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Dracaena trifasciata also known as snake plant is an evergreen, flowering plant of the Asparagaceae family. The plant features rigid, elongated leaves, growing upwards to a height of 8 feet.
It is native to West Africa but prefers a steady source of indirect light. Snake plants make good houseplants and they are grown for their attractive, straight foliage.
Sometimes, snake plant leaves suddenly begin to sag or grow outwards, so are you’re Snake plant not growing straight?
There could be several reasons why, by the end of this post, you should be able to identify why your snake plant is no longer growing straight up and what to do to reverse this condition.
Read Also: 5 Reasons Your Anthurium Flowers Are Turning Brown
Why Do Snake Plants Grow Crooked?
Your snake plant has stopped growing straight due to stress from an issue such as disease, the weight of the leaves, light not reaching all parts of the plant or overwatering. With so many possible causes, it’s important to do a little inspection to find out what the problem is before attempting to fix it.
It’s usually easy to figure out what the problem is, and then proffering a solution is made possible. Here are the reasons why your snake plant is growing in a crooked habit:
- Uneven light
- Excess Water
- Lack of support
1. Uneven Light
Uneven light is the most common explanation for snake plants not growing straight. Because snake plants grow in any direction where the light shines bright, your plant may grow crooked to get closer to the light unless a window or other source of strong light is close enough.
2. Excess Water
Giving your snake plant too much water can also make it look crooked.
To prevent this, reduce the watering frequency to once every week or two to reduce the chances of overwatering. Likely, the plant itself is not crooked but the soil that is too moist cannot support the weight of the leaves, so the plant begins to tilt in the pot.
3. Lack Of Support
Most of the time, snake plants do not need any support because their leaves are already firm. But once your snake plant is affected by overwatering or uneven light, it becomes necessary to offer a form of support to prevent further collapse.
Snake plants, in particular, store a lot of water in their leaves, making them sag at a point. If you do not give support on time, your snake plant will continue to fall apart.
How to Make Your Snake Plant Grow Straight
Snake plants are not a challenge to grow, however, they still require care and attention to be at their best. If you notice your snake plant getting too skinny or lean, it needs your assistance to adjust and grow straight again.
There are simple steps you can take to fix the problem of snake plants not growing straight and help your plant grow upright and tall. Here are the three main causes of lopsided growth and how to fix them:
- Avoid overwatering
- Use stakes
- Rotate your snake plant
1. Avoid Overwatering
Snake plants are succulents, which means they don’t need a lot of water to survive. They can store a lot of water in their leaves, stems and rhizomes.
They grow best when watered every 1-2 weeks during the growing season. If your snake plant is dormant during the winter, it only needs to be watered once a month.
In case the soil where your snake plant is grown is wet, the plant will absorb the water and the weight of the leaves can pull it to one side or the other, causing it to appear crooked.
Wet soil can also cause root rot. Root rot can cause plants to become lean and leaves to fall off. If your plant has root rot, treat it properly and transplant it to a new pot with new soil. The rot will weaken the root system. Root rot can not only cause the plant to become lean but also cause its leaves to fall.
To correct overwatering,
• allow the top 2 to 3 inches of soil to dry out before watering again.
• examine the root ball for signs of root rot. If the roots are soft, slimy, or brown, treat the plant for root rot and transplant it into a new pot with new soil.
If root rot is present, carefully prune any affected roots with sterile pruners. Remove most of the soil around the remaining roots by hand, and then wash away the remaining soil with water.
It is important to do this because pathogens that cause rot are likely to remain in the soil. Treat healthy roots with a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide (this is optional but useful).
Place your snake plant in fresh, suitable soil, in a pot with plenty of drainage holes.
• when the leaves fall off and turn yellow, you must act quickly to stand a chance of saving your plant.
Provide moderate light, water, temperatures and humidity and avoid the extremes of your snake plant’s preferred conditions. The snake plant will likely spend several months developing new, healthy roots, but eventually, it will start to grow and be able to fully recover.
2. Use Stakes
Sometimes even an exceptionally healthy snake plant can lean to one side. This is because the leaves of a snake plant, especially very large ones, become heavy and can begin to droop or droop under their weight.
