Sansevieria boncel is a low-maintenance and compact plant that is a favorite for home or office decor. If you wish to grow this hassle-free and attractive plant then this is the guide that you should be reading right now.
Our experts list out the easy care procedures, tips and techniques to propagate and grow the plant right in your home or garden. Read on to get all the exciting information and some quick-fix solutions to tackle some challenges, all in one place.
What Is Sansevieria Boncel?
Sansevieria Boncel is an attractive and hardy plant that grows both indoors as well as outdoors. You will find the leaves of the plant in a fan-like pattern making it quite a stunner. It has thick and heavy leaves that bloom up like fingers.
Sansevieria Boncel Care
Sansevieria cylindrica boncel starfish or the boncel snake plant, as it is also called, is succulent and thus requires moderate levels of water, low to medium amounts of light, a porous and well-draining soil.
It is relatively easy to grow and all you need to do is pay heed to a few essential care aspects. In this section below we list out each of these so that you can grow a healthy and happy plant, so wait no longer and just read on.
– Water Requirements
As this cylindrical snake plant is a succulent, it requires just a mild level of saturation. Thus do not overwater the plant to make the soil go all soggy. You will have to prevent the roots from sitting in the water for a long time.
The plant can tolerate long spells of drought however overwatering can lead to a stress condition and drastically hamper the health of the plant, leading to root rot or other fungal diseases.
Always make sure to wait for the soil to completely dry out between watering schedules and monitor the watering schedule as per the season and the zone you’re growing the plant in.
Increase the frequency on hot and sultry days and scale back in cold winter months. You could check the water level in the soil by doing a simple finger test by pressing your finger into the soil and feeling for moistness. Add in more only if your finger comes out dry.
– Light Requirements
This snake plant variant requires low to medium levels of bright yet indirect light. The plant thrives well under partial sunlight for about six hours each day. Under all circumstances avoid making sansevieria boncel light harsh, especially from the afternoon sun as this could scorch the leaves and can make them brown and brittle.
If you are growing it indoors, move it near an east-facing window so that it can take advantage of the morning sunlight which is gentle and not very harsh to the plant foliage. During colder seasons you can grow them under artificial grow lights.
– Soil Requirements
Sansevieria cylindrical requires well-draining and aerated soil. This variant prefers a potting mix inclusive of peat or perlite that will increase the drainage properties of the soil and also keeps it light and porous. Avoid heavy, clayey or loamy soils.
You could also throw in some warm castings along with some organic compost to keep the plant well-nourished. The soil needs to be slightly acidic between a range of 6.0 to 7.0.
– Temperature Requirements
Grow the plant in a moderate temperature range between 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees celsius to 30 degrees celsius). The plant adapts well even to average room temperatures indoors, however, keep them away from hot blasts from heaters or sudden cold air from air conditioners.
During winters move the plant away from cold drafts and chilly winds to grow them under artificial grow lights. Moreover, the plant cannot tolerate sudden changes or fluctuations in temperatures, so keep the warmth around it constant.
– Humidity Requirements
Similar to the other sansevieria boncel varieties, this variant too does not require much humidity and can thrive well in a range of environmental conditions. Ideal humidity in the air though can be maintained at around 40 percent.
If the humidity increases in your zone, scale back on your watering and avoid misting the plant so that excess moisture in the air does not lead to root rot or fungal diseases in the foliage. Also, if you are keeping the plant in an extremely dry zone you could place a pebble tray below the plant, kicking in some moisture.
– Fertilizing Requirements
This plant does not require much fertilizer use as it is robust and sturdy enough. However, you could add some organic compost or slow-release pellets in the active phase of the plant during the early summer months. Alternatively, you could use a diluted and balanced liquid fertilizer with a 10-10-10 composition as sansevieria boncel flowers are rare and any other formula is not required.
