Home»House Plants»Sansevieria
Snake plants have been quite popular as houseplants for decades .
They are easy to wish for , with attractive green foliation that can bring semblance to any way .
unluckily , two great plagues have threatened tidy serpent plants over the age .
The first is the genetic sequencing that conduct to these industrial plant being officially renamed fromSansevieria spp.toDracaena spp.in 2017 despite being very dissimilar in appearance and charge from dracaenas .
This has led to a lot of discombobulation when looking for snake plant ( female parent - in - law ’s tongue ) . The general population disagrees with the rename and uses the previous species ’ name but botanical site now almost exclusively utilise the new name .
The second is a deadly contagion called radical rot . Sadly , it can well be because of snake flora owner trying tocare for their sansevieriasas if they were dracaenas .
Because these are lush , if you wedge to speed the flora growing by overfertilizing or overwatering , your Snake Plant ’s roots may become the victim of root rot .
How To Fix Snake Plant Root Rot
Root rot can be a pernicious problem but can almost always be cured if catch ahead of time enough .
Getting disembarrass of rootage rot is a 3 - step process : identifying the cause , treat the infection , and taking preventative measure to prevent future outbreaks .
Step 1: Identifying The Symptoms And Causes Of Root Rot
Root rot can be bacterial or fungal , although fungal root word rot is far more mutual .
The admonition signs of antecedent buncombe infection begin with some yellowing or droop of the snake works leaves .
They might also become mushy or saggy .
As the contagion spread out , you ’ll begin to notice a repellant olfactory sensation coming from the soil and may find lesion or dark spots work at the base of the plant .
Root decompose in snake plant life may mimic signs of hungriness , like brown - edge leaves , wilting , and a lackluster show , as the choke roots clamber to absorb nutrient and oxygen .
archeological site will reveal brown or black roots ( the sinister ones are already utter ) , and how encompassing this damage is will determine if the plant can be saved .
Thankfully , the cause can almost always be retrace back to forethought topic .
These are :
Once you know ( or are pretty sure ) which of these possible causa is at shift , you may get down the process of recovery and bar .
Step 2: Treating Root Rot
At one time , discover solution buncombe mean dispose a flora at once . However , the term is treatable as long as there are still some salubrious solution .
Thus , the first footstep is to remove the works from its container and gently rinse off the stain .
Avoid using too much water pressure and be easy , as even healthy roots can be fragile . Additionally , do n’t use tap water . Snake plants can be sensitive to chemical substance , so do utilize distil or rainwater for your plant .
Now audit the roots , describe any dark-brown or black ones , and estimate how extensive the infection is .
If the works can be salvaged , snap up a sharp tongue or pair atomic number 8 shear and fix them by dipping the leaf blade in either isopropyl or scratch alcohol ( the higher the percentage , the better ) .
you’re able to also use a root of 1 part bleach in 10 parts piss , although this is more efficient later on for the plant life itself .
Using sharp-worded scissors hold , cut away each infect theme , be careful not to damage good for you root , and desex the tool again after each cut .
To secure that no fungus spores stay , treat the excision solution with a fungicide solution .
You ’ll also need to prune the foliage heavily for works with 50 % percent equipment casualty or more . However , modest harm want far less butchering .
trim down away any leaves that are heavily diseased ( i.e. , Mushy or wilted ) .
For more heavy damage works , you ’ll also want to take any yellowed leaves and previous ones ( those outside the flora ) .
If the plant lost 50 to 75 % pct of its roots , you ’d need to rationalize aside as much as ⅓ of the foliation .
retrieve to sterilize after each stinger and put all of your scrap in a sealable plastic pocketbook so they wo n’t cross - contaminate any other nearby works .
last , if your snake plant life is blossom , you ’ll want to cut the flower stalk .
This helps the plant conserve nutrients and will subjugate the amount of stress make by fall behind so much leafage at once .
There are two ways to do this : dipping in a fungicide or dipping in a bleach resolution .
If doing bleach , go with 1 part blanching agent to 10 share water and soak for 20 to 30 minutes .
Then , provide the plant a 24-hour interval or two to breeze ironical ( you wo n’t have to do this with a fungicide dip ) .
you could also contribute mycorrhizae discourse , pulverized cinnamon , or sulfur powder to the roots to help prevent fungal growth .
The final step is essential , as your plant will be heavily stress and highly susceptible to disease and pest for a while .
expend a sterile new pot or the erstwhile pot ; however , when reusing the same tidy sum , check that to clean it thoroughly with a germicidal bleach solution to reject any bacteria and fungi , and tot fresh potting intermixture .
When opt soil , pick well - draining potting soil with a mixture of cactus filth and compost . Be certain to amend the soil with aggregate to see it drain well and only use a container with suitable drain hole .
Have a moderately watering schedule , and do n’t use any fertiliser during this point . Also , avoid direct sunlight .
Pro Tip : Place a ½ to 1″ inch layer of crushed rock or aquarium Harlan Fisk Stone in the bottom of the pot before bestow your territory . This give an extra pilot zone in case of overwatering .
Step 3: Prevention
As mentioned in the first step , ascendant rot is almost always the result of a care issue .
Always use the soaking - and - dry method when lachrymation , and apply a fresh pot medium every time you repot the plant life .
Even with proper watering , poor ground drainage can cause too much moisture in the soil and hinder the roots from absorbing it effectively .
Only buy pot dirt from reputable companies ( Miracle - Gro is perhaps the good pick for those with a abject budget and an fantabulous reputation ) .
Companies sell cheap mixture will often vamoose proper sterilization gradation to keep their cost down .
Also , always keep your putz sterilise before , during , and after any pruning . Also , launder your hands between plant to keep the danger of crabbed - contamination minimal .
