Want prettier Sansevierias in your home? Make the Stripes on Your Snake Plant Brighter and Bolder With These Tricks!
What’s a snake plant without its bright, glossy green leaves and bold yellow stripes? But sometimes, with neglect and unsuitable conditions, even this hardy succulent may succumb to dullness. We share simple tricks that help you unlock its full aesthetic potential and nurse it back to glory! Check it out.
Tricks for Brighter and Bolder Snake Plant Stripes
1. Choose the Right Variety
Snake plants come in over 70 varieties, each with its own unique set of characteristics. The ones with the most prominent stripes include Laurentii, with horizontal green stripes and yellow edges, Black Gold for lighter stripes on dark leaves, Futura Robusta, and Bantel’s Sensation for unique stripe and leaf patterns.
Now, a word on new growth, which is often less variegated and colorful when it emerges. As the new leaf unfurls and matures, its bold stripes and darker green tones gradually evolve. Give your plant time to mature, and you’ll see the stripes becoming more prominent.
2. Give Them the Right Amount of Sun
Even the slightest sunlight fluctuation can change the colors of a snake plant and its coveted stripes. Snake plants grow best in 8-10 hours of indirect sun or a few hours of direct morning sun. Too much direct light can burn the foliage, and too little can stunt its growth and dilute its rich hue.
If you want the best appearance, maintain a balance and provide an ample amount of indirect sunlight all day.
3. No Under or Overfeeding
Plant food can either give your snake plant a glow-up or ruin it! Excess fertilizers may lead its foliage to burn or wilt. Snake plants absorb high amounts of salts and minerals, which can damage the roots and lead to slow decay of the entire plant.
This succulent typically has low nutritional needs. However, in dismally poor soil conditions, a bit of aid may restore the plant’s health and color, especially if it starts yellowing or loses its sharpness.
Use any liquid, all-purpose fertilizer with a 10-10-10 NPK ratio diluted to half of its intensity. Apply only 3-4 times a year, especially during the growing season. This will help maintain its perfect deep hues and bold patterns.
Check out these snake plant fertilizers, and your plant will thank you with the prettiest foliage.
4. Wipe the Leaves
Sometimes, your snake plant is covered in layers of dust and dirt, which often hampers its ability to absorb light. Once every 4-8 weeks, use a soft, damp cloth to wipe down its leaves gently, and voila! Your shiny snake plant is back!
This succulent has a natural waxy coat that retains moisture and shields it from pests. Avoid harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or polish, as these can strip away this protective layer.
5. Divide, Don’t Cut!
Our final trick to procure brighter, bolder stripes on snake plants is to divide and conquer! When you propagate snake plants from cuttings, they sometimes lose their variegation and striped patterns. This happens because plants may or may not carry the genetic trait of the variegation and will revert to a plain green.
Dividing the parent plant is the way to retain the beauteous stripes of a mother plant. Read our post to learn how to do this correctly!
