This is for anyone wanting to be a plant mom. I'm going to tell you why snake plants are the best house plants for beginners. Your first plant baby!!
There are so many indoor plants. Some require a lot of care and some you can almost completely neglect. My all-time favorite plant has been and probably always will be the snake plant. Its scientific name is Dracaena Trifasciata or Sansevieria Trifasciata, but it is commonly known as the snake plant. There are several types of snake plants, but they all require similar care.
These plants are fantastic for beginners. They can live in almost any light condition. I have some of mine in direct sunlight, some in indirect sunlight in bedrooms and some in dark bathrooms with no windows. All of them are thriving in the different light conditions.
What you'll need:
- The plant- you could shop local or Walmart and Lowes usually have some varieties of snake plants.
- A pot- I prefer a ceramic pot with no hole in the bottom like these.
- Soil, you can get indoor plant soil most places (Walmart, Lowes, Plant shops)
- A small watering can- I have one like this. They have a tiny spout so that you don't spill outside of the pot.
Caring for your snake plants
Pot your plant and give it some water. Let it mostly dry out between waterings. Where I live, I water every 7-14 days. It depends on the weather and the season we are in. They like a decent amount of water but the easiest way to kill them is by over watering. Once the soil feels dry about one inch deep into the soil or if you notice the plant looks thirsty (wilting or not as stiff) water it again. Depending on how hot, cold, dry, or humid your environment will be is the main factor of how often you need to water your plant. Water it slowly so that the soil has time to absorb the water or else it will run out the bottom or over the top.
If you normally kill houseplants, I think that you should try these.
Make sure that you gently wipe off your plants every month or every couple months. They can't purify the air as well if they are dirty. Think of it as changing your filters. To do this, run some lukewarm water over a rag then wipe the plants off. Make sure you are gentle.
Once they get big you might need to tie them up for support.
Benefits of snake plants
They make great indoor air purifiers, being in the top ten for removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air, among other toxins. This will give your health a little boost.
They are beautiful for a minimal looking houseplant. The range they can grow is about six inches to eight feet.
Repotting your snake plants
In the beginning, it's easier for plants to get comfortable and start growing in a more crowded pot. Once your plants are growing well, sometimes they get a little too crowded and it stops them from thriving like they once were. This is when it might be time to repot. Basically, this is like when your family outgrows a home and you move somewhere bigger so that your family can thrive again. Get a slightly bigger pot and gently move your snake plant into its new pot. Once it's in the new pot, water it and in a few weeks, it should be thriving and growing again.
Propagating your plants
This will be similar for many indoor plants. The definition of propagating is to breed specimens by natural processes from the parent plant. This is super common for houseplants. You won't need to purchase many from the store as long as you are able to successfully propagate your own.
When your plant starts getting crowded it will start having "babies" which basically just means new shoots will start growing in your pot. You can either gently move these into a new pot or you could carefully separate the bigger pieces. It's very easy. Once you've done it once, you will suddenly end up with twenty plants scattered through your house.😊
*Snake plants are toxic to animals and humans when consumed.* As far as I know, touching them won't cause any harm and I have never personally had an issue. Keep this in mind if you have pets or small children.
