Welcome to this post that will be talking about why a snake plant might be growing very skinny. The simple reason is often that the plant is not getting enough sunlight. The snake plant is used to grow in a climate where the temperature is very high and the moisture in the air very low.
But there are a few things we could be doing to make sure that the snake plant has a great place to grow in. Fixing and adjusting a few things will make sure the plant can start growing thicker stems and leaves.
Follow along in the article here and we will further talk about what some of these things are that you could be doing for your snake plant. We find it to be one of the best beginner-friendly houseplants to start with. It’s a relatively low-maintenance variety as the biggest jobs are around watering and making sure it gets enough sunlight.
Skinny Snake Plant
Just like we said at the beginning of the article here, the snake plant will be growing in a very skinny way when it can’t get enough sunlight each day. The stems will be growing smaller and start leaning more and more.
It all really is about the sunlight it’s getting since that will be the source of energy for the plant. When it can’t get enough that it will start deteriorating rather quickly actually. The stem of the plant will ideally be relatively thick and green in color.
But there is a way we can stop the plant from growing any skinnier. We simply need to make sure the plant is getting enough sunlight. Each day we will want to aim for about 8 – 10 hours of light. That will keep it in line and have it thriving and recovering in no time.
When the hours get lower than this then we will have skinny and thin snake plants. But when it gets too much then we risk having the leaves start to dry out instead. That is also not a very good thing as they can no longer perform photosynthesis, the vital process that generates energy for the plant.
Setting the plant up for success is also very important. This means that the soil needs to be very healthy. It should be regularly fertilized throughout the year to keep the level of nutrients and beneficial bacteria high there. About 3 – 4 times each year should be plenty.
Are your snake plants suffering from the cold? In this article, we will be discussing this issue more in-depth, Snake Plant Cold Damage.
Why Is My Snake Plant So Skinny
The reason a snake plant will start to be growing skinny is because of the amount of sunlight it’s getting each day. If it can’t reach the benchmark amount that is required to just sustain the plant then it will be growing more skinny.
The plant can no longer support itself and what it needs to survive. We recommend that you strive for about 8 – 10 hours of sunlight each day for the snake plant. This will be emulated by the environment it had when it was growing naturally in the desert.
Make sure that you are also watering the plant regularly when you keep it in the sun for this long. As the soil will be drying out a lot quicker we need to be careful we don’t accidentally underwater the plant instead.
That will cause it to have wrinkled leaves that might even turn yellow as the chlorophyll in them is disappearing and the plant is draining away the last nutrients from that part.
Are the leaves on your snake plant already starting to look wrinkled? In this article, we will discuss how you can fix this, Snake Plant Wrinkled Leaves.
How Do You Get A Bushy Snake Plant
Getting a bushy snake plant is not the easiest actually. We have to rely a lot on making sure it has enough sun during the day. The snake plant is used to having an abundance of this each day and when it gets compromised so will the growth of the plant as well.
Aim for about 8 – 10 hours each day. If you are struggling to find a place in your house, we recommend placing it in a south-facing window. That will most likely cover the needs.
