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hellkitchenguy

Should I repot my snake plant ?

Hello, I've heard that snake plants like to be root bound, but I think mine should be repotted. I have a cactus soil mix and perlite on hand.
I also have a lot that is about two inches bigger and has drainage holes.
I will add some pictures on my next post

Comments (32)

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    More

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Another image

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Final image. Same plant

  • barbmock
    9 years ago

    Nice plant!

    I agree, it needs more room. I see that you are up north. My concern is whether you have bright light and warm temps. You may want to hold off til warm weather otherwise.

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Bmock. I keep it near a window with indirect light, and I also have fluorescent 6500K light bulbs on top.

  • Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
    9 years ago

    Sounds about right. Too bad to disturb such a nice future plant of that nature. Very nicely grown.
    Stush

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Stush. I try to take good care of it.
    I don't really want to disturb it, but I think it will be good for it long term

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Purpleinopp, thanks for taking the time to share your opinion. It makes tremendous sense.
    I'll heed your advice

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    UPDATE: I never got around to updating this post, but I wanted to share what I did. I transplanted the plant into a huge 13"x13", 13 gallon container.

    First I washed the old soil off the roots. When I did that, the plant spread out. It's also been a year since I took the first picture, and when I got around to doing the repot, it had more pups. I used a mix of 2/3 turface, and 1/3 small pine bark from Repot me. I sifted everything. This is the final result:

  • barbmock
    8 years ago

    It looks beautiful! When did you repot it? It looks like it grew a lot this year.

    hellkitchenguy Manuel thanked barbmock
  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Barbmock, I only did the repotting 2 weeks ago. All those plants were squished together in that lite pot. It had grown new pups that were barely making it to the top and fought their way up for dear life!

    There was almost no lose soil in there. Only the soil that was trapped in between the roots. When I washed away the old soil, the plant naturally relaxed and opened up.

    I've always kept it on a windowsill where it gets sunlight. If I'm home, I'll sometimes change it to another window in the middle of the day, as the sun shifts location. As far as watering, I do it intuitively. If it looks dry I will drench it with distilled water

  • lmontestella
    8 years ago

    Distilled water is unnecessary, I water mine (am in Brooklyn) w/ plain tap water & they do just fine. Nice looking re-pot.

    hellkitchenguy Manuel thanked lmontestella
  • barbmock
    8 years ago

    Wow, amazing how many plants you had packed into that little pot.

  • lmontestella
    8 years ago

    Hey Barb,

    Am guessing it may have been sold that way. I often seen that many potted up together at some of the BBS.

    HKG,

    Am curious, the first pix are the original potting & you bought it that way, right?

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Yes. I bought it that way. The "before" pictures were taken a year ago. I just recently got around to repotting it. It grew more offshoots in that one year. By the way, I didn't buy it at a bbs. I paid premium price at a specialty plant shop in the East Village, New York City. I paid $27.00 because I loved it, and just had to have it. That place always charges too much for their plants, but I haven't regretted it

  • barbmock
    8 years ago

    Sometimes it's worth it to splurge a little bit.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    8 years ago

    Looks fantastic! Thanks for the update.

    hellkitchenguy Manuel thanked Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
  • Jaye (zone 10b)
    8 years ago

    WOW $27 is steep. But a very nice plant. Looks like you're doing all the right things. Congrats!!

    hellkitchenguy Manuel thanked Jaye (zone 10b)
  • NextObsession?
    8 years ago

    I just discovered a premium nursery near me (on the big Ventura Blvd.) with a dozen or more species and cultivars of Sans - priced by the pot size, I got myself a beautiful, symmetrical fan-shaped S. patens for $29 and I think it's worth it. I will be going back there definitely. The nursery owner told me a woman who had an article written in the local newspaper about her Sans collection (80) found some she didn't yet have there.

    Manuel, you have a beautiful colony going, a Sans community - I appreciate the square container, nice touch.

  • barbmock
    8 years ago

    How about a photo of your new Patens?

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    Barbmock, I'm not sure what you mean. "Patens"? Maybe that's a typographical error?

    Next Obsession?, I say, if you really like a plant, and you want to splurge, go for it. Please, post pictures for all of us to enjoy

  • barbmock
    8 years ago

    Manuel, Next Obsession bought a new plant, S. Patens. I have one too. Let me see if I can find a picture.

    hellkitchenguy Manuel thanked barbmock
  • barbmock
    8 years ago

    Okay, here it is. It reminds me of antlers.

    hellkitchenguy Manuel thanked barbmock
  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I love that S Patens. Is that the same as Cylindrica ?

  • barbmock
    8 years ago

    No, the leaves are curved, corrugated, and much shorter than cylindrica. It has grown easily for me. I think ths one shows a little better.

  • NextObsession?
    8 years ago

    Top is S. patens and LWR is S. cylindrica African Spears from Home Depot

  • NextObsession?
    8 years ago

    The cylindrica leaves are like tapered dowels but the patens has a channel. Yes, antlers is a good description, apt.

  • NextObsession?
    8 years ago

    I apologize if we went way off topic there!

  • hellkitchenguy Manuel
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    I love them both. It's ok to go off topic sometimes !!

  • NextObsession?
    8 years ago

    Barbmock - what a beautiful plant - I'm happy to see what I have to look forward to!

  • purslanegarden
    8 years ago


    Sometimes to get a large plant, it's OK to pay a little higher. I bought a $5 sans with leaves around 4-6" tall last year...it's still small! I did make several more plants from it by taking the leaves and planting them, but the ones that made it now have 1" leaves....I'd much rather have something like yours now. But I'll look forward to seeing these grow.