Many people find that their snake plant is not growing straight up. It may be tall, but it may lean to one side. A snake plant looks best when it grows tall and straight up. When we get a new plant, we can’t imagine our plant leaning towards one side. The snake plant likes to grow straight up, but conditions around the plant sometimes force it to slant to one side. After a while, your snake plants become unattractive and lose their appeal to the surroundings. When this happens, we ask ourselves, why is my snake plant not growing straight up, and why is it leaned on one side?
The most common reason for snake plants not growing straight is the light source direction. If the snake plant is heavily exposed to one side, it will grow towards that side. Overcrowding plants, not having the upper room to grow, and small pots can cause snake plants not to grow straight.
When a plant is exposed to uneven light, it will change its growth to favor the most light-exposed side. It will drift to one side where is more lights available. Your snake plant may be leaning because of the direction of the light it gets most of the time. This is the most common reason your snake plant is not growing straight up in indoor conditions.
Sometimes other minor facts can also affect the growth of your snake plant. For example, if you overwater your plant, it will lean towards the side where there is less soil. Also, if the space for plants is so crowded, it can lean. Too small pots can create a tight space inside the potting jar. The roots will be cramped, and the plant will grow in the direction of the least resistance. Eventually, the plant will lean towards one side. These are the main reasons for the snake plant leaning on one side. Follow these steps to grow your snake plant straight up.
Water cautiously
Overwatering is one of the most common reasons for leaning on one side. The water droplets may settle at the soil surface when you overwater your plant. The weight of the water will cause the soil to sink and your plant to lean towards that side. You’ll need to monitor your plant to see if it needs more or less water. Use a spray bottle instead of watering your plant with a watering can to prevent this from happening. The spray will soak into the dirt more evenly than a stream of water. This will make your snake plant grow straight up.
Stakes up the plant
Stakes are the perfect accessory when giving your houseplants a strong, beautiful, and sturdy appearance. Stakes are what you can use to support your plants in the soil. These stakes enable your plant to remain stable, upright, and beautiful.
The stakes used by gardeners should be strong enough to hold the weight of the plant without breaking or bending under the load. To support your snake plant growth and help them keep upright, you should look for stalks made of steel or other sturdy material to hold them up. The best stakes to use are the ones that are made of wood or bamboo. They are also cheap to use for a long time.
Tie up the leaves
If your plant is leaning towards one side, you can try to tie the leaves upwards. You can use a rubber band or string and place it around the leaves, holding them up until they get used to growing straight. This takes some time, 3/4 weeks. The rubber band or string holds the leaves up and doesn’t allow for leaning, so they must encourage the plant to grow straight up. Make sure the tie is not too tight or loose. Too fast of a tie can harm your snake plants, and a loose one will not succeed in straightening it up.
Check after four weeks if your snake plant has straightened up or not. If it’s not straight yet, you can re-tie and follow the process. This will help your snake plant grow straight up again. It’s possible to remove the rubber band or string after you succeed and enjoy your beautiful straight snake plant.
Rotate the Snake Plant
If your snake plant grows one-sided or outward from the pot, rotating can be the best solution to grow it straight. Growing a snake plant may seem easy enough, but specific techniques and routines can prove helpful in increasing its chances of growing strong and straight upwards. Rotating your snake plant is one of those techniques and the easiest of them. The best time to do this is when the sun is rising. Rotate to the right if your plant leans to the left, and vice versa. This will make your snake plant grow straight up. You can rotate the plant by holding it from the base and turning it around. Make sure you don’t leave it for a long time in one position.
Repot your plant
Although snake plants prefer smaller pots, they can become rootbound if you put them in a too-small container. This makes the plant lean and possibly shriveled. The roots will be crowded, and they will grow in the direction of the least resistance. You need to repot your snake plant into a larger pot to solve this problem. This will give your plant enough space to grow its roots and help it grow straight up again.
Choose a tall enough space for the plant
One of the reasons your snake plants are not growing upwards is that they have nowhere to grow up. If your snake plant is growing in a small area, make sure there is enough room to grow taller. A snake plant needs to have enough space to grow straight up. Especially this plant likes to grow upwards and tall. If there is not enough space to grow tall, it will eventually grow sideways. A leaning snake plant doesn’t look good. You can avoid this problem by placing your snake plant in a lofty space in your room. If your snake plant is already leaned, you can apply stakes or rope ties to encourage the plant to grow upwards.
Prune if it’s required
If you have tried all the ways mentioned above, and your snake plant is still leaning to one side, pruning can be a solution. Pruning will remove the weight of the leaves and encourage your plant to grow straight up. It would be best if you pruned the leaves facing downwards so that they can concentrate on growing upwards. You can also cut off the bottom part of the stems if they are too long or if the top part of your snake plant is leaning towards one side. This way, you can help your snake plant grow straight up again.
Remove obstacle
If there is any obstacle around the pot pushing your snake plant in that direction, remove it. This way, you can help your snake plant grow straight up. Ensure that there are no overhead cables close by as they may break off leaves or change the direction of the growth way. Sometimes any plant near the plant can cause to lean. So try to give your snake plant a little to grow without any hackle of pushing. This way, you can make sure your snake plant is growing straight.
Conclusion
Snake plant is an easy-growing plant. Even in challenging conditions, it will live anyway. But to maintain a good snake plant, you need to make it straight. If you follow these eight ways to train your snake plant to grow straight up, you will be able to make a beautiful and straight snake plant. I hope you find my article helpful.
