They need very little water. Repot it asap into a pot with drainage holes. I would use a loose fast draining soil. We had two on either end of the fire place with no sun or light. We often forgot to water them And they didn't mind.

I agree with zackey, I would add that snake plants like being rootbound so use the smallest pot that will hold all the roots, mine only get a larger pot when they break the one they're in (yes they can split ceramic) or get too top heavy to stay standing (or when the dwarf chokes itself with all the babies!) If you're not ready to make your own soil mix regular potting soil+ 1/3 to 1/2 perlite should do fine. I don't think any plant truly thrives on neglect but some have very low expectations of us and snake plants can survive anything except soggy roots and a hard freeze. If you want more detailed info there is a whole forum for sansevieria.
Good luck (not that you'll need it)!

Agree with repotting to a pot with a hole in the bottom.

No plant likes to be rootbound. What they like is for their roots to NOT rot, which can happen so easily in a pot with dense soils, like ground dirt, or bagged mixes of predominantly tiny particles of peat, and especially in a pot without a hole in the bottom. Having very little soil around the roots makes it difficult for even the most dedicated plant-overwaterers to rot the roots of their plants. This gives rise to the myth that they "like to be potbound" or like a small pot. This is not ideal, just a way of coping with inappropriate soil mixes.

A more porous, chunky soil (like cactus/palm, if one is buying bagged,) can have air in it even when it is moist. Roots need oxygen and moisture at the same time to function. When there are tiny particles of any kind in a pot, such as peat, sand, silt, clay, they filter into all of the tiny spaces in a pot, eliminating the air. "Overwatering" is the label and manifestation when roots have suffocated and/or rotted, combo of both. There is no one thing folks can put in to make soil better, but removing tiny particles of any type will definitely help. Over time, Roots fill pots, and organic bits decompose into smaller bits, so even the "best" soil, if it has organic components, will need to be replaced when this happens. The speed at which this happens depends on many variables, but on average, about 1-3 years.

Sans are actually fast-growing plants, when conditions don't hinder that, and have huge, rhizomatous roots that need some room to roam. Without the confines of a pot, the pups don't come up right next to the mama rosettes. Having to twist/contort to find the soil surface can delay the appearance of pups.

Well said, Tiff.

When I first read the title of the post, I was all ready to jump right in with the advice to tell her to lay off the Cheetos; but then I saw the error in that line of thinking & decided to applaud some good observations.

Al

This post was edited by tapla on Wed, Oct 15, 14 at 18:04

Indeed, well said!

I grow a Sansevieria in Gritty Mix and I water and fertilize frequently. My plant even bloomed this Summer and is currently pushing up a new pup.

Josh

I don't want to hijack a thread here, but what are the key ingredients to making Sans grow fast? I have 5 very different S. trifasciata cultivars, but all mine are mostly just sitting there. I haven't had any of them longer than a few months though, and one just a couple of weeks.

65/55 day/night temp
Bright shade + 2-3 hours direct sun (quickly becoming winter grey)
All but 2 in original pot and soil

I have gritty mix. I'm thinking larger pots, gritty mix, and bottom heat?

Debrichard, so sorry to hijack your thread, but I'm thinking you could probably also use the information. Hope you don't mind, and I hope your Sans comes back quickly for you.

purpleinopp, I was offering an adequate solution not an ideal one. Potbound may have been an overstatement, but for a plant with with compromised roots already it's appropriate. The pot size needs to match the roots that are going in it and my experience with sans is that they require less root space than most plants of similar size, my cylindrica for example has cracked its pot twice in three years while blooming and doubling in size each year.
I should also mention we may be approaching this issue differently, I grow sans as a filler and it's reliability and minimal needs allow me to devote more time to my other plants. There is a lot of space between growing a healthy plant and growing a perfect specimen at the peak of it's genetic potential and that's where most people do their gardening. For me it's an informed and conscious choice, I prioritize resources in favor of my favorites, though I do respect and appreciate the enthusiasm and dedication of those that are pushing the upper limits.

K - For fast growth you need lots of room for roots to run, a soil that allows you to water correctly, good light, appropriate temps, and a solid nutritional supplementation program used regularly. Tight roots are a serious impediment to the growth of any plant.

Al

The golden rule: If a thing ain't broke, don't fix it. Nobody who is happy with their plants should change anything. Sometimes people decide their thing is broke after gathering more info and spending more time with a plant. Tastes and goals can migrate over time.

Hacking, I couldn't agree more with the angle of choosing your own way to do things. So much info is out there, much of it conflicting. Each grower gleans what they can from it, trying to determine which are the real pearls of wisdom, and puts it into practice in their own way, according to their budget, schedule, personal taste, so many variables. Over time, you get to know each plant and the right thing for you and your plants becomes more obvious. Believing a thing will work is at least 51% of the recipe for success with plants, so definitely ask questions when something doesn't jive for you. I know I've had to have some things explained to me several times until they made sense to me and what I'm doing in my own little world.

From what you said in your last, yes, we are approaching things differently. Nothing at all wrong with that, but an excellent point to make. For almost 20 years, I had my Sans packed tightly in pots, (the house plant books say that's what they prefer, right?) Much of the time they were in some darkish corner somewhere, rarely given any thought. After reading more anecdotes about them, I wondered why my plants weren't offering the same excitement. They grow faster with more light and space? I had no idea, I'd never tried that. Time to experiment. First with much larger pots. Then with putting plants in the ground for summer vacation. Both venues yielded more pups than I had room to keep in the house the following winter. Those who don't like to repot annually, or who don't want their plant to change that fast, wouldn't appreciate that at all. If one just likes the appearance as-is, there's definitely no reason to do anything to make it change faster.

IME, a 5-gallon bucket is a smallish pot for Sans, but that's not what most people want from their house plants - some giant thing that's constantly growing out of control, outgrowing the space one is willing to devote to it. With all of the hullabaloo about Sans being slow-growing, perfect for low-light, yada yada, that's usually the reason for which they are acquired. So the small pot that constricts the roots and keeps the growth at a crawl is perfect for them, it fits the purpose for which the plant is intended. There is indeed a time/place/purpose in *not* having a plant performing at its' ideal, limits of its' potential. The malleable Sans will put up with about anything, except being cold while moist, or simply rotting the roots in any weather as described above. Those who don't kill their plants in these ways should enjoy them well, and hopefully be able to find what works for them to have it growing at their desired pace.

One more thing about small pots...

One thing for the OP: if the leaves start turning yellow, cut them off quickly!

If they go floppy then you spill the liquid contents, you won't forget the smell in a long time.

I've not quite decided if rotten Sansevieria leaf or rotten Marginata stem is the worst smell.

Thanks, Al. I'm gradually moving my collection to grit, and several to larger pots. I haven't found the ideal growing temp for Sans, but in winter, it's a moot point anyway.

Hi debrichard,
I'm late to the party, so I'll assume you have taken action.
Sansevieria are very tough plants but dislike damp soil
in the cooler darker days. Clay pots are best (always with drain hole and unglazed). Always best if your sans is sickly to have a look at the roots. If the soil is damp it
can always be set on some newspaper an allowed to dry
for a few days or longer. As for fast growing, pretend you are in South Florida in early June and recreate those conditions (bright indirect light upper 80's humid ect., those are the conditions Sansevieria tend to like. Good luck.
Fred