If you are searching for snake plant pot that works best with this succulent then you are in the right place. I will talk about everything related to snake plant pot size, how deep a pot should be and if this works with small pots, will answer everything. So What Kind of Pots Do Snake plants Like?
Best pot for snake plant is terra cotta pots because it retains water as well as dries out pot on time which avoids root rot on the snake plant . This Pot is Best for Budgeted people as it is inexpensive and comes at price of $4.75 with length of 4 inch. Terra cotta pots are best for those who are on cost cutting, budget friendly side and want to multiply succulent or other indoors plants. Using a Perfect pot with well drained soil in a snake plant will help the pot to dry quickly and prevent rotting.
These pots are better than the plastic ones as drying or air passing are limited in plastic material pots and plants can easily get rotted by overwatering. Best pots are terra cotta for our snake plant because it can easily dry out water and useful in both environments, with that you can get rid of root rot issues. A Succulent and Cacti mix will do wonders with terra cotta pots for snake plants.
Snake plant can be repotted in Terra cotta pots & now you can place it anywhere in the house like kitchen, bathroom or hall or bedroom , dining room etc. Why I am saying this is because it comes with a saucer which is a plate that stores excess water that comes from the planter’s hole if given water is too much. These pots will not make your house dirty and avoid any water leaks from the pot itself.
Botanical Name | Sansevieria spp |
Smallest Variety | Sansevieria fischeri |
Best Pot | Terra cotta pots |
Second Best Pot | Ceramic Pots |
Soil | Well Draining |
Type | Indoor Houseplant |
Shop Pots –
Terra Cotta Pot With Saucer (4″) – Small
Table of Contents
Terra Cotta Pots with Saucer (5.5″) – Medium
Terra Cotta Pots with Saucer (6″) – Large
What kind of pots do snake plants like?
Snake plant like terra cotta pots that are best because it retains water as well as dries out pot on time which avoids root rot on the snake plant . This Pot is Best for Budgeted people as it is inexpensive and comes at a price of $4.75 with length of 4 inch.
Types of Pot Material | Selling Point | Life |
Plastic | Well draining, beautiful | 1-4 years |
Metal | robust, long term use | 10 year or above |
Wood | unique, self create | 1 year or less |
Glass | unique, beautiful, wide | more than 1 year |
Choosing Size For Pots
When a snake plant is grown in right size it would help the plant to grow consistently without getting damaged or lost pigmentation. Size matters because many grow snake plant in large pots of 1/3-1/4 of root ball size which reduces the timeframe of how fast snake plant will grow, larger size pots have more space which means the roots of snake plant need to compromise for searching water. Sometimes water was given in the wrong way that leads to dried curl up leaves. I will explain what a new gardener should do to avoid any mistakes.
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So What is the RIGHT SIZE
Whenever you purchase a plant, you may consider things like it has no disease, leaves are growing green and doesn’t look bad on first encounter. Then you decide but What want to have and many times you know what plant you want from the nursery. If you brought smaller plants then a small pot can do best. Those who already have snake plants can go for 2-4 inch bigger size pots as once sansevieria gets mature it will grow faster as roots are established to produce quicker leaves.
For people who were not using fertilizer can go with 1-2 inch larger size as snake plant would be growing slow and it is a slow grower if you are giving it morning sunlight then these plant will grow more quicker.
Plants which get more sunlight grow faster, even snake plants. Most varieties of sansevieria are slow growers and can take months to reach 4 inch size.
Links to Shop Air Purifying Plants –
Snake Plant- Variegated(Sansevieria Laurentii)
Why Compare size of Plants to Pots
When we compare the size of plants with pot sizes, we notice that if it’s too big then soil may take many days to dry which creates fungal infection on roots. And if it is too small then water on soil would dry out quickly and there would be no space to fill so leaves might turn dry or pale. Smaller pots need more water as most water leaks out and nothing left for snake plants to supply water to other water resulting in dryness , foliage curling. If you don’t want it to become root bound then select a size that is bigger in 2-4 inch.
Change is Pot Size Necessary?
Repotting and changing pots frequently may invite more problems. First it would be root bound and second it has soil which will quickly dris and invite fungal diseases.
Keeping Root Length for Snake plant pot
If you are considering a new pot you should check first if your snake plant roots have gone to deeper inside the pot or become spread all over then by checking all this you can purcharge large size pots about 6 inches. Even I have Different variety of Sansevieria, and some forms leaves like a flower and it doesn’t grow vertically but horizontally. That’s why it doesn’t require more than a 4 inch pot or less.
The more roots your sansevieria have the higher amount of soil you need means a bigger pot size required to fit in for the existing plant.
Also Check : Benefits of SNAKE PLANT IN BEDROOM
Do snake plants need deep pots?
