Explore some creative ways to grow snake plants without soil and multiply this beauty with minimum hassle!
Growing snake plants without soil can be pretty convenient for those who don’t like to soil their hands in the dirt. However, ensure to get cuttings from a healthy, disease-free plant to boost the chances of successful propagation. Alternatively, you can choose to root the pups as well, submerging only their rhizomes portion in the medium.
Ways to Grow Snake Plants Without Soil
1. Root the Cuttings in Water
This might come as a surprise due to its susceptibility to root rot, but these plants grow in water pretty easily.
To start, select a healthy leaf cutting from a disease-free snake plant and put it in a glass filled with water. Remember that only the bottom 2-3 inches should be submerged in water, keeping most of the leaf dry.
Just ensure to change the water every other week or when it looks muddy.
2. Give Leca Balls a Try
Leca (Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate) balls provide an excellent alternative growing medium for snake plants with their ability to balance moisture retention and drainage. Plus, they minimize the hassle of frequent watering—a bonus for busy and forgetful gardeners.
Begin by thoroughly rinsing the Leca balls. Fill a 4-6 inches jar with leca balls and place the leaf in it such that it is stable in its position. Add water until the clay balls are fully saturated, but ensure the water level remains just below the plant’s base to prevent root rot. You’ll notice rooting in a couple of weeks.
3. Wood and Bark Flakes for the Win
While you cannot, of course, use only wood and bark flakes to grow your snake plant, there’s an excellent mix you can try, which involves peat moss and sand as well. Both wood flakes and peat moss benefit snake plants thanks to their water-retaining properties while also providing good aeration to the roots, which is also achievable if you mix in sand.
Combine two parts of wood and bark flakes with one part each of peat moss and sand, tucking in the cut portion of the snake plant. Ensure the pot has enough holes to support drainage.
4. Grow it in a Mix of Coco Peat and Peat Moss
Coco peat is an effective growing medium—a by-product of coconut husk that you simply cannot go wrong with for its superior aeration qualities and excellent water retention.
Mix equal parts of peat moss with coco peat to make this potting mix exactly ideal for your snake plant. Just remember that Snake plants hate overwatering and develop root rot if left in damp medium for far too long, so take care of that. The rule of thumb is to water the medium only when the top inch of the substrate feels dry.
5. Root it in Sphagnum Moss
Sphagnum moss, too, can be a great alternative for those who don’t want to dirty their hands in soil. Just keep misting it every time it feels dry to the touch, and monitor the cuttings for any signs of dryness or rot.
6. Tuck them in a Sand Tray
While it may sound a bit too dry for your snake plant to grow in, it is honestly not! A pot of sand is ideal for promoting proper drainage, one of the main requirements of a snake plant.
To root a snake plant in sand, simply fill a tray with clean, coarse sand, ensuring it’s free from salts and other impurities. Insert the snake plant cutting vertically into the medium and water sparingly to maintain slight moisture without making the sand soggy.
7. Get a Porous Blend of Perlite and Peat Moss
It is not advisable to grow your snake plant solely on perlite. This is because perlite may provide the right drainage and aeration but may not have enough water-retaining properties. You can combine 2 parts of peat moss with one part of perlite and a spoonful of organic matter to meet its nutrient requirements.
Plant your snake plant cuttings into this blend, and water lightly to encourage root development.
8. Orbeez Gel
Did it just get too unconventional? Well, weird as it may seem, you can definitely propagate your snake plant in Orbeez! The fact that Orbeez are lightweight and are shaped quite similar to Leca balls allows them to be a medium that keeps the roots aerated and also retains moisture.
To use orbeez gel for rooting snake plants, fill a transparent container with hydrated beads, and nestle the plant cuttings among them. Ensure the base of the cuttings is just touching the water within the beads. This idea can be a fantastic home decor idea as well.
9. Try Aquaponics
This is the trickiest idea on the list where fish and plants benefit each other. The fish provide nutrients through their waste, while the plants clean the water for the fish—win-win!
To start, place the snake plant cuttings in a net pot or a floating platform that keeps them stable. The roots should dangle into the nutrient-rich water, absorbing essential minerals directly from this dynamic ecosystem. Plus, this setup will allow you to track root growth clearly.
