Being a succulent, a Sansevieria retains water in its leaves and roots, making it drought resistant. Excessive soil moisture is the Achilles heel of an otherwise nearly indestructible snake plant. It only needs to be watered once every two to four weeks in warm weather and less often in winter, according to Urban Garden Gal.
Filtered water or rainwater at room temperature is ideal, as chlorine is harmful to the snake plant. Also be careful not to water the leaves directly. The soil of a Sansevieria should be allowed to dry out almost completely between watering doses. Regulate your watering based on temperature and season, and note that nake plants drink more in warmer, sunnier conditions. According to Home Depot, insert a finger into the top inch of the soil to determine the level of dryness before deciding to water.
Leaves that are green when healthy, brown, or yellow are a possible sign of overwatering, and they can also indicate poor drainage. If oversaturated, the sword-shaped leaves of a vibrant plant will turn into limp, mushy, limp leaves, explains Utopia.org. The stems connected to the roots will also darken and become smelly and soggy. Soggy roots will invite bacterial root rot.
Address Sansevieria root rot by removing the root ball and excising the affected areas. Withhold water and air dry overnight before repotting in loose soil and watering the plant. If you are able to irrigate the pot from the bottom up, it will encourage the roots of a snake plant to grow downward to stabilize the leaves of the plant.