Fix this by using stakes. Stick a stake behind a fallen leaf and drive the stake a few inches into the ground to strengthen it. Now, use twine or jute twine to gently tie the leaf to the stake.
Use indoor potting soil that has good drainage but is dense enough to support the roots. If it seems like a lot of leaves are falling off under their weight, it may be time to replace your snake plant’s soil.
3. Rotate Your Snake Plant
Snake plants love sunlight so much that they sometimes grow at an angle to try to reach the light source. Whenever you notice your plant growing at an angle to a window, this is likely the case.
If your snake plant is near a window and growing crooked, consider rotating it. Rotate your plant every few days so that all sides receive the same amount of light.
Eventually, the angle will flatten out and your plant will just begin to grow. If you keep turning the plant, it doesn’t have the opportunity to continuously tilt in one direction and this ensures that all sides of the plant receive the same amount of sunlight.
Why Do Snake Plants Bend Over?
The most common cause of sagging snake plants is that their leaves are becoming too heavy to support their weight. Root rot can also weaken a snake plant, causing its leaves to curl, fall off, and turn brown.
When the base of the plant becomes soft due to decay, it begins to bend over.
Why is Your Snake Plant Not Growing Straight?
If your snake plant isn’t growing straight, the most common causes are: overwatering which makes the soil too wet to support the weight of the leaves and also causes root rot.
This can be remedied by treating root rot. To do this well, you will have to transplant the plant as needed and water less frequently.
Snake plant leaves can grow so tall and large that they can no longer support their weight. If this is the case, gently clipping the leaves to the stakes to keep them straight may help.
Snake plants often grow crooked to get closer to a light source. To fix this, rotate the plant frequently so all sides get the same amount of light.
By checking the soil for moisture and providing your snake plant with adequate light, you can correct most drooping or crooked leaves and with bright light, warmth, and soil that drains well, your snake plant will grow tall and strong.
How Do I Know If My Snake Plant Is Healthy?
The first thing you should do is do a quick inspection of your plant and the conditions in which it is growing. Look for stiff and upright leaves with minimal brown or yellow discolouration.
Don’t worry if the leaves don’t grow straight up, because that doesn’t always mean your plant is unhealthy. Fallen leaves are often a sign of root rot caused by overwatering.
Inspect both sides of the leaves and down to the bottom. Check for roots growing out of drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, which may indicate your plant has packed roots that are restricting growth.
Be on the lookout for signs of pests or disease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Has My Snake Plant Stopped Growing After Repotting?
This may be due to a lack of light and proper watering.
Why Is My Snake Plant Not Growing?
It’s in an inactive state due to low temperatures, low light and shorter days.
How To Grow Snake Plant Faster?
Increase its exposure to light, plant it in the correct size of the pot and give it enough water.
Why Is My Snake Plant Not Growing Roots?
They may have rotted away due to overwatering and root rot.
What Is The Best fertilizer For Snake Plant?
Pennington Ultra Green All Purpose Plant Food 10-10-10 provides all its nutrients.
How To Prune Snake Plant?
Use a clean pair of pruners to cut away weak or diseased leaves.
What Is Snake Plant Growing Season?
The snake plant grows in spring.
How Fast Does Snake Plant Grow?
It varies depending on the variety of snake plants, the environment and the type of care it is given. Generally, they grow 2 to 12 inches yearly.
Conclusion
If your snake plant isn’t growing straight, it’s most likely due to one of three things: overwatering, leaves that get too tall and heavy, or uneven sun exposure. These are all common problems that can cause your snake plant to overgrow, lean, bend or stoop.
A snake plant not growing straight, while not dangerous is not as pleasing to the eye as a healthy, upright plant. Luckily, each of these problems has an easy fix that will soon have your snake plant growing to maximum height.
- Snake plants should only be watered every 1-2 weeks during the growing season. During the winter, your snake plant only needs to be watered once every 4 weeks.
- Rotate your plant or grow it under overhead lights to avoid lopsided growth
- In moist soil, the weight of a snake plant’s leaves can pull it to one side, making it look crooked. Be sure to use potting soil that is well-draining but also dense enough to support the roots of a tall plant.