snake plant with established roots. Cut a piece of rhizome from its base using a sharp and clean knife; remove any roots attached prior to planting, as they can be detached easily with scissors. Plant in well-draining snake plant soil in a pot that gets ample sunlight before watering regularly over several days until callus forms on it and you begin watering regularly again.
Snake plant rhizomes require more regular watering than their leaves due to the large volume of moisture stored within their roots and rhizomes. Overwatering may lead to root rot; therefore it’s wise to let it dry out between watering sessions in order to regulate water intake more accurately.
As with other forms of snake plant propagation, rhizome cuttings may take time to root and produce pups; be patient. If your cutting doesn’t seem to root successfully, it could be due to multiple reasons; these could include not enough light reaching it or maybe it wasn’t planted deeply enough the first time around; failing that, perhaps your container was too small causing root rot; planting deeper may help as well – try it next time and see if that helps – Once established, transplant into larger pots for additional plants as easily. This makes an easy way of increasing your collection while providing gifts as well.
Seeds
As with other plants, snake plants can be propagated via seed. While this method requires patience and up to three months before you see any visible growth signs, it remains an effective and cost-free way of expanding your houseplant collection.
To start a seedling, select a healthy leaf from an established plant, make a V cut in it, and place it in a clean jar filled with water. Place it in an ideal lighting environment; periodically refresh its contents by rinsing out and rinsing out your jar every week or so. After several weeks, the bottom of the leaf should begin forming roots; when this occurs, transfer to another container containing potting mix for continued development.
Roots will continue to form and, within several weeks, you will be ready to plant the leaf. Similar to using the rhizome method, it’s best to use a soil mixture with perlite for drainage and air flow; snake plant roots have an affinity for soggy soil which should not overwatering cuttings.
Plant the new leaf in a pot slightly larger than its original container to give the plant the proper lighting conditions and avoid crowding too quickly. When fertilizing new snake plants, avoid doing so excessively as their sensitive nature makes fertilization ineffective.
Though you can still grow snake plants in water, potting mix provides the optimal environment. When selecting your ideal mix, ensure it drains freely but remains firm enough to hold onto its snake plants securely. Furthermore, consider including some sphagnum peat moss into your mixture as this type of moss provides essential nourishment to snake plants’ success.
Snake plants should only be divided when their rhizomes have become “root bound.” To identify this stage, take your plant out of its pot and brush away as much soil as possible from around its root mass before either repotting in a larger pot or dividing and planting the sections individually into new containers.
Division
Sansevieria (commonly referred to as snake plants, bowstring hemp plants, mother-in-law tongue and Devil’s Tongue) are low maintenance houseplants with quick growth rates that root reliably. Propagating snake plants via cuttings or division is also easy – you can share their beauty with friends and family members by growing additional plants! You can propagate these easy care succulents using both soil or water propagation methods and leaf/rhizome cuttings making them one of the easiest succulents ever grown.
Propagating snake plant through division is an ideal solution when its container has become root-bound or tight, and you wish to repot it. Simply take out the plant from its pot, shake off excess soil to expose the rhizomes underneath, lay it down on a flat surface such as a cutting board, use a sharp, sterile knife to divide into multiple sections using at least several attractive leaves and some rhizomes per cutting section, and once these cuttings have calloused over, place in new containers!
To achieve optimal results when propagating a snake plant using this method, select an attractive plant with plenty of fresh green leaves that look healthy. Plants with yellow or red hued leaves will lose their variegation once propagated.
To prepare the cutting, take care to snip off a healthy snake plant leaf close to its base and cut an upside-down V notch at its bottom edge. Allow this cutting to dry for a few days so it doesn’t rot while also lifting up its base to allow roots space to form before placing in a clean jar of water and covering 25% of its leaf surface.
Keep the jar in bright indirect lighting and mist it lightly several times each day. After several weeks, your cutting should be ready to repot in new potting mix; just be sure that its drainage system allows enough room for roots to spread out in its new container.
