Snake plants are famously tough, and the good news is that making more of them is just as easy. You don’t need any special skills, or even a nursery trip. One healthy plant can give you new ones for your friends, your office desk or a bare corner of your home, using nothing more than a clean knife, some pots and a little patience. There are two main ways to do it, division, which is the fastest, and leaf cuttings, which is slower but gives you the most plants. Here’s a step-by-step guide to both.
Before you start, decide which method suits you. Division gives you an established plant almost instantly and is the only way to keep the yellow edges on a variegated snake plant, since cuttings from variegated plants usually grow back solid green. Leaf cuttings are better if you want many new plants from a single leaf. Gather a clean, sharp knife, small pots with drainage holes, and a well-draining mix, such as potting soil with plenty of sand or perlite. Warm weather is the best time to propagate. Leaf cuttings are slow. Even after the roots form, small pups can take several months to appear, so don’t give up on them too soon. Keep your new plants in bright, indirect light, and water only when the top couple of inches of soil are dry, being extra careful during the monsoon. Skip the fertiliser until they’re properly established. Once they’re settled, they’ll need very little attention, which is exactly why snake plants are so loved.
How to propagate snake plants at home: A simple step-by-step guide using leaf cuttings and division
Water the plant a day or two beforehand, then gently slide it out of its pot and shake off the extra soil, so you can see the roots. Look for the pups, the small shoots with their own roots, attached by a thick underground stem called a rhizome. Cut each section free with a clean knife, making sure it has some roots and leaves. Let the cut ends dry for a day or two, then pot each section in fresh soil, and water lightly. A bit of wilting for the first week or two is normal. This article is intended for general informational purposes only. Rooting times and results vary with temperature, light and the plant variety. Use a clean, sharp knife carefully, and keep cut leaves out of reach of children and pets, as snake plants can be mildly toxic if eaten. Consult a local nursery for advice suited to your area.
Because the cutting will only root from that end, here’s the key rule: remember which end was the bottom,. If you plant a cutting upside down, it simply won’t root. Choose a healthy, mature leaf and cut it off at the base. You can leave it whole or cut it into sections about three to four inches long. Cut a small V-shape in the top, or mark it with a pen, so you don’t mix them up. Let the cut ends dry and form a callus for two to five days to prevent rot. For water, place the bottom end of each cutting, about an inch or two, in a jar of water, in bright, indirect light. Change the water regularly, and wait three to six weeks for roots to appear. Move the cutting to soil once the roots are about an inch long. For soil, bury the bottom end about an inch deep in a gritty, well-draining mix and water sparingly. It takes longer, about four to eight weeks, and the main risk is rot, so don’t let the soil get soggy.
