One of the best ways to continue care for a Snake plant is through propagation which means to grow new ones from just one plant.
If you’re just wondering how to propagate a Snake plant then we have you covered as there are actually a few different ways to do this so you can use the method you would be most comfortable with.
The best thing about propagating your Sansevieria is that it’s basically free since you won’t have to buy another plant, just a new container.
So here are some tried and true methods you can try for yourself so you can multiply a Snake plant today!
Propagate Snake plant cuttings in water
One of the easiest ways to propagate a Snake plant is by using cuttings from the original plant and then propagating using water instead of soil right away.
It may sound counter intuitive to place a fresh cutting directly into water, especially when Snake plants are prone to root rot, but surprisingly it works quite well.
Some things you’ll need to get started include the following.
- Sterile gardening tools like a sharp knife or scissors
- A clean vase or mason jar
- Clean filtered water
- Paper towel
[1] So to get started you will first have to find one or more healthy leaves to use for propagation as you don’t want to be using unhealthy growth if you’re trying to multiply.
That would not only reduce the chance of success, but who wants to start off with unhealthy growth?
Not you of course.
[2] Once you have selected your leaves, you can gently pull up on each leaf while making a clean horizontal cut as close to the soil as you can.
Repeat for as many leaves as you like.
[3] Once you have all of your cuttings, you can now make angular cuts on the bottom of the leaves in 45 degree angles starting on each side.
Think of it like fitting a triangle under each leaf.
This will help increase the success rate of propagation and it will help you identify the bottom of each leaf which is very important because your propagation efforts will fail if you place the wrong side in the water.
[4] Now that you have your leaf cuttings, you should place them on a paper towel in indirect light for a few days until the cuttings dry and callous.
[5] Once this is complete, place the leaf cuttings in a vase 1/4 filled with water while making sure the bottom parts with the angled cuts are submerged in the water.
[6] From here replace the water with fresh water weekly or whenever the water starts getting cloudy.
Make sure you keep your newly propagated Snake plants in bright indirect light during the whole process to prevent issues.
Now just be patient as you won’t see roots growing for at least a month or two as this method is actually quite slow, but well worth it.
[7] After some time has passed and roots have begun growing, you can then plant the cuttings into their own containers with well draining soil.
Propagate Snake plant cuttings in soil
Another way to propagate a Snake plant is by simply using soil right away instead of using water only first.
One main benefit of this method compared to strictly water is that you can make multiple cuttings on a single leaf and have the room to do so where as water would cover each cutting fully if they were too small.
So to get started you will need the following.
- Clean sharp knife and or scissors
- Pot or container to grow in
- Well draining soil (succulent and cactus mix works well)
- Paper towels
Once you have all the required materials and your healthy Sansevieria, these are the steps to propagate successfully.
[1] Select a leaf to make a cutting with and gently pull up on the leaf and make a clean horizontal cut close to the soil line.
[2] Make angular cuts on the bottom of the leaf to tell the bottom apart from the top.
[3] If you want to make multiple cuttings from a single leaf then lay out the leaf and cut horizontally in 2-3 inch segments.
[4] Make sure to keep the leaf as is before making the angular cuts (don’t flip them around) so you don’t end up placing the leaf upside down when planting.
[5] Let the cuttings dry and heal for a few days by placing them on a paper towel in bright indirect light.
[6] Prepare a pot or container with some well draining soil and moisten the soil a bit.
[7] Once the cuttings have dried, plant each cutting about an inch or so into the soil with the angular cut bottom portions directly in the soil and the top parts above the soil.
[8] Keep the cuttings in bright indirect light and only water when the soil has dried out.
Overall this process will also take up to a few months to complete and then you can relocate the newly propagated snake plants into their own pots.
Closing thoughts
By now you have a solid foundation of knowledge to be able to propagate your Snake plant via a few different ways.
I hope that you have found this information useful so you can not only multiply your Sansevieria, but you can save money at the same time.
Overall just have fun with it and enjoy the process along the way!