If you have a snake plant with new shoots coming out from the soil. And want to know why your plant is growing new pups and what you should do with them.
Then you are at the right place because today you’ll learn everything about the snake plant new shoot and its uses.
You will also learn about the perfect timing for cutting them.
I use these pups to propagate my snake plant collection. This method is easy and simple to follow.
Without wasting more time let’s dive in:
Why is Your Snake Plant Growing New Shoots?
The snake plant is succulent and like other plants of its family. The snake plant naturally grows small pups at the base.
All snake plants produce new shoots once they reach their mature size. The little pups automatically start coming out from the potting soil.
The good news is:
Only healthy plants produce new shoots and if your snake plant is having them. This means now you are an expert in growing snake plants.
Your plant is healthy and you know how to grow a snake plant in your indoor environment. Snake plant shoots are the result of your hard work.
Now the question is what you can do with them?
Below is the complete section on this topic.
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Why Do We Need Snake Plant New Shoots?
We need snake plant pups to propagate the plant in the easiest way. This technique of propagation gives 100% best results.
Because growing a snake plant from a seedling or seed is a tough job. You need good experience if you want to grow a snake plant from seeds.
Because snake plant seeds take a long time to germinate.
Also, other methods of propagation are hard for beginners. They have a lower success rate as compared to the shoot propagation technique.
Following is the complete step process:
(a) Do not cut the pups
If your plant has new pups around its main stem. This is a good thing and you don’t need to do anything.
Let them grow because later we will use them for propagation.
Pups will take a few weeks to grow to a certain height. Let them grow 3 inches long before cutting them.
Till then just wait and watch the pups grow.
Just give proper care to your plant so that it can grow healthy and disease-free pups. Keep the surroundings clean to protect new shoots from bacterial attacks.
(b) Water More Frequently
Since the new shoots grow in warm and hot weather you need to give extra water to your plant.
Plants that are growing new shoots need more water because they are spending their energy growing new growth.
Water regularly to keep the soil moist all the time. Do not let the soil dry between watering when your plant has small pups.
Because new shoots will not tolerate dryness and their roots are not deep. They are just 2 to 3 inches deep.
Therefore, they need a good amount of moisture in all layers of potting soil.
(c) Quality of Water and Health Pups
You should use filtered water for watering new shoots. They have a very delicate system of roots. These pups cannot handle the heavy minerals and high amounts of nutrients.
Water that contains a high percentage of copper, calcium, chlorine, and fluoride is deadly for the snake plant new shoots.
These substances block the proper function of their roots.
This results in weak growth of the plant and the snake plant pups will turn yellow and brown.
Yellow pups are useless and this is a sign of root infection.
Therefore, to avoid all the water-related problems you should use filtered water. Water that you use for drinking or cooking is best for watering snake plants.
(d) Expose to Indirect Light
Your next step is to expose your plant to indirect bright light.
Because the snake plant is succulent, it does not need direct sunlight. In its natural habitat, it grows under the canopy of large trees.
You should not expose it to direct sun rays. They can burn the pups and small leaves.
The only exception is morning sunlight. It is very beneficial for the plant. If possible, keep your plant in direct sunlight from 7 am to 9.30 am.
Then move your plant to an indirect bright place.
Snake Plant Propagation Steps
Once the pups grow 3 inches long now is the time to use them for propagating the snake plant.
- Give water to your plant 24 hours before unpotting it. This will lose the potting soil and make it easy for you to pull it out of its pot without damaging the roots.
- Gently unpot the plant and place it over the newspaper.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the small pups from the main root ball.
- No need to remove the soil from the rhizomes.
- Now you have many pups in hand. Take a new pot and transplant new shoots in it.
- Do not pour water instead you should use a spray bottle to spray water on the soil.
- Moisture is the main thing at the time of transplanting the snake plant shoots.
- Place the pot in a warm location in indirect bright light.
- The high humid place will help the shoots to stand firmly in their new home.
- Do not add fertilizers until the shoots grow 5 inches long.
How to Encourage Snake Plants to Grow New Shoots?
(a) Stop Overwatering
Overwatering is the main cause behind improper or no growth of new shoots. Succulents need less water than other houseplants.
Once you give extra water to your snake plant. This damages its roots and results in root rot. It is a root fungus disease that disturbs the proper root function.
Once the roots stop functioning, the plant itself and its pups become weak and die in a few days.
Therefore, you need to be careful while watering your snake plant with new shoots.
Let the top 2 inches of the soil dry before the watering session. This will keep the plant safe from overwatering issues and root fungus.
(b) Light and Fertilizer
Indirect bright light is necessary for the plant to produce more food. And extra food is required to produce snake plant new shoots.
The snake plant needs a good amount of food to maintain its health and to produce new growth.
In the absence of adequate light snake, plants become unable to carry out photosynthesis.
Weak photosynthesis means lower food production and weak health for a plant. We all know weak plants do not show new growth.
Therefore, you need to fertilize your snake plant to grow it strong with a strong immune system.
Use general succulent houseplant liquid fertilizer. Read the instruction carefully to know the correct use of fertilizer.
Do not forget to dilute the concentrated nutritional liquid in water before use.
Fertilize once in 30 days in summer and spring.
(c) Keep Surroundings Clean
This is the last thing that you can do to help your plant grow healthy shoots. Hygiene is important to have disease-free snake plants.
Keep the surroundings and plant pot clean. Remove dry and dead parts of the plant.
This will help to keep the houseplant disease away from your plant.
High humid dirty places are favorite places for bacterial infections. Many leaf fungus diseases come up in dirty rooms.
Use sharp shears to cut the infected parts of the plant.
Conclusion
I hope now it is clear that you need new shoots of the snake plant to propagate it.
But if you do not want them then you can use shears to cut them. While cutting pups there is no need to unpot the plant.
Remember that shoot propagation is the easy method with a higher success rate.
