Wondering why your Snake plant has rotting leaves?
Well, this plant is known for its hardy nature.
It doesn't attract many bugs or other related issues.
But sometimes, you might just get unlucky and experience something like this on your plant.
So, how do you fix this problem?
Let's find out more about it in this guide today.
3 Reasons Why Your Snake Plant Has Rotting Leaves
Firstly, let's take a look at the reasons why you see rotting leaves on the Snake plant.
Below, I have listed a few possible causes for this issue.
Hopefully, it will help you understand more about this specific problem.
1. You Have Been Misting Your Plant Regularly
Do you mist your Snake plant regularly?
If yes, it could be the possible reason for rotting leaves on your plant.
Even though the Snake plant won't mind a bit of moisture around it, it will certainly not like wet conditions.
This is especially true for the rainy and winter season.
In these seasons, the Snake plant doesn't require too much water.
So, if you keep on misting your plant frequently, it will surely attract some issues in some way or another.
2. You Have Watered Your Snake Plant Too Much
As I mentioned earlier, this plant is averse to wet conditions.
It may tolerate excessive watering for a couple of days, but you will have to deal with the issues later on.
Most indoor plants do not like sitting in wet conditions for too long, and the Snake plant is not different either.
Sometimes, we do feel that the desert plants might require more water, as they do not get much water in their natural habitat.
However, their system is built to survive in low water conditions.
These plants have adapted themselves in the form of fleshy leaves and rhizomes, which help store water for many days.
So, there is no real need to supply water to such plants every other day.
3. You Kept The Plant Outside During Rainy Season
Yes, it can also be one of the reasons for rotting leaves on the Snake plant.
If you keep your plant on a windowsill or the balcony, it might get excess water during the rains.
A splash of rain can surely make your pot wet, which is not the best thing to happen for a plant like the Snake plant.
Hence, you should always move your indoor plants inside whenever there is a chance of slight rain around your place.
This will greatly save some of your plants that are not good at handling more water in the pot.
In the next section, you will find a few more useful tips around this topic.
Let's take a quick look at them.
5 Tips To Fix Snake Plant Rotting Leaves Issue
Here's how you can fix this issue in your Snake plant -
1. Trim Or Remove The Rotten Leaves From The Plant
This should be the first step of action while addressing this issue.
When you see rotten leaves on the plant, you know there is no point in keeping them as it is.
These leaves will never return to their original form or shape, no matter what you do to recover the plant.
It's better to take these leaves off the plant so that the new leaves can replace them in a few weeks or months.
Also, when you remove these leaves, do not throw them in the compost bin.
These leaves may attract fungus easily, so it's good to discard them entirely.
As for trimming, you may go ahead and do it selectively.
It should be performed on the leaves that are slightly rotten from the tip.
Now the pruned leaves may not look great on the plant, but the process will surely help stop rotting in the entire leaf structure.
However, as I said, this should only be done sparingly.
If most of the leaves are rotten, you should probably consider the propagation method.
2. Remove The Snake Plant From The Pot
Once you are done with the trimming or pruning, you can move to the next step in this process.
Now, remove the plant from its container.
Since the plant's soil might already be moist, it shouldn't be difficult to pull it out of the pot.
Still, be careful when you perform this task.
You don't want to hurt your plant unnecessarily.
Apart from that, you should also carry out this activity in an open space.
It will help you clean the dirt later.
3. Transplant It To A New Pot
Yes, this is how you're going to save your Snake plant.
When the leaves begin to rot, it's the best thing you can do to reverse the rotting process.
Since the wet conditions play a key role in rotting the leaves and roots, you should move the entire plant to a new pot with a fresh soil mixture.
This will help provide a better environment for the plant.
While transplanting the plant, you should also trim some of the dead and mushy roots from it.
It will contain root rot and will make the plant produce more roots in the future.
Other than that, you may also add some fertilizer to the soil mix.
But make sure you don't add it too much at this stage, as the plant might already be under stress due to the root rot issue.
4. Propagate A Few Leaves For The Backup
If you are not sure whether the plant will make it or not, you should think of propagating the leaves.
In case you're not aware of it, it's quite possible to propagate the Snake plant with the help of leaves.
You just have to cut a few fresh leaves from the plant and propagate them using the soil or water propagation method.
This is an important step in this process because you don't want to rely on the main plant.
The newly propagated leaves will serve as a backup for a rotting plant.
5. Keep The Main Plant In Well-Lit Space
Finally, when you have completed all the above steps, you can keep the plant in a well-lit location.
Again, it's quite important to keep your plant in such a place, as it allows the plant to remain dry for a long time.
Also, if there is any fungus on the plant, it may disappear with some natural light.
Having said that, you shouldn't put it in the direct sunlight.
The Snake plant doesn't do well in direct sun and will wilt further after a few days or weeks.
Well, that's it for this guide on how to save your plant from this issue.
Below, I have shared some FAQs related to this topic.
If you have any similar doubts, do take a look at the following questions and answers.
FAQs
The transplanting method is the best thing you can do to revive the Snake plant.
When you provide dry conditions to the plant, it makes the whole thing easier to deal with such an issue.
You can remove the plant from the pot and inspect for any decaying roots in it.
Along with this, you can also look for other signs such as mushy leaves, dark spots on the leaves, the rotten smell from the pot, etc.
This way, you can confirm the possible root rot in your Snake plant or any other indoor plant in your home garden.
The Snake plant leaves turn yellow for many reasons.
This includes underwatering, overwatering, excessive sunlight, and lack of fertilizers.
All these issues can lead to the yellowing of leaves in your Snake plant.
Yes, you can cut the brown tips off your plant.
But it won't look great for the overall look of the plant.
Also, the leaves won't grow back, and the tip might turn black after a few days.
So, think about all these situations before trimming the brown tips off the Snake plant.
You can't do much about the mushy leaves.
You will have to cut the leaf from the plant, which will allow it to produce more leaves in the future.
Over To You
The rotting leaves can be a sign of a significant issue in your plant, and you need to address it immediately.
If you delay this process, you might have to lose the plant altogether.
So, use the tips and suggestions shared in the above guide and try to revive the Snake plant.
If you have any further queries or feedback, please let me know in the comments below.
Do share this guide with your friends and family if you found it helpful.
Leave a Reply