While spring is considered the time of rebirth and renewal, fall seems to be the exact opposite. For tropical houseplants that are hardly affected by the seasons, November can be an ideal time for propagation. Native to warm areas of Africa and South Asia, the snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) lives happily indoors all year round. Despite the controlled climate that keeps them comfortable in our homes, there are specific seasons when caring for snake plants. Are you in the mood for some new snake plants this fall or would you like to give them as gifts for the upcoming holidays? Now is the time to grow new snake plants by either cutting or dividing them.
Snake plants can be propagated more quickly by dividing them. Similar to division, if your plant has produced young, you can also separate those babies from their mother at that time. To reduce your workload, cutting cuttings is simple and straightforward, even if the roots only become visible after some time. What's more, you don't even have to place your new plants in expensive potting soil – you can simply grow a snake plant in water.
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Successfully propagate snake plants in water or soil
Keep your hands clean by taking cuttings and then rooting them in water only. Start with clean scissors, as tools can transfer nasty things to plant tissue. Cleaning your garden tools with vinegar is a non-toxic and cost-effective way to prepare them for the task. Cut a 3-inch section from a healthy leaf. Place it in a clear container filled with water and new roots will emerge in a few weeks or months. Be sure to change the water at least once a week to prevent algae from growing and the cutting from rotting. You can also plant the cuttings in soil. Snake plants are considered succulents, so your cuttings will do best in a succulent potting mix. This stuff can be costly, so you can make your own succulent soil to save a few bucks.
If it's been living in the same pot for many years or your plant has produced offspring, grab a load of succulent soil and clean pots to expand your snake plant army. Carefully remove the plant from the pot and remove the soil from the roots. Look around the root ball for individual root sections and cut them apart with clean pruning shears.
When repotting the sections, fill the new pot only to the point where the soil reached the plant in the previous pot. You can usually tell this by where the plant stems turn from white to green. Leave a space of about 1 cm between the soil and the edge of the pot. Give your newly divided snake plant plenty of water and place it in a location with low light.
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