Snake Plant Queries | Why Is My Snake Plant Growing Outward?

by Lee Safin

Do you know what a snake plant symbolises? According to many expert gardeners,

Snake plant symbolises cleanliness and tenacity

Why is my snake plant growing outward?

Snake plants are supposed to grow in a straight upward direction. Your snake plant growing outward because of three reasons that can be associated with –

  • Young plants
  • Improper light and
  • Insufficient care

However, there can be other reasons too, based on the type of snake plant you have.  

Snake Plant Queries | Why Is My Snake Plant Growing Outward?
Snake Plant Queries | Why Is My Snake Plant Growing Outward?

Why Is My Snake Plant Growing Outward?

As we already said, Snake plants are supposed to grow in a straight upward direction. Your snake plant growing outward because of three reasons that can be associated with –

  • Young plants
  • Improper light and
  • Insufficient care

Snake plants don’t need much attention to grow like other houseplants. But that is not to say you will prevent its natural growth. Giving a favorable surrounding environment will ensure the best possible growth.

As their part of nature, snake plants grow in an upward direction. But when you notice your snake plant is expanding outward, there might be something wrong.

What Can be The Reason Behind Growing Outward?

Why Is My Snake Plant Growing Outward
Why Is My Snake Plant Growing Outward

You have already known that growing snake plants are super easy as they require less maintenance. They can even grow freely and naturally in different indoor conditions.

Young Plants

Perfect Plants Snake Plant Sansevieria Trifasciata Laurentii 16in Tall | Easy Care Houseplant | Perfect For Low To Bright Light Conditions, 6 In Grower's Pot
Perfect Plants Snake Plant Sansevieria Trifasciata Laurentii 16in Tall | Easy Care Houseplant | Perfect For Low To Bright Light Conditions, 6 In Grower's Pot

Sometimes, you can experience your snake plant is growing outward because they are young. Some small young plants may grow outward at an early age but become straight after becoming mature.

However, if you think your snake plant grows excessively outward, you can tie the leaves together. When the babies come out from the plant, you should untie them and let them grow naturally.

Improper Lighting

EZORKAS 9 Dimmable Levels Grow Light With 3 Modes Timing Function For Indoor Plants
EZORKAS 9 Dimmable Levels Grow Light With 3 Modes Timing Function For Indoor Plants

Though snake plants can grow in low light or even no-light conditions, light is necessary for them when you want proper growth.

But you don’t need to provide as much light as other houseplants need. You can simply keep them close to a window to get sufficient throughout the day. It is especially essential during the growing season and when they are in the growth stage.

Insufficient Care

Rodent Sheriff Pest Control - Ultra-Pure Peppermint Spray - Repels Mice, Raccoons, Ants, And More - Made In USA (2)
Rodent Sheriff Pest Control - Ultra-Pure Peppermint Spray - Repels Mice, Raccoons, Ants, And More - Made In USA (2)

This was the best pest control chemical specially for snake plant.

Negligence is okay for snake plants. But too much neglect may harm them as they need some care too. For example, they need water once or twice a month. You want to clean their leaves occasionally.

In addition, you need to change the pot if it becomes too dirty. Apart from that, ensure that you provide them the right amount of water at the right time (not too much nor too little).

Why Is My Snake Plant Spreading Out?

Why is my snake plant growing outward or why is my snake plant spreading out – whatever you say, the answer is same.

Snake plants will spread out when you plant them outdoors. They cope up with the condition within one or two seasons and start acting naturally like other plants.

That’s why it is better to let your snake plant grow naturally inside your house in pots. You don’t need to plant them outside as their root system is shallow. Hence, they can easily grow in small or medium-sized pots.

How Do You Straighten A Snake Plant?

How Do You Straighten A Snake Plant
How Do You Straighten A Snake Plant

When a plant gets light from all sides, it grows naturally in an upward direction. However, the reverse situation may occur as indoor plants don’t get light from all ways.

You may notice your snake plant is leaning on one side if they receive window sunlight from only one side. However, remember it doesn’t happen for all snake plants. Because there are conditions that may be associated with growing outward or leaning on one side.

To straighten your snake plant, the best thing you can do is rotate its position once in a while. It will ensure the auxin is appropriately distributed on all sides of the plant.

However, you may forget to do it because of negligence. Here you can follow a technique whenever you water the plant, give it a little quarter-turn. In this way, you can ensure you snake plant gets light in all direction.