Avoid fertilizing in the cold winter months as this could result in salt build-up at the roots. During the colder season, the plant conserves its energy and thus does not require many fertilizers.
However, it is also keen to keep in mind that if you over-fertilize this plant, it might go through a burn-out phase, where the plant will be tired and the gorgeous leaves would have patches of burnt spots. These spots will be challenging to recover, hence, it is key to be mindful when you apply the fertilizer as a booster of the plant.
– Pruning
Pruning the sansevieria boncel starfish is easy to maintain and will not grow unruly or wild. However frequent pruning helps to keep the plant pest and disease free and will also boost fresh growth.
Always sterilize your garden tools before you snip any part of the foliage to prevent fungal diseases and pathogen growth. Gently snip away dead, decayed diseased leaves regularly. Additionally, the infected leaves will easily spread their disease when they aren’t pruned, even the new batch of leaves that will grow will have infections.
Nonetheless, one thing you should have in mind when you are pruning this plant is that you must prune off the dead leaves, because these dead leaves when they stay, As they stay, they will remain there and cover up the parts where new seedlings might grow. They would block the way for the healthy leaves, and that is when the new ones will not grow freely.
Propagation
Sansevieria boncel propagation is easy and hassle-free and you need just basic gardening skills. Propagate via plant division method to create your nascent sansevieria. In this below section, we teach you the step-by-step procedure on how you can undertake this process.
– Propagation Method Through Division
Before you begin your process of propagation, it is always advisable to keep tools ready as this will make the job at hand easy. You need Aerated potting mix, a pot, pups from a healthy mother plant, and a sterile garden pruner or knife.
Starfish Sansevieria produces tiny offsets at the base called pups. These pups can be utilized to propagate a new plant effectively. Choose a healthy mother plant from which you would be picking out these pups. With the help of sterile garden pruners, snip a section off the plant such that the pups get separated from the main branch. Take care not to damage the main stem of the mother plant.
Plant these pups individually in a well-draining potting mix and secure it with soil all around. Locate your plant in a warm area and keep the soil lightly moist.
Over a couple of weeks, the pups would slowly develop into rhizomes and begin to establish themselves independently, sprouting their fresh leaves. You have now successfully propagated this sansevieria plant on your own.
The right season to propagate this plant is during the warm months of spring and summer. This is the time the sansevieria is in the active phase and you would not have to put in much effort to ensure the propagated offset is healthy.
The warmth of the season is enough to help the plant establish roots fast and to keep it well nourished. Avoid the cold days of the winter season to propagate the plant as in a state of dormancy the plant tends to conserve energy.
Problems
This succulent may be easy to grow however it comes with its own set of problems. In this section below we address the most common challenges and give you some quick fix solutions to tackle them effectively.
– Insects and Pest Infestation
This plant can easily be infected by common house plants such as spider mites, mealy bugs, and aphids due to the presence of fleshy stems. The pests are known to be notorious as they can suck out the nutritious juices from the healthy foliage of the plant and make them go limp and weak.
Over time it can also result in killing the plant entirely. The first thing to do as soon as you spot such garden pests is to isolate the plant so that nearby foliage in your garden is not affected.
You may have to snip away those sections which are heavily infested and spray an organic soapy insecticide on the remaining pests. You may even use a diluted solution of alcohol so that the insects drop off the foliage.
Additionally, spray a blast of water over the affected area to get rid of those pests that still stay clung to the foliage. Moreover, to prevent pest infestation by maintaining proper plant hygiene try misting the plant and wiping the leaves and stems weather a damp cloth regularly best in the dry and dusty environments thus reduce this and you should have a pest-free plant.
– Twisted Leaves
Do you find the leaves of your Sansevieria plant twisted or curled? This is a stress condition and you will need to give relook at the plant’s watering schedule, the amount of light it receives, and the humidity conditions you are providing it with.
