5 Tips To Fix Snake Plant Root Bound Problem

Root-bound Snake plant is one of the most talked-about issues in the gardening world.

But it’s also the easiest to solve with some expert gardening skills.

In the following guide, I have shared a few useful tips to fix this issue.

So, let’s get started!

Do Snake Plants Like To Be Root Bound?

Yes, Snake Plants have the tendency to be root bound.

And it’s quite common to see such a root system in this variety of the plant.

So, if your indoor Snake plant seems root-bound, there is no need to worry at all.

In most cases, you don’t have to do anything else. 

Just keep growing your plant the way you always do.

But in some cases, the plant may get bigger than the pot, and you will have to use some of the tips and suggestions shared below.

5 Tips To Fix Snake Plant Root Bound Problem

Here are a few things you can do to avoid and fix the root-bound problem in your Snake plant –

1. Remove The Plant From The Pot And Inspect It Thoroughly

This is the first thing you should do whenever there is a problem with the roots of your indoor plant.

When you do a thorough roots inspection, you get to know more about the things that are happening under the soil.

Without this inspection, you would only be guessing the cause of any existing issues in your plants.

So, remove the plant from the pot and take a good look at the root system.

If you see any signs of damaged roots, root rot, or root bound problem, you can act upon it.

And if it’s the root-bound issue, you may use some of the tips mentioned in this list.

2. Remove Damaged Roots

Whenever the Snake plant gets root-bound, the best thing to do is remove as many roots as possible.

Of course, don’t get too excited and remove most of the roots.

Because the plant will find it difficult to cope up with the root trimming shock.

Just remove the damaged and dead roots from the plant.

You may also wash the roots to get rid of the excess soil attached to them.

This will give you an even better idea about the possible damaged roots.

Once you have removed the damaged and unwanted roots, it should free up more space in the pot.

Put the plant back in the same pot and let it grow as it did previously.

Later, if the roots get bound again, you can follow the same steps and repot the plant as suggested in tip no. 4 below.

3. Divide The Plant

The Snake plant works pretty much like the Aloe plant.

It also produces new pups when the conditions are right.

So, if you have too many small and medium-sized pups around the main plant, it’s definitely going to create the root-bound issue underneath the soil.

And the only way to fix this issue is by dividing the plant!

But what does it really mean?

For those new to gardening, the division technique is nothing but separating two or more plants from the same pot.

When you perform this technique, it automatically creates room for the existing plant.

On top of that, you also get new plants that you can plant in your garden or gift to your loved ones.

That’s the beauty of this technique!

It gives you two benefits in one task.

So, do try to separate the plants from your current pot, and this should solve the root-bound problem for a few months, if not more.

4. Repot The Plant

Repotting is one the best methods to tackle the root-bound plant issue.

It works so effectively that you don’t have to rely on any other gardening techniques.

But why does it work so well?

The answer lies in the details. 

When you repot the plant, it gives you an idea of how the root system has grown over the period.

If it’s root-bound, you can prune some of the excess growth using scissors.

And put the plant back in the pot with a fresh soil mixture.

Here’s a step by step method to repot your Snake plant – 

1. Water the plant thoroughly a day before you plan to repot the plant.
2. On the day of repotting, hold the plant from the bottom leaves and flip the pot.
3. Try to remove the plant slowly. 
4. If it’s not coming out easily, apply some pressure on all sides of the pot and gently push the plant outside.
5. Once the plant is out of the pot, wash the root system with water and get rid of the dirt attached to it.
6. Prune the unwanted and damaged roots from the plant.
7. Next, clean the pot with fresh water.
8. Add some new soil mixture to the pot and place the plant back in the same pot.
9. Water the plant and keep it near an airy and sunny window.
10. Fertilize the plant after a couple of weeks.

Done!

Now, you have successfully repotted your root-bound plant!

Even though it seems like a challenging task, it’s fairly easy to do at home.

Here are few things to remember:

1. If the plant is suffering from root rot or any similar issues, you should consider using tip no. 5 in this list, i.e., transplanting the plant.
2. Do not repot the plant if the weather conditions are not favorable.
3. Do use the separation method if there are many plants in the pot.

5. Transplant The Snake Plant

As I said earlier, it’s the best option for the plants affected by some external issues.

The reason why I recommend this method is because the plant gets a completely new environment as compared to other repotting methods.

In this method, you simply discard the pot and soil used previously.

And it is always considered beneficial for the growth of the plant, as you eliminate the risk of recurring issues in the same pot.

So, do take a look at the root system as well as the leaves of the plant.

If there is any issue with them, you must go for this method.

Things To Remember:

1. Whenever you perform this method, make sure you use a bigger pot for the plant. It will give its roots enough space to grow over the years.
2. The new pot should have a few drainage holes, which are essential in removing excess water from the pot.
3. You may perform light roots trimming before putting the plant into a new pot, though it’s not a required step for this method.
4. The new pot should be dry while transplanting the plant into it.

On the whole, these are the few things you can do to fix the Snake plant root-bound issue.

Apart from the usual repotting and transplanting, you can also move the plant to an open space in your garden.

With such space, your Snake plant will have enough room to thrive, and the roots will also not get bound to each other.

Moreover, the root-bound issue is not a major problem in the gardening world.

In fact, it’s a great sign that the plant is looking to grow vigorously. 

You just need to find a new place for such plants where they can do well.

And if not, you can go for the light root pruning as well.

In the next section, I have tried to answer some of the commonly asked questions by the readers.

If you have any more queries in your mind, do take a look at it below.

FAQs

Over To You

As mentioned earlier in the guide, the Snake plant and root-bound go hand in hand.

It’s a common trait of this type of plant.

And it’s not a significant issue at all.

So, don’t think too much about it.

You just have to follow the steps suggested above, and your plant should reward you with new leaves and pups later.

Meanwhile, if you liked this guide, do share it with your friend and family.

And please share your feedback and questions in the comments below.