Snake plants are resilient and require little upkeep. Several plant owners would completely disregard their requirements because they are supposed to flourish in any circumstance. So why is your snake plant wilting? Let’s find out.
A sagging snake plant is primarily caused by overwatering, insufficient sunlight, and overfertilizing. Snake plants may also topple over due to other circumstances such as changes in temperature and humidity, anthracnose, lack of sanitation, poorly drained soil, etc.
Obligation comes with having plants, which involves giving your plant the care it needs and creating ideal conditions. Snake plants don’t make many demands, but they have a few needs and expect some consideration. A few symptoms of a strained snake plant are that it will topple over.
Causes Of Falling Leaves In Snake Plant
Lack of Watering
Water overflow, inadequate watering, and improper drainage are the three leading causes of irrigation issues. The large leaves of snake plants are well recognized for storing water and enabling them to survive in arid environments.
Snake plants may become more prone to root rot if they are overwatered. Plants cannot endure moist soil for an extended period before showing signs of stress. The earliest indications are yellowed, drooping leaves.
If you think there may be a danger of root rot, you can rinse your soil with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide for two to three months.
Caution With Watering
Although going without water is wrong, the snake plant may survive for a fair amount of time. Stress can develop if you water the snake plant wrongly, for example, since you might forget to water it at the proper time. On other occasions, it doesn’t. The snake plant’s leaves will grow limp when it is under stress.
When essential, water the plant only. Wait until the soil is entirely dry; if it’s still wet. Check this by poking a finger or skewer a few inches into the ground.
Becomes Rootbound
Additionally, watch out for your snake plant getting entrapped by its roots. A plant’s growth reaches an excessive rate when it becomes rootbound. The plant’s roots are also likely growing erratically, in addition to its foliage’s likely bushy, lean appearance. It doesn’t mean you’re safe even if you establish a routine for watering your snake plant.
But they can’t expand since there isn’t enough room, so they start repeatedly encircling their pot. The roots may also entangle themselves by wrapping around one another.
Lighting Problems
Even though snake plants may thrive in different lighting, they often favor indirect sunshine.
Your snake plant’s leaves may slant toward any neighboring light source if it doesn’t get enough sunshine. The ability of the leaves to stand in their routine, upright orientation can start to wane when they are compelled to stretch toward a light source. When the snake plant’s leaves severely weaken, they will begin to tumble.
Other Affects Of Direct Sunlight
On the other hand, the leaves of your snake plant will be more vulnerable to leaf burn if exposed to inconsiderable amounts of direct sunlight. Leaf burn on snake plants often manifests as a darkening of the leaves; nonetheless, in extreme circumstances, the burn may even cause the leaves to bow and collapse.
Exposing the plant to changing temperatures is a related problem that might result in snake plant leaves toppling over. Placing your snake plant free from any form of vent, including those for heating or cooling, will help you prevent this problem. The ideal location would be a room in your house with a constant temperature and lots of indirect sunshine.
Not Enough Fertilizer or Nutrients
Beautiful plants exist. They photosynthesize by utilizing the water and sunlight we provide. However, houseplants require nutrition just like people do for healthy existence. Three nutrients, phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium, will be necessary for your indoor plants.
Although a compost pile may also provide these nutrients, fertilizer is the most effective way for a snake plant to obtain them. Snake plants don’t require frequent fertilization.
When springtime arrives, the snake plant’s active growing season, you might try fertilizing it to hasten its growth. In the summer, some indoor gardeners may fertilize their Sansevieria once more, but this is not required.
Other Signs Of Inadequate Care
Most snake plants have flat, broad leaves, especially as they get larger. A more significant problem is indicated by leaves bending or curling inward or outward.
Underwatering is frequently the main reason, similar to the preceding problem. When leaves are dehydrated over extended periods, they lose their distinctive upright form, curling inward to hold moisture. You can be positive that underwatering is the problem if it is followed by wrinkling or twisting leaves.
Leaf curl is one of the first indications of an infestation. If the issue is not resolved, problems like browning or deformity will develop. Additionally, pests, especially thrips, can result in curled leaves. Pests can be removed by brushing the leaves with a cloth after applying horticultural oil to suffocate them.
What Harm Does Falling Leaves Cause?
Falling leaves on a Sansevieria plant are a sign that there is a deeper issue with the plant.
When snake plants are overwatered, their roots swell and become desirous of the energy and nutrients that the soil provides.
Rotten roots migrate to healthy hearts, affecting the health of the plant as a whole.
Overwatering causes fungus to grow in the improperly drained soil, which destroys the roots.
How To Stop Falling Snake Plant Leaves?
Do not let the soil become soggy. It would benefit the plant greatly to water it with special care. Sansevieria needs water when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are dry to the touch. More frequent watering might be required for snake plants exposed to partial sunlight. Give the plant some water every two to three weeks, and stop after the water has entirely run through the container’s drainage hole.
For the duration of the winter, water the plant once a month. Recheck the drainage holes in the pot. Fast-draining potting soil, ordinary potting soil, coarse sand, or perlite applied to a pot one bigger size are all necessary for Sansevieria maintenance.
Be Quick To Identify Symptoms
Again, the leading cause of snake plant death is a fungus. To recognize these bacterial illnesses in your snake plant promptly and keep it alive, become familiar with the signs of plant wilt, southern blight, and red leaf spot.
Clean gardening shears should be used to cut off the rust-affected leaves, and afterward, they should be disinfected. Consequently, none of your other healthy plants will become infected with the fungal disease. You must separate your snake plant from other plants, remove all the soil from the container, and then fill it with new soil if you have southern blight.
What If Leaves Have Fallen Over Completely?
Given how tough snake plants are, fixing overwatering or illumination problems should usually be enough to make the leaves of your plant bounce back. However, if you’ve fixed the issue and the leaves still appear to be bent and twisted over, there are a few tasks you can do.
In most circumstances, maintaining the leaves erect while the plant recovers from an overwatering or lighting problem will be sufficient to encourage their growth in an upright orientation once the issue has been resolved. The worst of the sagging leaves might benefit from being pruned, as doing so will stimulate new, good leaves to emerge in their place. Alternatively, you can lay the fallen leaves against the taller leaves or use a stake to hold them up.
Steps To Revive Fallen Leaves
Step 1
If you’re growing your snake plant outside, use garden soil that naturally contains compost and sinks quickly. If you’re growing it indoors, use potting soil that soaks up quickly. Additionally, plant it where it will get dappled sunlight.
Step 2
Keep the atmosphere where your snake plant is kept just above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The leaves of this plant will fall if the temperature drops too low.
Step 3
If a plant’s leaves begin to droop, repot or relocate it. This condition is frequently caused by too much watering. It should be dug up or removed from its container, cleaned of all the old soil, and then planted in new potting soil or an outdoor location with superb drainage.
Step 4
Cutting back all falling leaves in step four will ensure that new growth is upright and that they do not resurrect after you repot the plant.
Final Thoughts
In addition to these primary difficulties, practically any obstacle can prevent growth. Plant stress can be brought on by improper watering, excessive fertilizer, too much sun exposure, insect and disease issues, etc. The plant emphasizes surviving during stressful times over expanding in size.
Examine the increasing conditions to identify the most likely source, then address each separately until the symptoms are gone.