The majority of houseplants come into their dormant phase throughout the winter months. Snake plants are no different. Because winter is the time of year when they are in their dormant state, snake plants do not produce new growth at this time. They sleep throughout this slumberous period of the year. Because of this, the maintenance schedule that you follow for your snake plant throughout the winter months will be different.
During the winter months, the three most important things that you need to watch out for with your snake plant are overwatering, over-fertilizing, and improper humidity levels. Take care not to overwater your snake plant, and put an end to providing it with fertilizer. If you strive to keep the humidity level in the area surrounding your snake plant at about the same level throughout the winter, your plant should be able to survive.
In this article, we will go deeply into the winter care that your snake plant requires, as well as what we should steer clear of doing during the colder months. So, let us get started.
The temperature of the Snake Plant
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5 Important Steps to Take When Caring for Your Snake Plant During the Winter
During the winter, the snake plant just needs a little amount of care from you. It cannot tolerate neglect. We are aware that the Christmas season has arrived, and we chose this plant specifically to provide assistance to you at this time of year.
During the winter, the snake plant can survive without water for about a month and a half and does not need any extra fertilizer during this time period.
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If, on the other hand, we want our snake plant to stay in good condition and live through the winter, we will need to pay attention to the following throughout the winter months:
Overwatering your Snake plant
- Fertilization
- Location of the Plant in the Garden
- Maintaining Humidity
- Avoiding extremes
- Location of the Plant in the Garden
Let’s have a conversation about each of these topics on the best way to maintain the health of our snake plants over the winter.
Avoid overwatering your snake plant
Snake plants are succulents that do not like to have too much water applied to them. These plants are able to endure situations of drought, but if they get an excessive amount of water, their growth will be stunted.
The leaves of the snake plant are where the plant saves water for later use. If we overwater the plant, the leaves will absorb more water than is necessary, which might cause the cells to get damaged.
The leaves of the snake plant will likewise split as a direct consequence of this.
If you ignore the overwatered snake plant for an extended period of time, it may be more willing to give up on you.
A snake plant that receives an excessive amount of water is more likely to have problems, such as a condition known as root rot and problems with pests.
Before we can begin to water our wonderful snake plants, we will need to make sure that a few things are in order.
When it is cold outside, how frequently should you water a snake plant?
It is OK to let snake plants go for about a month or so without watering them. You shouldn’t adhere to a strict schedule while you’re watering your snake plant. Instead, you should monitor the soil with a skewer or a moisture meter and you should only water the top two inches of the soil when it becomes dry. There is a correlation between overwatering and issues such as root rot and insect infestations.
Also see: Everything you need to know about taking care of your snake plant
How can we prevent ourselves from overwatering?
We are able to prevent overwatering by:
- Pick a potting soil that has good drainage, and be sure to check the texture of the ground before you water your snake plant.
- It is preferable for the ground to be dry rather than soggy.
- If the soil is already damp or wet, you should hold off on watering for a few days.
- Make sure the drainage holes are there, as well as the tray.
- If the tray is saturated with an excessive amount of water, you need to dump it.
- Do not let the snake plant remain submerged in water for an extended period of time. Establishing a regular watering schedule is of the utmost importance.
- In addition to this, we may utilize reminders or notes to assist us to retain the information.
If the snake plant is already suffering from an overwatering issue, then we may need to check for the indicators first before repotting the plant. If this is the case, then we will need to check for the signs.
If the leaves of the snake plant have become yellow or brown, then you should get rid of the leaves since the plant will struggle under the weight of the sick leaves.
When the plant is being repotted, the snake plant should be maintained in soil that has good drainage and should also include a mixture of cactus soil and compost.
Also, see the optimal soil combination for a snake plant.
Avoid adding too much fertilizer to the soil.
The development of a snake plant in a healthy manner requires the use of fertilizer.
When exactly are we supposed to fertilize our snake plant?
The feeding of snake plants must adhere to a strict schedule since the feed must be very diluted. Let’s get a better understanding of how the Snake plant gets its nutrients.
In the same way, as with any other kind of houseplant, fertilizing snake plants should only be done during the active growth season and never during the dormant period.
The snake plant enters a dormant state throughout the winter months and does not produce new growth during this time. It is thus not necessary for you to be concerned if you see that your snake plant is not developing throughout the winter. Also, refrain from fertilizing them throughout the colder months of the year.
But what kind of food should be served?
The meal should be a highly diluted form of a well-balanced slow-release fertilizer with a ratio of 10:10:10 or 20:20:20.
In addition to that, we need to take care of fertilization, and we ought to check to see that the plant is not over-fertilized.
We get things started with fertilizing throughout the spring and summer months. We cut the amount of feed we give them in half throughout the autumn, and then we stop giving them any at all during the winter.
During the winter, snake plants do not need any kind of feeding.
The snake plant’s development may become stunted and lanky if it receives an excessive amount of fertilizer. Additionally, it might cause the snake plant to catch fire at times.
It is not limited to the scenario described above since, if the snake plant is overfertilized, the diseased plant may encourage a root rot problem, which is something that we do not like to deal with.
How to prevent overfertilization?
In this section, we will talk about how to prevent the plant from being overfertilized as well as what to do if the plant has already been overfertilized.
The following will serve as the important points:
- Only apply fertilizer in the spring and summer months.
- The feed needs to be a highly diluted feed that is also a fertilizer that is well-balanced.
- It is recommended that the snake plant be fertilized with either a 10:10:10 or a 20:20:20 fertilizer.
- During the autumn, cut down the amount of feed to half.
- Avoid applying fertilizer during the cold months.
What should be done if the snake plant exhibits symptoms of having received an excessive amount of fertilizer?
In the circumstances like this, we often remove the surplus feed from the plant, and we will instruct you on how to do it.
Carefully take out the root ball from the container. Keep in mind that this is the most delicate and important scenario since we do not want to do any damage to the roots.
- Clean the root ball of any extra dirt that may be adhered to it.
- Also, get rid of any leaves or roots that don’t seem to be contributing anything beneficial to the plant.
- Maintaining the plant in a moving stream of water can help eliminate any surplus fertilizer from the plant’s roots.
- At a minimum of three times, the procedure outlined above has to be carried out.
- When the fertilizer has been removed, we will need to repot the plant into a container of some kind.
- In the event that we use the same pot, we should wash it with bleach and let it dry for an hour.
- If we are using a different pot, then it is OK and maybe replanted into a separate container.
- Compost should be added to a combination that consists of equal parts well-draining potting soil and cactus soil. The ratio should be 1 to 1.
- The root ball should be positioned in the center of the container, and some potting soil should be added around it.
- In the step that came before, use the utmost caution.
- Now, give the pot a few light taps to ensure that there are no air pockets that have developed.
- Be sure to water the plant, but avoid drowning it.
- After repotting the snake plant, wait one month before applying any fertilizer to the soil.
Hey! I’m Madhuresh, a passionate content creator, and a Plant lover. I created Shiny Plant to explore and learn about new plants. The purpose is to provide simple and effective Gardening Tips. Hope you’ll find this informative.