Snake plants are one of the most popular houseplants in America because they’re beautiful and so easy to care for.
They are also known as the Mother-in-Law’s Tongue plant, due to the tongue-like leaves. Why the mother-in-law? Well, I remind you that this is also called the snake plant…
They grow really well if given the correct conditions, but it’s not always clear how long it takes for these plants to grow. This blog post will teach you about snake plant growth rates, whether or not they need any light, what soil type is best for them, and more!
How Fast Do Snake Plants Grow?
As a slow-growing plant, I’ve found that the snake plant will grow a few inches per season. They will also grow an additional 2-4 new leaves per season. It’s important to note that your snake plant will enter dormant mode during the winter months, which means no new growth.
At the end of the day, the growth rate depends on the type of soil, the humidity levels in your home, and how much you water them with. Generally speaking, if you keep these factors consistent for each plant in your collection, then they will likely all grow at similar rates.
You could measure how quickly your plant grows by measuring monthly or quarterly increments with a ruler and keeping records. This way it would be easy to compare which plant is growing the fastest.
We will now go into how you can manipulate the growth rate of a snake plant. To be honest, you just need to do the opposite of what’s advised to halt the growth.
You Can Make a Snake Plant Grow Faster By:
Putting fertilizer on top of your soil (here’s my favorite) and making sure to water it before you place the pot back outside. This helps plants grow larger leaves faster since they have access to nutrients quicker.
Warming up your house or apartment so that there is more humidity throughout the day. Snake plants are sensitive to low humidity levels because their roots do not need as much moisture when higher humidity exists.
Growing your snake plant in a pot that is big enough for it. Snake plants are climbers and if you put them in too small of a pot, they will only grow tall and not get the width that they need to produce more leaves. This means less growth potential since their roots cannot go as deep into the soil because there isn’t room for them to develop.
Leaving your snake plant out on its patio or balcony during warmer months so that it can absorb plenty of sunlight without having to spend time indoors where it won’t receive nearly as much light.
Putting your plant near an east-facing window with indirect sun exposure (not direct) so that this cool heat-loving plant doesn’t suffer from lack of light. If you can’t give it enough light, then you can give it an LED grow light (Amazon link).
Watering your snake plant to keep the soil moist and fertilize it with a water-soluble fertilizer once per month in the spring, summer, and fall months. You can water it less often during winter months when plants are dormant. Too much water can cause snake plant root rot.
Looking for pests that might like to chew off leaves from this organic plant. If you find leaf damage on your snake plant, use neem oil as a pest deterrent.
Offering drainage holes at the bottom of its planter so that excess watering can drain away without damaging roots.
You Can Halt the Growth of a Snake Plant By:
Withholding water – You should still give your snake plant water, but delay the watering for a day or two. This will mean the plant has wait before it can keep growing.
Giving less sunlight – Just like with the water, you can halt the growing by giving your snake plant less sunlight.
Small pot – You can stop the growth rate of a snake plant by using a small plant pot that doesn’t let the roots spread.
Low humidity – Snake plants THRIVE in humid environments. So you should lower the humidity levels if you don’t want your snake plant to grow any bigger.
How Large Do Snake Plants Grow?
The average size of the snake plant is about 12 inches tall with leaves around 14-22 inches long. With that said, snake plants have been known to grow over 5 feet tall!
What Dictates the Growth Rate?
There are many factors when it comes to the growth rate of a snake plant. You can manipulate these factors to increase or decrease the growth rate of your plant.
Pot size: A smaller pot will decrease the growth rate. Conversely, a large pot with lots of soil will increase the growth rate and size.
Water: If you water your snake plant too often it can cause root rot or leaf droopiness. The water requirements of this plants depends on where you live but in general they should be watered once every week or two depending on how warm/cold their environment is and if there’s been any rain recently.
It may take time for the soil to dry out completely so make sure that you don’t over water! Make sure that when watering you do not pour too much onto one spot as this can cause root rot which will kill your houseplant! Letting excess
Light: Snake plants need bright light to grow so make sure they are placed in an area that gets plenty of natural sunlight throughout the day. Too much darkness can stunt their growth!
Humidity: The more humid the environment, the faster a snake plant will grow.
Temperature: Giving a snake plant too much heat or cold may be detrimental to their health and stunt their growth rate. It should typically stay between 65-75F degrees for optimal conditions.
Soil quality: Plants grown in good soil tend to have higher nitrogen content which helps plants grow at a faster rate than those grown in poor soil with lower levels of nitrogen. Use fertilizer if needed! I like to use worm castings on my snake plants.
Pruning: Pruning is not necessary in the beginning, but after a couple of months you may want to cut back some dead pieces from your plant.
Fertilizing: Feed them with regular fertilizer; this will help promote healthy growth and keep their leaves green!
Season: The season affects how quick your plant will grow. In fact, the snake plant does most of its growing in the spring and summer. Your plant will go dormant during the cold months, which means no growth will take place.
Pests: Pests will affect the growth rate of the plants by attacking the leaves and weakening them. If your plant is attacked by pests, place a barrier around it to prevent more attacks. Some common snake plant pests include scale insects, mealybugs, and spider mites.
Conclusion
That concludes our post on the growth rate of snake plants. To confirm, my snake plants grow a few inches every growing season. My plants go dormant when the weather is cold, so no new growth happens during the autumn and winter.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and have learned something new about snake plants.
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We offer tips on how to grow most types of indoor plants as well!
