The snake plant, Dracaena trifasciata is a great houseplant for those who love their plants to be showy and easy! It has been called many colorful names including mother-in-law’s tongue because of its shape.
The plant comes by these names due to its elongated leaves resembling a sword or, um… you know, a sharp tongue!
The snake plant is a popular houseplant that can be found all around the world. Before it made its way across the ocean, this ancient African species was used to make bowstrings. Dracaena trifasciata is important spiritual symbol in many cultures here on Earth where they believe these resilient plants have amazing healing power!
The snake plant is an excellent plant for beginners;
These plants are great for those who want to make their home smell good and look stunning. They prefer bright indirect sunlight, which makes them grow well in areas with plenty of sunshine; yet, they will still do well if placed elsewhere with much less sunlight!
You may think that you’re doing your plants a favor by giving them more water than they need, but this could actually spell disaster. Root rot is far too easy to develop when the roots get wet and stay like that for an extended period of time – so be careful!
If you forget to water your plants – the snake plant is the perfect plant for you;
When it comes to the soil, a cactus mix is the best option for a happy snake plant. These long-lived plants really aren’t picky and as long their pot has well-draining soil with drainage holes, they’ll be just fine!
The best part about snake plants is how easy they are to make more;
Snake plants are one of those easy, but often overlooked houseplants that you can take with you anywhere. I like to place them on my kitchen windowsill and propagate new babies from seed every now and then – it’s such an rewarding experience!
There are four ways to propagate snake plants, and I’ll walk you through each one so that whichever method strikes your fancy (or all at once!) can work its magic.
1. Propagate Snake Plant Babies
One of the easiest ways to propagate Dracaena trifasciata is simply taking good care of your plant. Soon enough, you’ll notice tiny pups appearing up at the base of main plant and they’re just waiting for their new home!
Some suggest pulling the entire plant to remove pups, but that’s too much fuss for me and my yard. Instead I like using a clean knife to gently slice away at new pup’s roots until it comes free from soil without harming anything else around it (including main stem).
You should let the freshly cut snake plant pup callous over for 24 hours and then place it in a new pot of cactus soil.
Place your pup or pups near an area with plenty of sun, but not directly under any windows where they will get too much heat (this could scorch them). Watch as these babies grow into full size plants!
2. Dividing Snake Plants
If you’re looking for an easy way to get more plant, then this is it. propagation by division might be the second quickest and easiest!
To divide your plants, you’ll need to remove the entire thing from its pot and shake excess soil off. Place it on a flat surface like cutting board with knife-cutters or pruning shears at base of plant stem (and the rhizomes).
Don’t be nervous about cutting into your plants, they are incredibly hardy and this won’t harm them. Let the new cuttings callous over for 24 hours before potting back in their home!
3. Propagate Leaf Cuttings In Water
You can take a steak knife, saw off the end of it and lay one long leaf onto soil. The cool thing about propagating snake plants this way is how many new growths you may get from just one leaf!
To make leaf cuttings, just slice away one large leaf at the base of your plant using a sterilized knife. Then, slice the leaf into 2-3 inches cuttings (make sure you cut horizontally). In the end, decide whether you want to plant them in soil or in water.
I know soil propagation takes a little less time, but I prefer being able to see whether or not my cuttings are actually making any new roots. Once you put your leaves in the dirt and wait for them it can be hard knowing what’s going on at ground level.
Place the leaf cuttings, upside down in a jar of water. Make sure that a third of the cutting is submerged in water in order to grow.
Inoculating the water with mycorrhizae is a great way to encourage strong and plentiful root growth.
Once you have roots at least an inch long or new pups sprouting off the old cuttings, repot them into a potting mix that is suitable for your plant.
4. Propagate Leaf Cuttings In Soil
Propagate cuttings by planting them into soil and covering half of the leaf with moist potting mix. Press down firmly so that air can escape from between your layers, then water in place thoroughly before sitting back to wait for roots!
I’m a huge advocate for using mycorrhizae when propagating. Inoculate your new cuttings and watch them grow! It may take some time, but it is well worth the wait in this case because you are guaranteed strong roots and a healthy plant. Propagation is easy but requires patience.
Propagating snake plants is a great way to gain new plants without spending any money. And, because it’s such an easy plant that anyone can care for, you will have plenty of propagated snakes for friends and family!