Can Snake Plants Grow in Water: Know an Alternative to Soil

Can snake plants grow in water, is a question of interest, but frankly, this process is indeed possible. These Dracaena genus plants are highly adaptable, and you do not necessarily need to provide them with soil in order for them to thrive.

In the following article, you will find a more in-depth response to this question, along with some helpful hints on how to care for the plant in the event that you choose to root it in water, so continue reading for more specifics about how the snake plant can grow into healthy foliage. 

Can Snake Plants Grow Well in Water?

💥 Yes, snake plants, are hardy houseplants and can entirely be grown well in water without any soil. This is because they are hydroponics, and would flourish in a variety of environments, including pebbles and a range of potting mixes, under proper snake plant care.

How Can A Snake Plant Be Grown In Water?

A snake plant can be grown in water by choosing the right container first, and propagating very properly, moreover, you should also root it very well so that it would have a durable life and a proper environment to establish itself. 

The water environment is ideal for the growth of snake plants, it wouldn’t be a messy situation for the plant. You will only need a cutting taken from a parent plant, some fresh water, and a sufficiently strong container. The steps involved in the process are ones you should be very detailed about to have a better manner of growing them properly.

– Choosing a Container for the Plant

It is possible to propagate and grow a healthy plant in water instead of establishing a routine for watering snake plants when planted in soil. In this regard, the first item that you are going to need is a container in which to keep the plant while it is submerged in water.

The container is an important part of the process because it has the specificity for the plant to establish itself and to have a successful water-growth. 

What you should do is to select a container, such as a sturdy glass vase with no drainage holes, and ensure that it is tall enough to fit the elongated snake plant leaf. You wouldn’t want the leaf to topple over, that’s for sure, and this is a matter of successfully growing it.

Make sure there is at least a quarter of an inch of water covering the bottom of the snake plant in water vase. In this case, you might also use ceramic coffee mugs, plastic pots, or plastic flower pots; moreover, dark and opaque containers have an additional benefit in preventing algae growth, because you can easily check through it and clearly see everything. 

Do not use metal containers made of copper, lead, or brass since these metals might react with liquid fertilizers and get rusty or cause damage to the plants that are growing in them if they are used. Instead, use plastic containers as another option, if you want to give your container a creative appearance, fill it with gravel, pearl chips, pebbles, marbles or beads, and water.

– Propagate Right

During the active growing months of spring and summer, the plant can be propagated by dividing snake plant pups, and you should start propagating it in a successful manner. You will need to take the parent plant from its container, clean the root system, and cut out any diseased or damaged areas in the same way you would when repotting the plant. 

What you should do is to remove any soil clinging to the plant’s roots is essential when transferring from a soil culture to a hydroponic setting, because the soil is one that would hinder the growth, which is why you should take them off well. There is a direct relation between the presence of organic matter in soil and an increased risk of disease and infection caused by pests.

After you have done so, give the roots a gentle but thorough washing with water twice or thrice until the water emerges clear and clean, free of any sediment that may have been suspended in it. Move it into the hydroponics container, and then add water while ensuring that all of the plant’s roots are submerged.

– Rooting Snake Plant

After you successfully propagate snake plants via water propagation, you must let the plant sit undisturbed for a few days, this will be helpful to you so that the roots can form. When grown as indoor plants, the snake plant should be situated next to a window sill for optimal growth, allowing the leaves to become longer and healthier.

Because remember it will get its nutrients properly from the sun and the water simultaneously, as it doesn’t have a soil that it is growing in. 

Now, you should be taking snake plant cuttings and placing them in water and let them establish their roots. This is the process that would usually take three weeks, and you will see them growing as the medium is a healthy one.

However, it is essential to bear in mind that the growth of a snake plant grown in water may be slower than the growth of the same plant grown in soil, despite the ease with which the plant can be propagated through the use of leaf cuttings or the division method of pups.

How Do You Care for a Snake Plant in Water?

To give care for snake plant in water, you should replace the water regularly, and clean the roots well, make sure that you use clean water, and protect it from extreme chills. Moreover, use proper fertilizer, and give it the right lighting, and the optimal temperature. 

As was just discussed, snake plants are highly hardy, require the least maintenance, and are also the easiest to propagate. Growing snake plants presents a few difficulties, especially for gardeners just starting. It is important for you to be mindful about the plant care that you would need to give, and to pay attention to grow snake plants in water healthily.

– Replace Water Regularly

It is absolutely necessary for you to replace the water in the container with fresh water periodically. This is done to guarantee that the roots have a continuous supply of oxygen, which gradually reduces as the plant uses it over time. You would already start seeing the water’s color changing, and this is a manner to take into consideration that you should change it. 

