Repotting Snake Plants: The Mix To Use & How To Do It
$30
30 Minutes
Easy
It was time for repotting a few of my Snake Plants so I want to share with you the planting mix I used and how I did it.
Snake Plants are one of my very favorite houseplants. Their spiky, patterned foliage is so interesting to me plus you can ignore them and they’re happy as can be. I grow quite a few of them, both indoors and out, here at my home in the Arizona desert. It was time for repotting a few of my Snake Plants so I want to share with you the planting mix I used and how I did it.
I actually repotted 5 of my plants but you only see 2 of them here. The others I did as an arrangement and that’s coming in a future post and video. I call this project the “Snake Plant switcheroo” because I swapped out containers and locations they were in. Sansevieria, also known as Mother In Law Tongue, handle dry air and lower light conditions like champions!
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The planting mix:
Snake Plants prefer to be kept on the dry side and the mix they’re planted in must drain freely. That’s why I add in the succulent and cactus mix. I also toss in a few handfuls of organic compost as I’m planting (I go much lighter on both this and the worm compost when repotting houseplants as compared to container plants in my garden) and a 1/2″ layer topping of the worm compost.
3/4 organic potting soil. I’m partial to Happy Frog because of its high-quality ingredients. It’s great for container planting, including houseplants.
1/4 organic succulent & cactus mix. I use 1 which is produced locally – this one is good too.
A few handfuls of organic compost. I use Tank’s local compost. Give Dr. Earth’s a try if you can’t find anywhere you live. Both enrich the soil naturally.
Worm Compost. This is my favorite amendment, which I use sparingly because it’s rich.
Here’s the Sanseviera “Laurentii” out of the pot. You can see the thick rhizomes – they store water along with the roots & leaves.
How I repotted:
Loosen the plants from their pots. For 1 I used a dull knife & with the other, I gently pressed on the grow pot. Both are clearly shown in the video.
Note: Don’t rush to transplant Snake Plants every year or 2 as they prefer to grow slightly pot bound. As a general rule, I repot mine every 3-6 years depending on the size of the pot it’s growing in & the size of the plant itself. Mine were long overdue!
Measure the root ball with a trowel (or the knife) to know how much of the mix to put in the bottom of the pot.
Loosen the roots a bit & put the plants in. Continue to fill in the pot with the mix & a handful or 2 of the compost.
Top with a thin layer of worm compost.
After the repotting was finished, I moved them to a shady place in the garden. I let them settle in for a day and then gave them both a thorough watering before moving them to their spots in the house. Anyone else as crazy about Snake Plants as I am?!
If you love houseplants as much as we do then be sure to check out our care guide: Keep Your Houseplants Alive.
Happy gardening & thanks for stopping by,
Nell
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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4 comments
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Oh how wonderful to meet another Snake Plant lover! I have always loved the spikey and sword shaped leaves for years....I have a very large one and a smaller one just about the size of your photos plants...I have them in a good potting soil and they are thriving nicely but I am glad to know about the succulent and cactus mix that you use...when I repot the smaller one I will be sure to get some of those soils for it...thanks so much ! Your plants are just beautiful!
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I join Jan in thanking you for the great hints. I've got a small one that I've been wanting to repot, in part so that my cats can't tip it over since it's top heavy right now. I've got the cactus mix as well as a fresh bag of worm castings, and of course, potting soil. Yay!
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Hi Karen - You're very welcome! I've been growing Snake Plants for years now & love them. I travel a lot & they don't need much attention at all. Nell
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