Snake Plant Light Requirements Tricks to Grow

Snake plants, which are also known as Sansevierias or mother-in-law tongues, are some of the long lasting plants that you can plant at home. They are easy to maintain and care. They can even grow well when they are neglected. However, most people do not really know about them. One of the things that is actually important yet hard to understand is the light.

The light requirements of the snake plant

Natural light of medium intensity with indirect light being the optimal is needed for each type of snake plant. It is important for growing. In addition to that, you can also grow them under artificial lights. The difference is that the growth rate will not be the same.

Different snake plant light conditions

While it is true that the snake plants are able to survive in different conditions, it is still important for you to make the right environment to grow them. They are known to grow in some different kinds of light intensities, ranging from low to high. However, the medium bright light is still best for them.

• Low light conditions

Snake plants do not really matter if they are placed in the shady corners or in low lights. Unlike most plants, they can tolerate the places with lower light. However, it does not mean they can grow well as the growth can be a bit slower compared to the places with high light.

For instance, if you grow the snake plants in a dim corner in your house, there is no way for them to die from the lack of the light. The only thing possible is that they will not grow as colorful as the ones that are placed in the indirect sunlight. If you want to have them in your bedrooms, go on as they are nice ones for bedrooms. One thing to remember is to not place them in rooms with no windows or no natural light.

• Medium light conditions

It is the best for the snake plants to grow in medium light. The natural light is preferred by them. It means that the indirect sunlight is best for them to grow. The perfect place would be near an east facing window, the area where plenty of sunlight enters in the morning. Another best one is the corner or center of a room as it does not receive direct light.

• High light conditions

As the plants originally from the hot weather, snake plants can tolerate high light levels. Under full sun, they can grow. However, it does not mean that the full and direct sunlight is good for them as it can make the leaves burn. Not only that, the plant can also be a little droopy in this kind of condition. It is also best to give them indirect sunlight.

Method to grow snake plants with artificial light

It is possible to grow the snake plants indoors as long as there is enough artificial lighting. Even though the artificial lights can be used to grow a lot of houseplants, keep in mind that they are not as good as the sunlight full time. Read also: what else that affect your snake plant

There are a few kinds of artificial lighting and they affect differently to the growth of the snake plants.

• Fluorescent Lights

The fluorescent lights have more blue wavelengths of the light spectrum. Apparently, the blue light end of the spectrum is good at helping the normal growth of foliage. They can be used with the warm or full spectrum light bulbs, the ones with more red wavelengths. The red light end can be used to form the root. In addition to these, you can also use the soft white fluorescent tubes.

You can place the fluorescent light near the houseplant as it is cool. It is actually better to put them a couple of feet away from the foliage to get the best results. It is also used by many and is cheap.

• Incandescent Lights

Incandescent lights provide the red wavelengths that are good for the stimulation of root formation. They can be used as the addition to the fluorescent one. In order to get the best balance, it is better for you to use one 1/3 incandescent light to 2/3 fluorescent light wattage. Compared to the fluorescent lights, the incandescent lights are more heat, that’s why they need to be placed further away from your plant.

• LED Lights

The Light emitting Diode or LED lights are also the ones with low heat. It is considered as a new technology and it is able to be customized. It is possible for you to get the LED light bulbs that have both blue and red wavelengths needed by the snake plant to grow.

LED lights are known as long lasting and energy efficient. However, they are more expensive compared to some other ones.

• Halogen Lights

Halogen lights are the one that give a full light spectrum. However, fluorescent lights are still better when it comes to energy efficiency. Due to the fact that they produce a lot of heat, it is needed for you to keep them away from the plant.

Signs that the snake plants need more or less light

If you see that the snake plants are dropping and do not look good with downward sagging leaves, keep in mind that it is the sign that it needs more light. However, you are not allowed to place it directly under the sunlight. The indirect natural light is enough for them.

If the leaves start to look thin or blacken, you need to know that it is the sign that the less light is needed by the snake plant. The sharp edges will turn into brown and crispy. If you want to fix everything, you are encouraged to move the plant to the darker corner.

It should be easy for you to solve the issue. However, if it is a bit hard for you, you can seek help from someone who knows the best about it. Do not hesitate to seek help.