Like all other plants, repotting Snake Plants is essential for ensuring their health and vitality. In this guide, I’ll explain the steps, the best soil mix to use, the ideal time to repot your Snake Plant, aftercare, and answer FAQs.
I love Snake Plants and have several thriving indoors and outdoors at my Arizona desert home. Their spiky, patterned foliage is fascinating. Plus, they’re low-maintenance and thrive with minimal attention!
Note: This post was published in 2017. It was updated on 1/28/2021 & again on 7/11/2024.
Table of Contents
What are Snake Plants?
Snake Plants are among the most popular houseplants worldwide due to their resilience and spiky architectural look. Despite being tropical plants, they thrive in dry air and lower to moderate light conditions. With numerous species and varieties available, you can find Snake Plants in various sizes, forms, and leaf variegations.
Botanic Name: Dracaena (formerly Sansevieria) spp Common Names: Snake Plant, Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, Snake’s Tongue Plant
When is the Best Time to Repot Snake Plants
The best time is during the growing season, which is early spring through early fall, depending on your zone. Snake Plants don’t mind being potbound, so there is no need to repot yours unless it’s showing signs of stress or outgrowing the pot. Mature Snake Plants have strong roots and can split open grow pots.
Best Potting Soil for Snake Plants
At some point, your plant will appreciate a fresh soil mix. Snake Plants prefer to be kept dry, so the mix they’re planted in must drain freely. You don’t want it to hold too much water, which can lead to root rot.
That’s why I add the succulent and cactus mix to the recipe below: It’s chunky, well-aerated, and yields good drainage. I also toss in a few handfuls of organic compost as I’m planting and a 1/2″ layer topping of the worm compost. Both of these add nourishment and break down slowly.
The Soil Mix “Recipe” I Use
2/3 Potting Soil.
I alternate between Happy Frog and Ocean Forest, and sometimes, I combine them. Both are full of high-quality ingredients. Make sure the potting soil you use says it’s formulated for indoor plants on the bag.
1/3 Succulent & Cactus Mix.
I use this DIY succulent and cactus mix (this has coco chips in it) for added drainage. If you prefer a store-bought mix, this post on Succulent Soil has good options for you.
Compost.
A couple of handfuls of organic compost (more or less depending on the size of the plant).I use a local compost. This, like worm compost, enriches the soil naturally.
Worm Compost.
Worm compost is my favorite amendment, but I use it sparingly because it’s rich. You can learn more about why I use worm compost here.
The mix I used for my 5′ Snake Plant differed slightly because it went into a large 18″ pot. You can read about that Here.
Three alternate mixes that provide a fast-draining soil:
- 2/3 potting soil, 1/3 or perlite
- or 2/3 potting soil, 1/3 pumice
- or 2/3 potting soil, 1/3 clay pebbles
The pumice, perlite, and clay pebbles increase the drainage factor, enable aeration, and help prevent the soil from getting too wet.
If you’re interested in any of the above materials, you can find more details and links to buy them in Best Soil For Indoor Plants.
What Size Pot Should I Use?
They prefer to grow slightly tight in their pots. When I repot a Snake Plant, I go up one pot size. For instance, if yours is in a 6″ grow pot, then an 8″ pot would be the size you’d want to use.
Here’s an exception. When I repotted my 6′ Snake Plant, it was in a 10″ grow pot, and I repotted it into an 18″ grow pot. I used this larger pot because it was proportionate to the size of the plant
Because Sansevierias like to spread out as they grow, I’ve found that they don’t need a deep pot. A deep pot has more soil mass at the bottom, which could lead to water retention, which leads to root rot.
Whatever size you use, make sure the bottom of the pot has drainage holes so the excess water can readily flow out.
Repotting Snake Plants, Step By Step
Good to know: A Snake Plant’s roots are tough, so you don’t have to be too precious when handling the rootball.
Gather your soil mix materials. Sometimes, I mix them up ahead, and other times, I mix them in the pot as I go along.
Loosen the plant from its current pot. If the rootball is stubborn and not readily coming out, I either gently press on the grow pot or run a dull knife around the perimeter. Both ways are clearly shown in the video.
Once the entire plant is out of the pot, measure how much soil mix you’ll need to raise the top of the root ball to about 1/2″ above the rim of the new pot. The weight of the plant will eventually pull it down in the light mix. Then, add the new soil mix.
Place the plant in the pot and fill in around the sides with the mix.
Top with a thin layer of worm compost and/or compost.
This guide outlines Snake Plant Care and will help if you’re a beginning gardener.
Can Snake Plants Be Divided?
Yes, I’ve successfully divided numerous Snake Plants. Their root balls are quite resilient. For larger plants, I use a sharp knife to split the root ball into the desired number of segments.
Snake Plant Care After Repotting
After the repotting process, I place the Snake Plants back in their original growing spot. They thrive in indirect sunlight, so keeping them away from hot, sunny windows that could scorch their leaves is important.
Snake Plants are succulents, which means they prefer dry conditions. To help them adjust after repotting, I refrain from watering for about 5 to 7 days. This dry period allows their roots to settle and prevents any potential rot.
Once they’ve had time to acclimate, I resume their regular watering schedule, ensuring they remain healthy.
Do Snake Plants need to be repotted? How Often Should You Repot Snake Plants?
Snake Plants don’t mind being tight in their pots. They actually do better if the root system is a bit pot-bound. I’ve seen quite a few root-bound plants actually break their grow pots, and they’re growing just fine. Of course, a bigger pot would be appreciated!
I have a few Snake Plants I haven’t repotted for over five years. Don’t rush to repot yours unless it looks stressed or has cracked the grow pot.
Repotting Snake Plants Video Guide
Repotting Snake Plant FAQs
Conclusion: If you’re new to houseplant gardening, repotting Snake Plants might seem daunting, but with the right approach, it’s a straightforward process that can invigorate your plants and encourage healthy growth. Your Snake Plants will thrive in their new pots if you follow these steps and pay attention to their sunlight and watering needs.
