Snake Plant Yellow Leaves – Save Your Plant

The snake plant is one of the most popular plants of the 70s that again has become fashionable. It is one of the most resistant to have indoors because it withstands darkness and low temperatures very well. But sometimes snake plants present problems, and one of them is snake plant yellow leaves.  

What Causes Yellow Leaves on Snake Plant

Snake plant yellow leaves can be due to several factors such as excess watering, poor drainage, excess lighting, and much more. That’s why in this article, we will explain how to identify the problem and fix it so that your snake plant grows healthy and strong.

Snake Plant Yellow Leaves Due to Excess Watering

Snake plant yellow leaves due to excess watering. The main reason why the mother-in-law’s tongue develops yellow leaves is due to water retention problems or excessive watering.

The healthy leaves of the snake plant would be dark green. Overwatering can cause root rot in the snake plant.

You should also not let water stagnate in the pot of your snake plant or this will encourage fungus to appear and that will be another extra problem for your snake plant with yellow leaves.

You should water your snake plant every two to four weeks, ideally when the soil is dry to water your snake plant.

We should stop watering the snake plant immediately when we notice that the leaves start to turn yellow. Remember that the snake plant is succulent, so you should only water when the substrate is completely dry.

Another common problem is that the soil retains too much water. Repot your snake plant in well-drained potting soil. You must transplant quickly when you see that the soil of your snake plant stays wet for too long, or the plant will die.

We use a universal substrate and add a little perlite to improve drainage. We also recommend using terracotta pots.

Yellow Leaves on Mother-In-Law’s Tongue Due to Temperature

Snake plants can survive both outdoors and indoors. The ideal temperature for the snake plant is between 60 and 70 °F (16 and 21 degrees). But if you have a snake plant outdoors, it can withstand light frosts of up to 37 °F (3 °C).

But if the mother-in-law’s tongue receives an abrupt temperature variation in a short time, it could show yellow leaves. That is why a sudden temperature change can cause yellow leaves on the snake plant.

If you don’t want to have snake plant yellow leaves, the most important thing is to avoid temperatures below 32 °F (0 °C).

Keep snake plants away from drafts caused by air conditioning vents, windows, and doors.

Snake Plant Yellow Leaves Due to Excess or Deficiency of Light

Yellow leaves on mother-in-law’s tongue may be due to excess or lack of lighting. First, we must make sure the snake plant never receives direct sunlight because it will damage its leaves.

You may be surprised to see that sunlight coming through windows can also damage the leaves of the snake plant.

Because sometimes window glass can enhance the sun’s rays and cause your snake plant to lose more moisture. As a result, the leaves turn yellow or have brown tips on our snake plant.

They should be fully exposed to sunlight. To provide indirect sunlight, you must work hard to find a suitable location for your plants.

But also, if the snake plant receives too little light, its leaves will turn yellow, the ideal is to place the snake plant in a window where it receives indirect light, or if it is direct that it is in schedules that the sun is not so strong.

Snake Plant Yellow Leaves Due to Root Rot

Root rot can disrupt the overall function of the root system. Giving too much water to the snake plant can cause root rot. Then the root system will be damaged and begin to deteriorate.

Therefore, when root rot develops, the plant will not get enough nutrients that are important for survival and growth.

As a result, the leaves of the snake plant will begin to turn yellow. Root fungus grows when you give your precious plant too much water than it needs.

In addition to overwatering, the use of contaminated soils and containers, poor drainage, etc. can also contribute to root rot.

Similarly, poor air circulation, dense soil, and moist conditions are ideal for root zone fungi. It is important to keep the soil and containers of the snake plant hygienic to avoid fungal diseases such as root rot.

Identifying root rot is important to the health and well-being of snake plants. If you take good care of your snake plant, you can immediately notice the change in leaf color.

If you see that your snake plant was attacked by fungi, it is best to change its soil and pot (do not use that soil on any plant again). We also recommend that you use a fungicide when repotting in case there are traces of the fungus (Order here).

Recommendations for Caring for Your Snake Plant

To prevent the leaves from turning yellow on our mother-in-law’s tongue we can follow these tips.

• Fertilize the snake plant with fertilizer for succulents, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Learn more about Nutrient deficiency in plants.
• Make sure that the substrate has good drainage and if it is in a pot that it has good drainage holes. We recommend using terracotta pots for the snake plant (Order here).
• Never overwater or the snake plant will rot.
• Avoid direct sunlight or the leaves will be damaged.

Learn more about How to Care Snake Plants and Propagate Snake Plant in Water.