The snake plant is no longer strange to those who love indoor plants or offices. One of the most common problems is the shape of this plant.
Why is my snake plant not growing straight up? There are many reasons why this plant does not grow straight such as too much watering, uneven lighting, or leaves that are too heavy for the stem.
To answer this question, let’s learn about the common causes of snake plant curl and how to fix it in this article.
Why Is My Snake Plant Not Growing Straight Up?
Snake plants not growing upright can be due to many subjective and objective reasons. However, the three main causes of this plant’s curvature are too much watering, uneven lighting, or leaves that are too heavy for the stem to support.
Watering too much
Snake plants are plants that belong to the group of cacti, so they have succulent leaves to store water. Therefore, this plant prefers a dry environment with little water for healthy growth and development.
Snake plants will grow best when watered once every 1 to 2 weeks during the growing season. In winter, it will hibernate and be almost dormant, so you only need to water it once a month to keep the plants alive.
Over-watering will cause the root system to weaken and root rot. Root rot will cause leaves to become wet, droopy, and unable to grow straight again because the root system transports too much water to the leaves.
When the roots transport too much water up the leaves, it breaks down the structure of the cells and thereby makes them soft and weak.
The leaves are too big and heavy
The beauty of the snake plant is reflected in its large, long, and vibrant leaves. This plant also has many varieties with different leaf sizes such as large, long leaves, or small and short leaves.
As you know, the snake plant is a plant with a strong vitality and good growth rate. It can resist pests and diseases and survive in the harsh conditions of nature such as lack of water, lack of light, and nutrition.
If the snake plant grows in ideal conditions, it will produce large, healthy leaves. In particular, the leaves of the snake plant are succulent, so it contains a lot of water inside.
For varieties with large and long leaves, there will often be problems such as curling, slanting, and not growing straight. The reason is that the leaves are too big and long, which will have a heavy weight that makes the stem unable to support it. From there, they will droop or tilt in space.
Uneven light
Although the snake plant can live in low light conditions, full light every day is still ideal conditions for this plant. It prefers 6 to 8 hours of sunlight a day and can live in partial shade.
As you know, any plant species tend to grow toward the light to promote photosynthesis and oxygen exchange. Snake plant is the same, if you put the pot in a dark place, the leaves will grow in the direction of the light.
From there, the leaves will not be able to grow straight and tilt towards the sunlight. If your potted location doesn’t get enough light, leaves in a dimly lit location will curl or tilt to find the light.
How To Make Snake Plants Grow Straight?
There are many ways to prevent plant curvature and slants such as proper watering, adequate lighting, use of fixed stakes, regular pruning, or new repotting.
Proper watering
Watering snake plants directly with large amounts of water will cause them to settle on the leaves and make the leaves heavier. At the same time, overwatering causes the root system to rot and the leaves to become soft and unable to grow straight.
Here are some basic notes when you water the snake plant.
- Water every 1 to 2 weeks during the growing season
- In winter, water once a month
- Water only when the ground is 2-3 inches dry after testing for moisture
- Do not water the leaves directly because the fungus will grow in a humid environment
- Water slowly and deeply so that the water penetrates the soil
- Use a spray bottle to water or mist to create humidity
Using fixed stakes
For snake plants with large and long leaves, you should use a fixed stake to prevent leaves from drooping or tilting. Fixed stakes are an effective and simple way to straighten your plants in the direction you want them to be.
A healthy snake plant will also tilt if it has too many leaves. You can use bamboo or wooden stakes and lightly tie the leaves together so that they always grow straight.
However, you need to make sure not to tie it tightly to damage the leaves, from which pests and insects will easily attack. In addition, you need to check often to change the width and narrowing of the wire to fix the leaves.
If after a month, your leaves have grown straight, you can remove the stake and wire. However, this process can take longer and there is no fixed time. This completely depends on the adaptation of the leaves.
Provide adequate light
Snake plants not growing upright or leaning due to uneven lighting. If you put the potted plant in a dimly lit place, it will tilt everywhere in search of light.
You need to rotate the pot on different sides so that the light can reach all the leaves. It will help the snake plant to grow straight and not tilt. You mustn’t leave the pot in a position that is too long without turning the corners.
Because the leaves that lack light will start leaning in different directions to find the light. The ideal place to place the pot is about 1 meter away from a window to access light every day.
Replace with a new pot with a larger size
You need to change the pot for this plant if its size is larger. If the pot is too small, the lack of soil, water, and nutrients will make the leaves thin and weak.
The leaves will grow crowded in a tight space so they will tilt and droop due to weakness. Replacing a new pot with a larger size will help the snake plant respawn.
With a large space, loose, well-drained and nutrient-rich soil will help keep leaves healthy, strong, and not tilted in space. In addition, if the space is too tight, it also affects the upright growth of the snake plant.
In particular, if there are any obstacles around the pot, you also need to remove them, as they will change the direction of the leaves. An open space, large, and sunlight will be ideal conditions for snake plants.
Read more: Does Snake Plant Need Drainage Hole?
Prune as needed
Snake plants do not need frequent pruning, however, leaves that are too long and large will affect the weight of the entire plant causing it to tilt and droop.
You can prune old, diseased leaves or parts of them to reduce weight and help them grow straight. An important note when you are pruning is to use sharp and clean cutting tools. In addition, the cut should be treated and cleaned to prevent pests from attacking and destroying the entire leaf.
Conclusion
Snake plant does not grow straight, curved, or tilted due to 3 main reasons such as too much watering, lack of light, and too heavyweight. Too much watering makes the leaves weak and soft, making them unable to grow straight.
Lack of light will cause the leaves of the snake plant to grow sideways in search of a light for photosynthesis. Besides, the leaves are too big and long, which will make the stem not strong enough to support and droop.
You should water properly, provide adequate light, use fixed stakes, prune or create a spacious living space.