Snake plant watering schedule – [Quantity, Time, Interval]

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Is your snake plant losing its glamorous look or becoming lifeless?

One of the great reasons for this problem is watering mismanagement.

A snake plant, in other words, the sansevieria plant, may require less water. But a 100% vigorous state will be maintained only when you will be able to ensure the highest caring of it.

In the list of caring prospects, watering will come in the first row. The significance of proper watering is beyond description.

Little watering at a regular interval will be helpful for a snake plant’s growth. The interval may vary from time to time. Soil dryness will allude to this necessity.

You will find a vibrant snake plant or sansevieria plant if watering is accurate. If you want to acquire more procedures about watering, this article is furnished for you.

Snake Plant Watering

Snake plant watering best practices

In a nutshell, some specific directions are recommended for watering a snake plant. Despite options, these terms are supposed to be best for a snake plant watering

DirectionSphere
TimeEarly morning
FrequencySummer- Once a week.Winter- Once or twice a month according to the necessity
InstrumentWatering pot
MethodWatering below of the plant in the root zone
Water quality Clean and disease-free mineral water
Stoppage of wateringWhen soil is wet enough
Fertilizer mixingMixing is allowed when fertilizer is required

Sansevieria watering necessity 

There always remains a difference between watering and perfect watering. 

Casual watering doesn’t require any knowledge of equipment, quality, method or time. But perfect watering, that may facilitate your plant, requires these all techniques.

By assuring the most perfect watering quality and system, 

  1. you may remain sure of an undisturbed metabolism system.
  2. Proper circulation of nutrient availability will be maintained.
  3. Plant development mostly depends on it. 
  4. It is a precursor of propagation success. 
  5. The root zone will adhere to the soil that is important for fertilizer uptake.

Meanwhile, you may have gotten the points on how perfect watering will serve your plant.

Quality of water

The first and foremost factor that affects a snake plant is the water quality applied to the plant. You should notice what kind of water you are applying. 

Water temperature

Water should be at ambient temperature or room temperature. The water of very high temperature or very low temperature is deleterious for the plant’s health.

Water constituents

Water is mainly oxygen and hydrogen molecules. But a very little amount of other minerals are also present in it. So it’s better to apply mineral water rather than distilled water.

Distilled water is free from any other molecules than hydrogen and oxygen.

Purity

Maintenance of water purity should be performed so that any germs, microorganisms, dust or other kinds of irritating things can not be present in it.

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Watering indications for snake plant

If watering is inappropriate, your plant will show some syndromes. The following points will indicate that your snake plant needs water-

  • The plant parts will be wilted.
  • Leaves will lose their shine.
  • The Leaf surface will be rough.
  • Stems may be dried. 
  • The whole plant will seem to be lifeless.
Weak snake plant
Weak snake plant

How much water is needed for snake plant?

The amount of water depends on sunlight, pot size, soil properties etc. 

If the pot size is big and the sunlight is much, the amount of water will be high. If it is the opposite, less water will be needed.

Again, clay soil can hold water more than sandy soil. So clayey or silty soil will need less water than sandy soil.

In a nutshell, you have to notice the soil surface. You should water according to the wetness of the soil. 

But this wetness should not have a water-clogged situation. This is strictly prohibited. 

Snake plant watering schedule

Afflicting sunny days will dry out the soil fast and the plant system will ask for water. 

But on winter or rainy days light won’t suck much water as transpiration.

Check the common frequency or schedule of watering from the below table-

WeatherFrequency 
In hot daysOnce in 7-10 days
In rainy daysOnce a month
On cold or soothing daysOnce or twice a month
Watering Schedule of Snake Plant

Watering may have a little variance in these times according to the intensity of temperature. So water your plant keeping it in mind.

Tools to keep for perfect watering

Different kinds of watering instruments can be used. Of which watering pump, sprinklers, watering hose, watering can, garden faucets are regularly used.

How to water snake plant 

The watering method denotes the way of watering a plant. You can water your snake plant from different angles.