Additionally, unclean and humid water can be a breeding ground for germs and diseases, both of which can shorten the plant’s lifespan. It is recommended that the water in the container be changed once every five to ten days which is when you will see the rooting and change in color. On the other hand, remember that when the cold weather hits during winter months, when it should be replaced once every ten to fifteen days.

At the same time that you change water in the plant’s container, you should also clean the container. If you want the water to keep its clean appearance, retain its purified state and pleasant aroma, you can try adding a tiny quantity of powdered activated charcoal to the water. 

– Clean the Roots

It is also recommended that the roots be cleaned every time the water in the container is replaced because the plant growing in water is prone to forming bacteria and fungi. This will guarantee that there is no fungal presence, and it will also allow you to snip away any rotted areas of the roots as soon as you detect them, reducing the likelihood of root rot occurring.

When you snip them away, the roots that were growing strong won’t get hindered, and the plant that you are growing would thrive. Moreover, you should also make sure that if there are any fungi growing, you would get rid of them too, because remember the medium you have set it is a moist one, where they will be prone to grow.

Overall, this is an important task to do, because it is through the roots that the plant is going to be able to survive properly and thrive.

– Use Clean Water

Because the snake plant can be grown hydroponically, special care must be paid to ensure that it is provided with the proper medium and atmosphere to promote healthy root development.

You can always make use of clean water such as rainwater that has been collected and filtered or water that has been produced using RO, which is reverse osmosis water, where there isn’t the abundance of harsh minerals that are found in the content. 

On the flip side, if you are using water from the tap to water your snake plant in its vase, you should let the water sit out for a full day before using it. Since a hydroponic snake plant does not have any soil to act as a filter, the quality of the water that it receives is of the utmost significance. If there are bacteria or another form of microorganism present, the growth could be stunted, hence being mindful about the matter is a keen task.

– Protect From Extreme Chills

Snake plants are tropical and seldom thrive when temperatures drop. Thus, shield the plant from the chills of the season by ensuring adequate air circulation, and it is placed in a warm spot, such as around a room heater. Which means that you should never let the water in the container reach freezing temperatures, as this can kill it instantaneously.

– Fertilizer Use

In order to develop and thrive, snake plants may require over-the-top fertilization. Supplement the plant to fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen, and in this case, you will need a water-soluble formula when growing the plant hydroponically. 

What you can do is to choose a fertilizer that is either a liquid or a salt that can be easily dissolved in water. Moreover, make sure that you create a diluted solution of the formula and include it in the water the plant is growing in once a month, especially during the growing season.

– Adequate Light

Irrespective of whether you are growing it as an indoor plant or outdoors, your snake plant indoors or outdoors while keeping snake plant in water, ensure you provide it with bright yet indirect light.

Do note that the plant is hardy one that is prone to tolerate direct sunlight exposure to a certain degree; however, you should also remember how it is the ultimate condition to place it under limited light with exposure to partial shade.

A point to note here is that if you are moving snake plant from soil to water along or relocating it from bright light to lower light, get the plant slowly acclimatized to the new environment by undertaking the transfer over a week to prevent it from a shock.

– Temperature Requirements

Your water-based snake plant can withstand temperatures ranging from 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. As a tropical plant, it thrives best in temperatures of roughly 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Which means the upkeep of this indoor plant shouldn’t be a challenge if you provide sufficient warmth.

FAQ

1. How Long Will It Take My Snake Plants To Grow Roots in Water?

As long as the water is clean and regularly changed, it can take several weeks to months for snake plants to develop roots in water. However, this depends on the environment it is being grown in and the light and warmth provided to it.

2. Is It Possible for Snake Plants To Grow in Aquariums?

Yes, it is. To answer the question, can snake plant grow in aquariums in more detail, we can say that apart from being hydroponic, it is also aquaponic and thrives well in fish tanks displaying their lush green long snake plant leaves.

Conclusion

You are aware that snake plants can thrive in water by themselves rather than in soil by themselves.

Let’s go over the information that was discussed in the above article in the below section.

• Sansevieria trifasciata, more commonly known as the snake plant, is a hardy plant that can grow entirely in water and does not require any soil to do so.
• In order to do this, all you need is a container that does not have any drainage holes, some clean water, and a plant pup.
• It is possible to propagate the plant by cutting off a section of a leaf or by dividing the plant itself. The months of spring and summer, when the plant is actively growing, are the best times to perform either of these methods.
• Always make sure the container and the roots are clean, and remove any decaying parts of the plant as quickly as you can. The optimal conditions for the plant’s growth are a warm environment that is lit by bright indirect light.
• It is an absolute necessity that you replace the water in the container on a regular basis with fresh water in order to guarantee that there is a steady supply of oxygen reaching the roots of the plant at all times.

Now that you know that snake plants can be grown in water, you should start these delightful plants and grow them in beautiful containers indoors. Now, you are able to keep them in good condition throughout the year, which can bring you joy as well.