Snake Plant Outdoors Care, Do’s and Don’ts

If you are the beginner, the snake plant is the perfect option for you. One of the good things about it is that it does not need much maintenance or care. As the first timer, you might be wondering whether you are able to grow it outside or not.

For everyone who is wondering about the thing above, fortunately, it is possible to grow a snake plant outdoors. Feel free to grow them in the pots or directly in the soil. While they do not need too much maintenance and care, you still have to give them warmer temperatures to make them grow well. It means if your place has a temperature below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, it might be hard for this plant to survive without some extra care.

Once again, the snake plants can be grown outdoors. In order to make it happen, there are a few things that you have to know to make sure that they grow well. Please read the things below.

Method to plant a snake plant outdoor

• Temperature

Snake plants are known as the tropical plants originally from West Africa. Due to this fact, they fit the outdoors with warm temperatures. They are fine in places with 55 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, they are sensitive to the cold temperatures and it will be hard for them to survive more than a few days in places with temperatures under 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Light

Snake plants can adapt well with any kinds of lighting. They are fine with the outdoors areas with semi lighting as well as the ones with high lighting. While the bright and indirect light is best for them, you can place them outside on the patio or in the garden.

For their sake, please avoid placing them near the strong direct sunlight as it can dry them out if they are exposed to it for a long time, even several hours. Avoiding the places with no lighting at all is also needed as this kind of place can cause the leaves of the plant to wilt and fall off. The best one is the one that faces south or west, the place that can get a combination of direct and indirect lighting throughout the day.

• Water

As one of the plants from the tropical places, there is no need for the snake plants to get a lot of water to survive. This plant only needs a little bit of water. The recommended time to water them is when the soil of it has totally dried, meaning everything depends on the size of the plant and the outdoor humidity levels. They can still survive without being watered anywhere from two to six weeks.

If your snake plants are planted directly on the ground outdoors, please make sure that the area is far away from the other plants that need to be watered frequently. If you cannot make sure about it, please place them in a pot by itself or with the other tropical plants. You can tell that your snake plants are to dry by looking at the leaves. If you see that the leaves are about to be yellow or they are wilted on the ends, it seems like it is the best time to give them some water.

• Soil

You can grow the snake plants outdoors in a regular soil mixture. It is fine as long as the mix drains well. feel free to use porcelain, terracotta, or ceramic pots when you want to put them outdoors. Remember to make sure that the pot has enough drainage holes. In addition to the regular soil, you can also use the one specified for the snake plants.

• Repotting

As the plants that grow slowly, there is no need for you to change the pot of the snake plant often. Repotting only needs every five to ten years if you have them in an outdoor setting with low lighting. However, you need to re-pot within two to five years if they are placed in the place with bright lighting. It is possible for them to be more crowded during the colder months of the year. When you see it, keep calm and it is normal for them and the growth of the plant will not be bothered.

• Outdoor pests

Apparently, the snake plants are quite pest resistant, even when they are grown outdoors. However, they can be weak when the area is not maintained well. Mealybugs and spider mites are two types of pests that usually attack them. These two love to eat up the foliage of the snake plants, making them wilt and they will get sick if you do not get rid of these pests quickly. If you have no idea how to eliminate them, you can apply neem oil or rubbing alcohol to the leaves of the plant.

A few things that should noy be done when growing snake plants outdoors

• Misting the leaves on hot days

There is no need to mist the leaves of the snake plant. In fact, the leaves have water and it is good to make the plants hydrated on even the driest days. Instead of giving good things, misting can cause the plants to develop the fungal issues of the foliage.

• Cold temperatures

For those who live in a cold area, do not try to grow the snake plants if you have no plan to make them warm. Having a small house is suggested if you are eager to plant them outdoors but your place has a temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Ignoring pests

While it has been known that the snake plants are pest resistant, the case might be different when they are placed outside. Putting them with the other plants with pests increases the chance of them getting infected by the same issue. In this case, you need to get rid of these pests as soon as possible to save your plant.