Question about overwatering my snake plant for 2 years straight

I had a snake plant in my kitchen for about 2 years and it always looked kinda sad and droopy. Last week my neighbor came over and saw me watering it every Sunday and she just laughed. She said I was basically drowning the thing because snake plants like to dry out completely between waterings. I had no idea I was supposed to wait until the soil was bone dry maybe every 3 or 4 weeks instead of weekly. Now I feel like an idiot but at least the plant might survive if I stop. Has anyone else kept killing a plant just by giving it too much water?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason732d ago

Oh man, you're not alone honestly. I did the exact same thing with a peace lily back in the day and it just sat there looking pitiful for like a year before I figured it out. The good news is snake plants are basically unkillable so yours should bounce back quick once you let it dry out properly. Just a heads up though, even once every 3-4 weeks might be too much in winter or if your pot doesn't have drainage holes, so stick a finger in the soil first and only water when it's bone dry all the way down.

parkernelson2d ago

Yeah I gotta disagree a bit here. Snake plants are tough but they can rot just as easy as anything if you keep the soil wet too long, so "unkillable" is kinda stretching it. I think the finger test is good advice but once every 3-4 weeks is actually fine for most setups in winter, you just gotta make sure the pot drains well and the light is decent.