How to care for a Sansevieria (Snake) plant

De Sansevieria komt uit de tropische gebieden van West-Afrika. Tegenwoordig wordt de plant alleen nog maar gebruikt als kamerplant, maar dat is niet altijd zo geweest. Je kunt namelijk de vezels van deze plant gebruiken om boogstrings van te maken, iets waar de Afrikanen ook achter zijn gekomen. Oh, en er is een carnavalslied over de Sansevieria gemaakt. Benieuwd? Kijk hier. 

This plant is so easy going, and with air purifying to boot we couldn't ask for more!

Sanseveria's are slightly poisonous. be careful with pets and kids. Don't let them bite the leaves as it will lead to a pretty bad tummy ache!

The Sanseveria plants are most like cacti. They need very little water. These plants can get by with almost no water for up to six! weeks. An easy way to keep track is to water only when the soil has completely dried out. Check with a wooden stick to make sure the bottom is also dry. If there's still a bit of moist down there (ahum) better wait another week. When in doubt: wait!

This one is easy. The Sanseveria doesn't really mind where you put him. This is probably why this is such a popular office plant, too! You'll find Sanseveria's decking the hallways and lobbies of fancy hotels everywhere. If you really want to make your Snake plant happy, it will prefer a lighter spot as opposed to a darker spot but they will grow just fine either way. As long as you don't put this plant somewhere with absolutely no light. That's true for all plants!

Your mother-in-law's-tongue will be in deep hibernation mode in winter. Don't we all love that! Joking aside, please don't provide any extra nutrition in fall and winter and don't overdo it in summer either. Sanseveria's can get by with no additional nutrients, too!

Is there anything difficult about this plant? We haven't found it yet because even repotting is a breeze with this guy. You can put a Sanseveria into a new pot right when you get it or wait a little longer. Typically when the plant is trying to burst out of the pot is a good time to repot. Always go for a new pot that is at least 20% larger to give your Snake plant room to grow.

Sanseveria's can't be pruned. These plants don't grow very fast and the leaves typically don't grow over 1.5m. if your Sanseveria is showing yellowing leaves you may want to cut those at the base. Additional bonus: it rarely occurs but your Sanseveria can flower if you treat it right. These flowers do cost a lot of energy so you're best to remove them when you see them.

Diseases such as aphids or vermin are very rare on a Snake Plant. if you do end up seeing something on your Snake, throw a splash of water over the area. Most critters will be washed away easily and won't come back.