Watering in the soil

You can water in the soil part of the pot. Normally some diluted fertilizers are harmful to directly apply to the roots. 

In that case, those are mixed in water and the fertilizer enriched water is applied to the soil which is a little bit distant from the root zone.

Water from bottom

Watering snake plants from the bottom is allowed where fertilizer is not mixed. That means watering is done at the root zone.

Watering from Bottom
Watering from Bottom

Sprinkling in the leaves

In this case, sprinklers are used to water the plant. Water sprinkles are fallen on the leaves. 

Sprinkling in some plants or inside the house can be done by hand too.

Watering from the upper portion

Watering occurs here with an angle of 60-90° from the top of the plant. Water comes down sliding from the upper parts.

How does the watering method affect a snake plant?

It is an important matter from which direction you are watering your plant. 

The best way is to water from the bottom. Root development is facilitated in this way that helps the plant to take more water by the osmosis process.

Watering from the top may reduce water availability in the root area as you are actually watering the apical portion. But that won’t transfer accurately to roots.

Sprinkles normally increase the humidity level of the plant surroundings. It will facilitate your plant on a torrid day.

When to water snake plant?

There are some definite times of watering when the plant can absorb it more frequently. Exact timing is mandatory for food preparation too.

Perfect timing in a day

In a day, you should water your plant in the early morning. Late afternoon is also compatible. 

Plant reserves the morning watering and when sunlight is suitable, it helps to prepare food precisely.

Watering varies from season to season

The watering amount will not be the same in all seasons. In the summer season, frequent watering is needed.   

In the winter season, when the temperature is not so high, a lack of watering in a month won’t be stressful for a snake plant.

Watering at the night

It is a wrong idea to water at night. At night, sunlight is not available. In this case, plants can’t produce food.

Moreover, as the applied water is not used by the plant, it stands in the root sphere and initiates root rot. This includes leaves drooping.

Drooping Leaves
Drooping Leaves

Even if you forget about water in the day, don’t water at night.

What is the importance of the watering period in a snake plant?

The watering period affects the food preparation and plant systems.

The continuous growth of plants is also dependent on this factor. It ensures plant health and propagation systems.

Appearance after watering

When you apply pure water to maintain all the rules, you will get a fresh look at your snake plant. 

The leaves will be succulent and glossy. Leaf color will be shiny. The plant will appear as a healthy creature.

Appearance after Watering
Appearance after Watering

All over, the fruitfulness of all the methods will be visible. You won’t get any bad odor from the plant.

Indication of adequate watering from soil 

At this moment, you may have a question in mind. How can you understand that your plant needs water? Bad appearance may be seen because of fertilizer lacking, pest attack and many other things.

Shrinked Leaf
Shrinked Leaf

But what is the actual indication of water necessity? 

Well, you need not be worried. Because the answer is ready for you.

Soil color

Generally, ample watering will give a dark brown color to the soil

But when water shortage occurs, the dark color turns into pale brown or brown ash.

Dark Brown color of Soil
Dark Brown color of Soil

Soil texture

Clayey soil is perfect for snake plants. It has a stickiness or adhesive characteristic. This viscidity is protected when watering is enormous. In this case, it can hold adequate nutrients too.

But this clayey soil loses its bonding to the inter soil particles when watering is not enough. As a result, the soil pattern is deformed.

Dried portion of soil

Soil dryness can be of several forms. The upper surface becomes dried quicker than the subsurface or lower surface of the soil.

Sometimes, the subsurface may have water though the upper surface is dried. In this respect, watering will hurt the plant.

To avoid such a situation, pinch your finger to the soil and try to understand the dryness

You may also get an idea of this because when the whole of the soil will be dried, a ruptured surface may appear.

Snake plant underwatering

Snake plant problems can arise from underwatering. Some symptoms will make sure that your plant is facing underwatering.

Syndromes of underwatering 

Let’s be familiar with the syndromes of underwatering. Before taking initiatives you should identify the actual problem.

