A snake plant, also known as a mother-in-law’s tongue, is a succulent native to Africa. It gets its name from the shape of its leaves, which are long and narrow, like a snake’s tongue. The plant is drought tolerant and can survive in low light conditions, making it an ideal houseplant.
If you grow this type of plant, you may wonder how often to water snake plant, right? After all, there is no definite answer to this because we need to consider different factors.
Keep reading until the end to learn some answers to this question!
How do snake plants store water?
Before we talk about how often to water snake plant, it’s important to know where they store water.
One thing you should know about snake plants is that they fall under succulents. Therefore, here are the things to remember about snake plants!
Snake plants can store water in their leaves, allowing them to survive for long periods without water.
- The leaves of a snake plant are thick and fleshy, which helps to hold onto water.
- The plant will often curl its leaves to prevent too much evaporation.
- When the snake plant does need to take in water, it will do so through its roots.
Snake plants are native to places with intense weather, such as Southern Asia and Africa. But to survive in this condition, they need their unique photosynthesis called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM).
This CAM process is essential to avoid water loss, especially during intense daytime temperatures.
How often to water snake plant based on some factors?
Snake plants are drought-tolerant, but it doesn’t mean they don’t need water. Their growth also requires water nutrients, but their needs depend on some factors, such as the following.
- Light
Snake plants can thrive in any lighting conditions. They can survive bright to low light, but the amount of light they get can influence their needs regarding water.
For example, snake plants that receive plenty of light need to be watered often. In contrast, those who receive low light don’t need much water.
So if you have lots of these plants in your home, you need to identify their lighting before deciding how often to water snake plant.
You should plant your snake plant in sandy and well-draining soil. If you have that kind of soil for your snake plant, then they don’t need to be watered often.
But if the soil is not well-draining, you must water your snake plant more often.
- Humidity and Temperature
Snake plants can also withstand varying humidity and temperature. But you must know that different humidity and temperature will impact your snake plant’s water needs.
Snake plants in warm temperatures will need more water than those in colder temperatures.
Snake plants located in a high-humidity place won’t need more water, while those planted in a low-humid area will demand more water. Low-humidity areas are those dry and hot places.
- Container
Like succulents, the potting container of snake plants is also a big deal regarding their watering needs.
If your snake plant is in a terracotta pot, you don’t need to water it often. This is because the pot itself can absorb moisture faster than plastic containers. If you have plastic containers, you might need to water your snake plants more often.
Likewise, if you have a pot with holes, then it won’t demand more water since it has good drainage, allowing the soil to absorb water. It’s always a must to use a pot with drainage holes.
When should you water snake plants?
You should only water your snake plant if the soil has dried out. Do not give them water if you see that the soil is still damp.
Here are other things to take note of when learning how often to water snake plants.
- During summer and spring, you need to water your snake plant more often because, in these seasons, there are high temperatures and increased lighting. This is also the point where your snake plant can grow quickly.
- During fall and winter, you can water your snake plant once a week and do it every after two or three weeks.
- If you’re unsure if it’s time to water your snake plant, always remember that it’s better to water it than to overwater.
- You can buy a moisture meter to check the dryness of the soil before watering it.
How can you tell if your snake plant is underwatered?
Here are signs that could tell you that your snake plant is underwatered.
- Crispy and brown tips
- Drying and dying leaves
- Very compact soil, which is a sign of drought
If you have these signs, be sure to water your snake plant as early as possible. After that, you need to monitor it. If the soil is very compact and dry, you might need to transfer your snake plant to fresh soil. But no worries because usually, it only needs good watering for the soil to recover.
How can you tell if your snake plant is overwatered?
Overwatering your snake plant is a risk. But if you don’t know that you overwatered them, you just need to look for some signs such as the following.
- Yellow leaves
- Mushy stems
- Soil that seems to be waterlogged
What should you do if you see these signs?
You first need to remove the snake plant from the pot and then check if it has rotted roots. You need to check it before it gets any worse and take full control of your plant’s damage.
A little knowledge takes a long way!
As you see, snake plants aren’t that sensitive regarding watering. The only thing you need to take note of is the factors that can impact the amount and frequency of watering they need.
You can list all the information here in bullet points and place it somewhere as a reminder. Remember that it’s best to underwater your snake plant than to overwater it since you don’t want rotted roots.
Now, you’re ready to take care of your snake plant!