When it comes to snake plant light requirements, this plant that is commonly known as the Sansevieria or mother-in-law’s tongue, stands out as a true survivor. These hardy plants have the remarkable ability to adapt to various lighting conditions, making them suitable for almost any space. However, to truly thrive and exhibit their full potential, snake plants benefit from a healthy dose of sunlight. It’s a delicate balance, though, as too much direct sunlight can lead to unsightly burned leaves, particularly when snake plants are positioned outdoors on balconies or in gardens.
This thorough article goes deeply into the nuances of how much light a snake plant needs for those looking to master snake plant light. Understanding snake plant light needs is the first step to ensuring your Sansevieria thrives, whether you’re an experienced plant enthusiast trying to boost your snake plant’s growth or a beginner keen to create the optimal atmosphere. Discover the subtleties of snake plant lighting in this article, from low-light tolerance to the best sunshine conditions, and learn everything you need to know about snake plant care to find the best way to keep this plant.
Do snake plants need light?
Yes indeed. Although snake plants can tolerate low light, to thrive better they need enough light. To promote faster growth in your snake plant when keeping them indoors, you should provide 6 to 10 hours of indirect and filtered light. Therefore, try to put your Sansevieria in place to receive that light. An obscured glass or sheer curtain would be helpful. South or east-facing windows are ideal places to put your snake plants. Be careful not to put your snake plants where they receive direct light.
Why do snake plants need sunlight?
Snake plants and other indoor plants need sunshine for photosynthesis, which is the process by which water and oxygen are changed into carbohydrates. Place your Sansevieria where it can get at least 6 hours of direct sunshine per day for optimum growth. If such a location is not accessible, you can still place the plant there, but expect a slower rate of growth. It’s a clue that your snake plant needs more light if you see it drooping or getting brown edges on its leaves. To ensure its wellbeing in such circumstances, it is advised to augment its natural light needs with artificial lighting.
How much light do snake plant need per day?
As we mentioned before, snake plants need 6 to 10 hours of light, but if you desire your snake plant to grow well and create pups provide 8 to 10 hours of filtered light; otherwise, your plant will not grow fast enough.
Black Gold Snake Plant requires more light than other snake plants variety; otherwise, the gold edges will get ruined.
Is the light in the balcony and garden enough for sansevieria?
Direct and too much light harms snake plants. So if you intend to keep your snake plants on the balcony or garden, choose a place in which there is shadow.
What are the signs of light shortage in sansevieria?
Here, we have listed some signs that your plant is not receiving enough light.
Leaves keep spreading out.
When you see that snake plants’ leaves are spreading out in different directions, it means that your snake plants are not getting enough light. Plants constantly bend toward light. When the plant is too much in one direction, it will gradually lean towards the light source, so try to rotate the plant 45 degrees every two weeks.
Skinny snake plant
Snake plant leaves getting thinner is one of the signs of light shortage. You should check for lack of nutrients as well. If your snake plant is receiving enough nutrients, then the problem is light deficiency
Branched veins on the leaves will fade.
When branched veins on the leaves or its edge are getting pale, it shows that your snake plant is not getting enough light, so you should change its location as soon as possible.
Yellow or brown leaves
Another sign of light shortage is the yellowing and browning of the leaves. In this case, move it to a place where it can receive enough light to grow better.
It is not growing and creating pups.
When your snake plant is not growing or does not create pups even though you take great care of it, your sansevieria is not getting enough light. Lack of Phosphorus is another reason for this problem. A small pot is a common reason for a houseplant not growing. But in the case of snake plants. The smaller the pot is, the more pups it creates.
Turning Yellow and leaves falling over
The main reasons for snake plants’ leaves getting yellow are overwatering and Nutrient Deficiency; however, when the left turns yellow and falls over at the same time, that can be caused by the light shortage.
What are the signs of getting too much light in snake plants?
Now that we have checked the light shortage let’s look at what will happen if snake plants get too much light.