Wilting

It means losing the turgidity of a plant part or the whole part. Because of drying the sap, the leaves become dry from inside and show wilting.

snake plant wilting
Snake plant wilting

Curled tip

The apical portion of the leaves becomes curled. A dark brown spot may be seen in that tip. The twisted leaves become very weak. 

Fragile margin

An irregular shape is always seen in the whole formation of a snake plant’s leaves. But in absence of water, the margins become more shrank.

Fragile Margin
Fragile Margin

At the same time, the leaf margins seem to be torn up by someone. It becomes so brittle.

Yellowing

The brightness of the color is disappeared. The smoothness of the surface is disorganized. That’s why the glittering surface is not found.

Leaves Yellowing
Leaves Yellowing

A single region or vast area becomes pale yellow.

Leaves falling off

When the situation reaches an extreme level, leaves fall off. Leaves can not be reborn easily. 

Disorganized metabolism

The plant nutrient circulatory system faces danger. Physiological activities are not regulated as the plant needs.

Problems in food production 

Water can not be supplied to the stomata. That’s why the formation of pigments is disturbed and food production is at risk. The leaves gradually die.

Discolored Leave because of Scarcity of food
Discolored Leave because of Scarcity of food

Plant death

In extreme conditions of underwatering, plants can not survive. This imbalance leads to plant death.

Plant Death
Plant Death

It indicates the point from where the problem cannot be recovered.

How to fix it 

Water your plant when plant soil is dried. You may use a humidifier to check the soil humidity which may help you to understand when watering is needed.

Snake plant overwatering 

Besides underwatering, overwatering can also cause severe harm to your plant. 

How can you identify the problem of overwatering? Check it below.

Symptoms of overwatering 

Some signs will explain to you where the problem is. It will help you to mitigate the problem.

Brown or black spots

The leaves may start drooping off along with brown spots on them.

Brown Spots on Leaves
Brown Spots on Leaves

The consequences will be the absence of matured and shiny leaves which will destroy the beauty of foliage. 

Mold growth

The whitish mold growth can be seen because of excessive watering. This mold appears in vast areas or a single place but affects the whole plant.

Mold Growth
Mold Growth

Rotten root

A bad odor comes from the root as the root gets rotten due to a water-clogged situation.

Root Rot
Root rot of snake plant

Plant death

The final result is the destruction of the plant system. The plant fails to regulate its activities and gradually it dies.

How to fix it

Don’t water frequently as snake plants don’t require much water. Let the soil be dry properly and then water.

How long do sansevieria plants survive in imperfect watering?

The phenomenon is not so that improper watering for a few days will kill your snake plant. 

Negligence of many days will lead the plant to death or be totally devastated. On summer days, if watering is not done for more than 3-4 months, the plant will lose its turgidity. 

Wintertime will take some more time to be wilted.

Relation of watering with sunlight 

What is your opinion about the relationship between watering and sunlight? 

Somebody may think from a general point of view. That is, if sunlight is excessive, water will start to vapor more often, so watering will be needed much more than less sunlight.

On the other hand, some will try to prove the matter from scientific estimation. That will direct the transpiration system of the plant. 

If the plant faces more sunlight, the water remaining in the leaf surface will come out more than in low sunlight. In that case, watering at a high level will be required.

Basically, the point is about water constituents. Scorching sunlight will make the water of the soil change its state into vapor. That would not remain for more days.

But when sunlight is low, the soil does not dry fast. Water is supplied to the plant for several days and the water becomes available which reduces water necessity.

Thus, sunlight is interrelated to watering.

Final thoughts

Snake plant watering is an important issue if you want to decorate your house with an extraordinary plant.

The maintenance is not so tough. Even on busy days or adverse weather won’t be suppressed for a snake plant if you pay a little attention to it. 

Some basic information is enough for this. Implementation of those will make your snake plant more vibrant. Have a great gardening experience with snake plants.

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