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Floppy leaves

floor
18 years ago

My 50+ year old Sansevieria (inherited from my mother) is always a floppy mess in it's pot. I have it in a very large clay pot (the regular terra cotta type). Would it be happier in a more cylindrical container? I get the feeling that perhaps the pot is too large. I have read in this forum that I should cut off the flopp leaves at the base....but so many seem floppy. I am not sure what I would have left if I did that!

Thanks,

Babs

Comments (2)

  • tjsangel
    18 years ago

    Hi Babs,

    The pot you have your Sans in may be too large. They like to be crowded until their roots are bursting out or breaking the pot. You could be overwatering with all of that extra soil in the pot. What type of light do you have it in? That could be another factor. They are classified as low light plants but really are not. I give mine almost full sun and water sparingly. Go ahead and put in a smaller pot, let us know how it does for you! Good luck,

    Jen

  • dufflebag2002
    18 years ago

    Babs,
    Certain species just grow floppy, S. kirkii for one.
    Is this plant getting enough light, and being that age it would be tall as that species gets.
    Putting it into a smaller pot will not make it grow shorter, it will break the pot. Good Sun will have it grow more natural again depending on the species. Nitrogen will make it grow faster and taller. Has it flowered yet? This will give us all some glues as to what is wrong. What size is the pot, how many inches across the top? A tall pot will not make the difference, it would just take longer for the growth to reach the top of the soil. Give plenty of water in the summer, but not in cold weather. If it has thin leaves and long it will flop over, thick round leaves will hold upright better. Do you know what species it is? I take out my plants from their pots about every two/ three years, I remove all heads that has previously flowered and toss them out or give them away, I leave only 3 young heads per 12" pot.
    In three years these young plants will flower because they are mature and have enough sun to do so, but it doesn't take them 50+ years to do so. I water and fertilize thoroughly during the summer warm months, and cut way back as soon as the weather turns cold at night, (below 60F)
    I do not fertilize during the months.
    These are only some clues that may apply to your Sansevieria. I live in Calif. zone 10 and have very dry humidity. Some San. are desert/dry plants, and other live along streams, several extremes inbetween. Some forest and others in nearly direct sun or filtered light. Norma