This variant will not prefer soggy soil and dislikes the roots sitting in water for a long time, thus allowing the soil to dry out between watering schedules. Moreover, you would also have to prevent long dry spells in the soil so the best way to tackle this is to keep the soil lightly moist at all times.
Also, the place to plant in bright yet diffused light away from the harsh rays of the sun as overexposure or underexposure to light can cause deformity of the foliage.
– Soft Stems
This plant is succulent and thus does not like too much water around it. Overwatering can make the stems go soft and mushy and over some time it can kill the plant. Keep the soil just slightly moist and if you are living in a zone with high humidity, avoid misting the plant too often as this could result in mushy stems, fungal diseases, and root rot.
The potting mix needs to be well drained and the pot or container the plant is placed in should have well-draining holes, permitting free flow out of water.
– Fungal Problems
Southern blight and red leaf spots are common fungal diseases that can appear on these plants. They affect stems and leaves throughout with symptoms such as white spots which turn brown over time.
Fungal diseases can even weaken the stems and kill the plant in its entirety. These fungal diseases commonly occur when the plant is subject to excess moisture as well as if they have been placed in a dingy and damp corner.
If you suspect any form of such infection, the first thing to do is to snip away sections before they spread all across the plant. Remove the infected plant from the soil and transplant it into a fresh well-draining potting mix.
Place the plant in a well-ventilated area with ample air circulation. Treat the foliage with an organic fungicide or a solution of methyl bromide available in most gardening stores.
– Brittle Leaves
If you find the leaves of your plant turning crisp and brittle, you can be sure you have subjected the foliage to extremes in temperature. As a tropical plant, it will be stressed under cold conditions with chilly winds and frost as well as under extreme heat of summer days.
Prolonged heat or cold conditions hamper the health of the plant drastically scorching the leaves and turning them brown. Additionally, fluctuations in temperatures also can cause similar symptoms.
The plant needs consistent warmth. Move the plant indoors when the weather outside is not suitable for the plant. You could grow them under artificial grow lights which is sufficient to provide them with adequate heat and light.
– Browning of Leaves
Your leaves may be turning brown if you’ve been growing them in an extremely dry environment or dehydrated soil. Underwatering the plant puts it under tremendous stress and turns the foliage brown. The soil needs some amount of saturation and the surroundings too require a certain level of humidity to keep the plant green and healthy.
If you’re located in a dry zone you will have to mist the plant regularly. Alternatively, you could also use a pebble tray filled with water below the pot or container which can kick in some moisture, as the water evaporates in the tray.
FAQ
– Is the Sansevieria Boncel Toxic?
Yes, every part of the plant are toxic if ingested accidentally or consumed by pets or humans. The plant can cause allergic reactions to the digestive tract along with nausea, vomiting, and rashes around the mouth or lips. Thus keep the plant away from pets and children.
Conclusion
You have now read all about the sansevieria boncel and are confident of growing it healthily in your garden.
Let us quickly summarize all that we have learned in this section below, about the complete care process, propagation method and the challenges that you may face.
- The sansevieria boncel is an attractive succulent that is easy to grow and thrives in a range of conditions. The plant is known to purify the air around it and can be grown indoors as well as outdoors.
- You will find the plant with its characteristic fan-like patterned leaves which can grab quite many eyeballs.
- All that you need to provide is well-draining soil, moderate temperature and light, and low levels of humidity. The plant does not require heavy fertilizer use however an organic compost or well-balanced liquid formula in the active growth will keep it going.
- Propagate the plant easily by using plant division. You will find tiny pups at the base of the plant which will develop into rhizomes and slowly into independent plants.
- Tackle the problems of the plant by monitoring its watering schedule, keeping it pest free, and ensuring it is placed in the right warmth and light conditions.
Now that you have read our comprehensive one-stop guide about the plant variant you will be excited to include this in your garden.
Not only is this plant a complete charm, but it is also hassle-free, even for beginner-level gardeners, so wait no longer and let it delight and spread its magic around.
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