Are you a beginner at gardening? Do you want a plant that will be easy to take care of? Well, then the snake plant will be the best bet for you. Snake plants are low maintenance and will thrive indoors and outdoors. What more can a gardener want?
The leaves have sharply shaped margins that resemble a snake, but something that leaves you wondering why is my snake plant falling over. This plant will make a perfect addition to your living space if you’re looking for a pop of nature and a way to brighten up a monotonous area.
Even though snake plants are easy to care for, they still have some requirements. And if these requirements aren’t fulfilled, the plant reacts in the worst way possible. The plant starts to fall over!
Are you wondering why is my snake plant falling over? Well, don’t fret over it. We have all the answers here for you, along with solutions and preventive methods. Keep on reading to find out more!
Why Is My Snake Plant Falling Over
1. Incorrect Watering
Snake plants have thick leaves built to store water that they might need later for survival in dry conditions. When you over-water the plant, the unwanted water stays behind in the soil, leaving the roots open to fungal infections, specifically root rot.
Root rot is a fungal disease in plants that is caused by over-watering. The soggy soil is a perfect home for pathogens. These pathogens use the root cells as hosts and stop the supply of air, water, and nutrients to the plant.
Due to a lack of water and nourishment, the plant droops and eventually dies. The first sign of root rot stress in snake plants will be droopy leaves with slight or more discoloration.
Solution
Make sure that the soil is dry between waterings. You can check whether the soil is dry by inserting your finger a few inches deep. If the soil is still moist inside, let it dry up completely before watering it again.
Brass Metal Small Watering Can is a product that’ll help you control the water intake of the plant due to its thin nozzle. It’s available on Amazon.
- Functional watering can: beautiful style has the look of an antique accessory but is a functional watering jug. The long spout reaches beneath leaves to deliver water directly to the soil without making a splashy mess.
- Antique Style: Use this decorative accessory to decorate for your bookshelf or office, and to water an indoor plants. With antique brass finish, you can ditch your traditional, plastic watering can for this handmade, vintage-style piece.
- Compact accessory: This pitcher is small enough to fit anywhere you have Small plants, but large to make sure your smaller indoor and outdoor plants, flowers, or succulents stay hydrated.
- Solid Brass construction that is durable and non-breakable, and comfortable to hold and pour.
- Measures 8 ¾ inches in height and 14 inches in length with a 5 ¼ inch diameter, Holds 1 liter of water.
2. Incorrect Lighting
Snake plants are hardy houseplants that can tolerate any lighting but prefer bright and indirect light. Snake plants can live in dim light for some time, but if kept in the shade for a long time, they’ll start to droop.
Light is a source of energy for plants. It helps the plant carry out the process of photosynthesis and helps the plant form its food. Without an adequate amount of light, the plant will starve to death.
Excessive light can also cause your snake plant to droop and it’ll evaporate the moisture from the plant quickly. First, the leaves will lose their color and curl up, and eventually, the whole plant will start to show signs of stress.
Solution
The only way to fix this problem is to move your plant to a spot with bright but indirect light. But remember to move the plant gradually. Keep the plant a couple of feet away from a south-facing window. That’ll help your snake plant get ample sunlight all day long.
3. High Humidity
Snake plants aren’t moisture-loving plants. Too much moisture can cause the plant to fall over. Moisture levels above 60 percent can get too much for a snake plant. The humidity level should be around 40 percent for a snake plant, as the plant stores its water and doesn’t need atmospheric moisture to thrive.
Solution
A humidifier is a great way to maintain a constant moisture level around plants. LEVOIT Humidifiers for Bedroom is a great product with excellent reviews. Plus, it’s available on Amazon.
- POWERFUL PERFORMANCE, FUllY UPGRADED: The unexpected 4× faster humidification speed lasts up to 60 hours, and the covering is up to 505 ft². You can also use the APP to customize the humidity so that it adjusts automatically without worry.Noise Level: ≤ 30dB
- BEST HUMIDIFIER FOR BEDROOM: Lying in bed, using the APP or Alexa to control settings, the humidifier will raise RH 12% in 30mins. Enjoy the soft night lights, and the Sleep Mode will give you an optimal sleep-humidifying environment
- BETTER SMART CARE: Simply use the free VeSync APP to control settings anytime & anywhere, create schedules, etc. And the Auto Mode will maintain the room humidity at the healthiest humidity level in you. The powerful and long-lasting cool mist Humidifier helps moisturize the dry air and your skin.
- PLANTS NEED IT: In addition to the most basic plant humidification, it offers you more comprehensive plant-care programs. Including scanning recognition, more professional encyclopedias, and specialized custom plant management
- CONVENIENT TOP-FILL DESIGN: The large opening makes refilling and cleaning the tank easy. Enjoy the convenience of a zero-leakage designed product
4. Poorly Drained Soil
If your soil mix is not well-drained, it will start to accumulate water and cause problems that accompany overwatering, such as root rot, fungal infections, and the plant falling over.
Solution
Any regular soil mix can be made well-drained by mixing half perlite with the potting mix. You should also add worm compost to make it fertile. If this seems like a big hassle, which is why well-drained potting mixes such as Mother Earth Perlite #3 are available on Amazon.
- Mother Earth Perlite is an odorless growing media with a neutral pH of 7.0
- Mother Earth Perlite #4 is one of the largest perlite on the market with a size of 1“ while Mother Earth Perlite #3 measures around 1/2“
- Adds porosity to soil and soilless mixes
- Mother Earth Perlite has numerous hydroponic applications
- Features naturally occurring siliceous rock that expands up to 20 times its original volume when heated to 1600° F
5. Pests Infestation
Snake plants are prone to pests infestations. These infestations make the plants vulnerable to further problems because the pests keep sucking their sap which causes a loss of energy. This leads to the plant falling over.
Solutions
If your plant is under a pest infestation, cut off the affected parts immediately to stop further spread. If the soil is affected, repot your snake plant in a new pot. Insecticides will also help you prevent infestations. Neem oil is a great pesticide for the job.
6. Overfertilization
Snake plants don’t need a lot of fertilizers to survive. When you start over-fertilizing your snake plant, it can lead to salt buildups in the soil and will raise the soil’s temperature. This will cause the plant to fall over.
Solution
Fertilize your snake plant during the spring and summer. The plant takes winter off as a resting period so don’t fertilize it during the winter months. Always keep a two-month gap between fertilizing.
7. Temperature Fluctuations
Fluctuations in temperature can cause stress to the plant and the plant will suffer due to the change in environmental conditions. This will cause the leaves to droop and the plant to fall over.
Solution
Keep the plant away from any open drafts, air conditioners, and heating devices. Keep it in a spot with a constant temperature.
Conclusion
Snake plants are easy to care for and will add a beautiful touch to your space. But if their needs aren’t met, snake plants will start to droop and fall over. Anything from overfertilization to pest infestations can cause the plant to fall over.
But if proper care techniques are used and products like Brass Metal Small Watering Can, LEVOIT Humidifiers for Bedroom, and Mother Earth Perlite #3 are used, your snake plant will grow healthy and happy, and you won’t ever have to wonder why is my snake plant falling over.
Hopefully, this answered your questions. If you have any more queries, leave them down below and we’ll get back to you.