Where to put a snake plant so it actually grows

A snake plant is the one everybody gets given, and it is the one that survives being forgotten in a hallway for two years. Surviving and growing are different things though, and if yours has sat there doing nothing since you got it, the spot is usually the reason rather than anything you have done wrong.

The light it actually wants

Snake plants get sold as low light plants and that is only half true. They will live in low light, which is why they end up in offices and hallways, and they put on almost no new growth in there. Medium to bright indirect light is where they actually grow, so think a few metres back from a bright window, or right beside a window that does not cop direct sun.

An east facing room is close to ideal, because it gets a couple of hours of soft morning sun and nothing harsh later on. West and north facing windows work too as long as there is a sheer curtain taking the edge off.

Not the windowsill in summer

Direct summer sun through glass will scorch the leaves and leave pale bleached patches that never go back to green. The plant wants to be near the light rather than in it, so pull it back off the sill by a metre and it will be much happier.

Spots to avoid

• Draughts. Next to an air conditioner vent or a heater, or beside a door that gets opened all day, stresses the plant and dries it out unevenly.
• Full darkness. An interior bathroom with no window, or a cupboard corner, is survival rather than growth.
• Somewhere you will never see it. Out of sight means it gets watered twice a year or five times in a fortnight, and neither does it any favours.
• Anywhere it can be knocked over. Tall leaves in a light pot go over easily, so a heavy pot on a stable surface saves a mess.

Room by room

Living room. A well lit corner a few metres off a big window suits it perfectly, and the upright shape fills a corner without taking up floor space.

Bedroom. Bedrooms are usually dimmer and cooler and a snake plant handles both without complaint, so put it as close to the window as the furniture allows.

Bathroom. If there is a window in there it is a good spot. The humidity does not bother them and the light is often better than people expect.

Office or study. A desk or a bookshelf near a window works, and the slow growth is an advantage in a small room because it will not outgrow the space.

The pot matters as much as the position

Whatever spot you pick, the pot needs a drainage hole and the mix needs to be free draining, because a snake plant will cope with almost any amount of neglect and will not cope with wet feet. A cactus and succulent mix is the right choice, and if it is standing in a saucer, tip the saucer out after you water it.

Temperature

Snake plants come from West Africa, so they like it warm and they do not like cold. Somewhere between 15 and 26 degrees suits them, which is most of a house most of the year, and the one thing to watch is a cold windowsill on a winter night.

Reading the plant

Leaves flopping outwards from the base usually means too much water. Wrinkled leaves that feel soft mean not enough. Pale washed out colour and no new shoots mean it wants more light. Change one thing, then give it a few weeks before you change anything else, because these plants move slowly and you will not see an answer overnight.

Shop related products

• Brunnings Cactus and Succulent Potting Mix 5L. The right mix for a snake plant, free draining and sharp.
• Brunnings Perlite 5L. Stir it through if the mix you have got feels heavy.
• Brunnings Propagating Sand 5L. Coarse sand for striking leaf cuttings, which is how you turn one plant into several.
• Maxicrop Indoor Plant Food Concentrate 250ml. A light feed once a month in the warm months is all it asks for.

Did you know we also stock the pots in the shop, including terracotta pots and saucers, plastic saucers from 330mm up to 500mm for the tall ones, and heavier planters that will not tip. They are not on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.

The mixes and the plant food are in the garden centre, and if you describe the room we will tell you whether the plant will grow in there or just sit there.

More from the garden

• How much light do indoor plants actually need
• How to repot a snake plant without wrecking the roots
• How to stop root rot in your indoor plants

Any plant that forgives a fortnight of being ignored is a plant worth having, and this is the best of them. Ask me in the shop, I am usually there.

Cheers,
Candeece