After passing few weeks, you will notice your snake plant is starting to get straight on its own. However, as we mentioned earlier, if your snake plants are immature, you can tie them until it has babies.

Do Snake Plant Have Babies?

Do Snake Plant Have Babies?
Do Snake Plant Have Babies?

It is a common sight for a mature snake plant to have babies, often called ‘

.’ The root ball of a snake plant is where a fleshy rhizome will grow, and some tiny leaves will come out from the actual plant.

The new set of leaves will be naturally in a vertical position. After a few weeks, root structure will be developed by the new pups. You can also separate these pups if you want.

What Does A Healthy Snake Plant Look Like?

What Does A Healthy Snake Plant Look Like?
What Does A Healthy Snake Plant Look Like?

Healthy living is something we all strive for, so why not snake plants? But how do you acknowledge whether your snake plant is healthy or not?

Whether your snake is healthy or unhealthy, you can identify it by watching out for several things.

Snake plants with thick, fleshy leaves are considered healthy. Additionally, the color of the leaves should be bright and even.

An unhealthy snake plant may have brown or slightly yellow color leaves. You should cut off those leaves the moment you see them so that they can’t spread to other healthy leaves.

If your snake plant has root rot, you will notice wrinkles on its leaves. This mainly happens when you overwater it.

Can You Grow Snake Plant Through Propagation?

Yes, you can grow snake plants through propagation. For propagation, you can follow different types of methods.

No Method
1 Propagation in soil
2 Propagation in water
3 Propagation from rhizome
4 Propagation by division

Method 1 – Propagation In Soil

For this propagation process, you need to place a cutting in soil that you have removed directly from a leaf.

Method 2 – Propagation In Water

You will cut off some healthy leaves in this process and place them in a fresh, clean water pot.

Method 3 – Propagation From Rhizome

When you ensure a proper healthy environment, you can grow new snake plants from underground stems.

Method 4 – Propagation By Division

When you think your snake plant grows too much, you can divide them and grow more plants from the primary plants.

Read More – How To Grow A Snake Plant And Snake Plant Care – Expert’s Guideline

How Long Does It Take to Propagate A Snake Plant?

How Long Does It Take To Propagate A Snake Plant?
How Long Does It Take To Propagate A Snake Plant?

It almost takes 6 to 8 weeks to propagate a snake plant. However, it is the nature of snake plants to grow slowly. You can’t force them to grow as fast as other houseplants.

When you do a propagation process for your snake plant, you need to wait at least 6-8 weeks. After these periods, you will able to see its root growth.

However, the solid roots will only be visible after passing 2-3 additional weeks. Therefore, it is best to grow your snake in an appropriate light area for possible growth.

You will notice the soil line of the new snake plant from the propagation process for 5-8 weeks. You have no option but to have patience for growing snake plants from the propagation process.

You should not feel uncertainty, even if it takes more time. But sure, you follow the proper method for propagation to ensure the best possible growth.

Is It Necessary To Grow More Snake Plants?

Yes, the more you grow snake plants the more you get the opportunity to purify the air. So, its necessary to grow more snake plants in your house.

Propagation is the best method to grow snake plants with no extra penny. It is super easy too —all you need patience and the proper guidelines to grow ample snake plants.

Growing your snake plants with your own hands so much enjoyable and fun too. If you are a nature lover, it is an added benefit for you. You will create such a greenish environment in your home too.

By the way, do you know snake plants can purify your indoor air and while giving you some oxygen too? In fact, some snake plants work like air purifier machines to eliminate some airborne substances from the air.

However, don’t expect them to work like your air purifier machine as they are only tiny natural houseplants. But it is pretty sure, the more snake plant you have in your indoor, the better atmosphere you will create in your home.

Another reason you should have more snake plants to gift your friends and family these plants. When they hear you have grown them in your own, they will be surely delighted.

Read More – Does Snake Plant Purify Air? 8 Benefits of Having Snake Plant In Your House?

Conclusion

So, are you still wondering about this question: why is my snake plant growing outward? We don’t see any reason for that as we have already discussed everything about this topic. So, keep growing snake plants and enjoy a beautiful greenish environment at home.

Last update on 2023-01-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Lee Safin

Lee Safin was born near Sacramento, California on a prune growing farm. His parents were immigrants from Russia who had fled the Bolshevik Revolution. They were determined to give their children a better life than they had known. Education was the key for Lee and his siblings, so they could make their own way in the world. Lee attended five universities, where he studied plant sciences and soil technologies. He also has many years of experience in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a commercial fertilizer formulator.

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