It depends whether snake plants need deep pots as it is only considered if your plant has too many roots and doesn’t have space to spread. By Checking roots on sansevieria you may know exactly how deep those roots form and if you require 2 inch bigger pots for your existing snake plant.
However snake plants generally have short roots, those roots form leaves directly and it is very close to the top soil that is why sometimes it has difficulty in absorbing water as all water goes deep down on large size pots. So you don’t need deep pots if your plant doesn’t even have spread properly. Just input some succulent and cacti potting mix above and you are good to go.
Snake plant pot depth is ⅓ of its root ball length or if you believe it can grow faster as it is placed in most sunlight then ½ of the root ball length is considered. Snake plant pot can be root bound if its too small so purchasing a larger size is recommend.
If you ask Do snakes like deep pots?
I would say no they don’t like deep pots as all the roots may form just below 2-3 inches from top soil but having a wider pot will give you advantage as snake plant roots grow horizontally and in a line, I never saw them going in deep pots to spread like a beast.
I would recommend using well drained soil for snake plants if you have deep pots as water can take time to dry and drain.
Also Check : Is Snake Plant Poisonous to Dogs?
Can snake plant grow in small pots?
Yes snake plants can grow in small sized pots as they are slow grower that’s why they don’t require much space. Even Draining is better if you use a small pot. Snake plant enjoys 2-4 inch size small pots and it takes 4-6 months for roots to reach 2-3″ in length then you can change the pot to 2 inch bigger size.
Environment they live in and what types of snake plant it is to find out if it is capable of growing with small pots. Sansevieria fischeri is a smaller variety of snake plant which doesn’t require big pots to thrive and has a height less than 16 inches.
Other shorter types of snake plant are Sansevieria Trifasciata ‘Golden Hahnii’,Sansevieria Trifasciata ‘Futura Superba’, Sansevieria Trifasciata ‘Twisted Sister’. Using a small pot you should have a well draining potting mix as it should drain well and keep your plant healthy.
How to Repot in Terra Cotta pot
- First you should gently take out your existing snake plant from the previous pot.
- You can dig soil from the sides of the root and gently pull the snake plant once the soil is loose. If your soil is hard then give it water first then try to take out the plant, it may become loose again.
- Insert Well draining potting mix in your new terra cotta pot and then put the existing snake plant in it.
- Fill the soil till you see no roots shown on the top surface of the soil.
- Now give water to your snake plant.
- Your have planted snake plant successfully in Terra cotta pot.
When you are repotting if your plant is big enough then take out some cutting and plant them in an older pot to get a new plant.
Should you repot your snake plant?
It depends whether your snake plant has space on the surface of soil or not, even if the pot is too small. I have seen snake plant leaves turning brown and dying just because no one changed the pot. Snake plant is generally repotted every 2-3 year because of its size and how big the leaves take up space or how big the roots have become.
Repotting still adds an extra point to a plant because now there would be new soil, new pot resulting in new growth otherwise if you keep them growing in the same pot it will damage its many leaves and once all nutrients it absorbs it will need more potting mix.
With Time, you will notice less soil in the same pot if you haven’t repotted for many years or you may see all the roots spread on the surface with no Space left on the pot.
If you don’t have time to get a new pot then I highly suggest pruning some of the diseased, damaged leaves or shortening 2/3 of the snake plant. That way you can again grow it in the same pot but soil is still a requirement to grow them. Lastly you have to add soil.
Check Drainage in Pots
Sometimes you don’t need a new pot, maybe it’s just one problem that is because of pot holes are blocked with sand and no water is getting out. This is a major problem as you may end up making your snake plant leaves turning yellow why? because it might become root rot if water drainage is not good.
Also if you give water to a snake plant always consider checking your top soil in the pot if it’s dry then only pour water otherwise it isn’t needed.
How to tell if snake plant needs water?
Snake plant can live with low water and to tell if it really needs water you just need to check its soil for dryness. Use your finger and touch 1-2 inch if soil is wet then try this again after 2 day until 1 inch of soil is actually seems dry. Water it fully and repeat this. Generally, snake plants need water every 4 to 6 days depending on sunlight and wind exposure.
Also never water twice in 2 days or 3 days as it can invite fungal infection or root rot. Once you water a snake plant it can probably live for 15 days depending on location if it was put in shade with indirect light. Some snake plants get a good amount of light for 2-3 hours in the morning so they require water every 4-6 days. You can check this watering schedule based on your location where you place it.
Final Words
I hope you like this article. I will be a part to help you in finding the best pots for snake plant and you should consider buying some terra cotta pots because of the air circulation, drying quickly to avoid root rot damage. I myself have so many of these pots and I have grown many succulent and indoor plants in it.
Caring tips use good soil, do propagation & multiply it, keep an eye of overwatering problem and timely water them so snake plant thrives healthy.
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