If you have been keeping indoor houseplants for some time now, you might already be familiar with the common practice of misting plant leaves to ensure that they don’t dry out. Snake plants are among the easiest houseplants to maintain and care for.
However, considering their minimum water requirements, do snake plants like to be misted? Do they need additional water?
Since snake plants are desert plants accustomed to humid and hot conditions, they typically don’t like to be misted. Misting the leaves of snake plants can lead to overwatering which can result in different health problems. The leaves of these plants are used to staying dry since they receive the moisture they need from the environment’s humidity.
Overwatering is usually the main culprit why some snake plants don’t thrive, especially when new growers are taking care of them. Continue to read below to learn how to water your snake plants properly to keep them healthy.
Should You Mist Your Snake Plants?
No, you shouldn’t mist your snake plants. These plants are known for their thick leaves that allow them to store lots of water in them.
If you mist your snake plant and your house or room has a humidity of more than 60%, it might take some time before all the water evaporates. It increases the risk of your snake plant suffering from pest problems and leaf disease.
Many hobbyists probably like misting their snake plants at night just when they are also misting the rest of their houseplants. Although misting might be recommended for certain plants, it might not be a good thing for your snake plants.
The leaves of the plant will remain wet because of the water droplets that can lead to brown spots, fungus, and ultimately root rot.
Some people believe that misting helps with humidity. However, it is not that effective. If you want to try misting to increase the room’s humidity level, you will have to mist the plant every 15 minutes, something that is practically impossible.
Do Snake Plants Like Humidity?
All houseplants need the correct humidity levels for them to grow healthy and thrive. Although certain tropical houseplants like high or medium humidity levels, snake plants prefer average humidity levels.
Native in arid and dry regions, snake plants like to stay in drier conditions. This is why it is important to aim to maintain average humidity levels.
If there are extremely low humidity levels, the snake plants will lose most of their moisture during transpiration, which can then hamper the plant’s overall growth.
On the other hand, if there are high moisture levels, the droplets of water won’t dry up which can result in bacterial infection as well as other leaf diseases.
What is the Best Way to Water Snake Plants?
Snake plants often don’t need watering more than once weekly. To make sure that your snake plants receive the right amount of water, don’t forget to perform a quick soil test before you water them again.
To perform this test, just stick your finger into the topsoil at an inch to check the moisture level. You will want to allow the soil to slightly dry out first before you water it again. Your snake plant should only be watered about once a month during the winter months because this is the slow-growing season of the plant.
When watering your snake plant, always begin by touching the topsoil first to check that it is slightly moist or dry instead of damp. If the soil is damp, you should wait and test it again after another week. Add spring or distilled water to the watering can and make sure that the soil’s entire surface area is covered. You will want to water around the plant’s entire base.
Stop adding more water once you see it rising about one inch above the topsoil. Wait for 30 minutes to one hour to let the soil absorb all the water before pouring out the leftover water from the plant saucer. It is a critical step since the last thing you want is for the roots to end up sitting in standing water.
Can Snake Plants Go Without Water for a Long Time?
The specific length of time that snake plants can go without water depends on the plant variety. But many varieties of snake plants can go without water for as long as 5 to 6 weeks. It also depends on other conditions like environmental temperature, exposure to direct sunlight, and relative humidity.
Signs of Overwatered Snake Plants
Overwatering is among the most common issues you might encounter when caring for snake plants. You will often notice some telltale signs that your snake plant is already overwatered.
Browning Leaves
Browning of the snake plant’s leaves is a common sign that it is overwatered. It happens if the plant doesn’t have a consistent water routine. Browning leaves may also signal plant diseases like root rot and other bacterial or fungal diseases. These brown leaves are often soggy to the touch while looking limp and droopy.
It means that the leaves have absorbed excessive water which affects their ability to produce energy and complete critical internal processes like photosynthesis. Snake plants that already reached this stage are already beyond saving. Changing the soil and applying a good fertilizer is the best thing you can do at this point.
Yellowing or Wilting Leaves
If the leaves of your snake plants are turning yellow or wilting, you might be dealing with an overwatering problem. It is probably one of the easily detectable and common signs of overwatering. When the leaves of your plant have turned yellow, there is a possibility that root rot already occurred.
It will turn the leaves yellow, and you might notice them starting to become limp or droop when they used to be standing tall and firm. At this point, the roots no longer supply the necessary nutrients, and the plant requires new soil and fertilizer application if it still has a chance to survive.