Withering in hot hours of the day
Snake plants will need high and sufficient humidity with high temperatures and too much light. if you witness that your snake plants get withered during the hours of 12 to 4 PM, then that condition (high light, low watering, high temperature, Low humidity) is not suitable for the plant, and you should move it
Brown Leaf Edges or Tips
The snake plants receiving too much light will lose more water, and little by little brown tips will appear, especially if you keep them outside. You should double-check its watering, light, temperature, and humidity in this case.
Methods of measuring snake plant sunlight requirements
You can use two methods to measure whether your snake plants if receiving enough light or not. The first one is to use a lux meter, which is expensive. If your snake plant is in a place with Lux 10,000 and 20,000 range, it’s receiving enough light. But, if it gets between lux 2500-9000, it is getting medium light. Another way is through the Shadow measurement test that will explain how to do it. It is recommended to perform this test during noon to measure the Most light.
Lay a large sheet of white paper where you want to put your sansevieria.
Now Hold your hand 12 inches (30 cm) above the spot where you want to put your plant to create a shadow.
Now you need to check the shadow of your hand. The clearer the shadow is, then the amount of light is enough. On the other hand, the light is not enough if the shadow is barely recognizable.
Signs of low light in Shadow measurement test
If you hardly recognize your finger or the amount of shadow is small, you shouldn’t put your sansevieria there.
Signs of Medium-light in Shadow measurement test
In this condition, a blurred shadow of your hand will be created, and you will recognize the space between your finger. So, you can keep your snake plant in such places.
Signs of Bright light in Shadow measurement test
You can cast a clear shadow on your hand and fingers in this condition. If the light is filtered, then that place is the ideal to put your snake plants; if not, use obscured glass or a sheer curtain to filter the light.
What are the best indoor locations to place my snake plant for adequate light?
The correct indoor places are essential for your snake plant’s growth and wellbeing. First, think about placing it close to a window that receives indirect light. Windows that face east or west offer moderate, filtered light all day long, which snake plants adore. You can rely on artificial light sources like fluorescent or LED grow lights if you don’t have access to natural light. To replicate natural daylight, place these lights a few feet above the plant and make sure they emit light for 12 to 16 hours each day.
Should I rotate my snake plant to ensure even light exposure?
Yes, moving your snake plant on a regular basis promotes balanced development and even light exposure. Snake plants frequently bend toward the source of light, which results in uneven development. You can prevent the plant from bending or stretching toward the light and encourage symmetrical and healthy growth by rotating it every two to four weeks. Additionally, this method keeps both sides looking nice by preventing one side from becoming shadowed.
Snake plants characteristics and growing tips
Now that you have learned about snake plant light, let briefly review the plants other requirements. Snake plants are famous for their beautiful, sword-like leaves. Black Gold Snake Plants are much more popular than other varieties. These tropical plants are one of the greatest indoor air purifiers that absorb Formaldehyde and Nitrous oxide from the air of your room at night. We have also talked about The snake plant’s role and Where to place snake plant in feng shui , which we will cover in another article.
How much water do snake plants need to grow better? Sansevieria is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, so you should water it when at least one-third of the soil is dry. (in another article we have talked about how to water snake plants with details)
What are the ideal temperature and humidity of the snake plant? Sansevieria prefers a dry and hot environment. Snake plants will be harmed by temperatures lower than 50°F (10°C). Temperatures ranging from 70-90 °F (20-30°C) are ideal for snake plants. The cold shock will cause irrecoverable damages.
How to fertilize a snake plant? During the growth season, use Cactus fertilizer. or liquid fertilizer of 10-10-10 or Dilute fertilizer of 20-20-20. It is recommended to use 121236 fertilizers for Black Gold Snake Plant. DON’T use fertilizer during winter.
Snake plants light requirements in a nutshell:
In this article, we examined the proper light for sansevieria. We mentioned that if you want your snake plants to thrive faster, provide 6 to 10 hours of filtered light. Snake plants cannot tolerate direct sunlight, so if you plan to put them on the balcony, garden, or behind the window, try to filter the light. Light shortage can make your snake plants stop growing and gradually die.
Do snake plants need sunlight? Indirect sunlight is necessary for sansevierias., but if your home or office does not have natural light, you can use artificial light to meet the required light need.