How to Grow Snake Plant in Home Hydroponics and Disease Prevention and Control
Snake plant (Sansevieria) has always been one of the plants people love most; it can bring a glimmer of hope, and seeing it can make a person's mood very beautiful. There are many ways to grow it, and today we will learn its cultivation methods together, and look at the specific planting method for home hydroponic snake plant.
How to Grow Hydroponic Snake Plant
Before hydroponically growing snake plant, wash the roots with water, cut off one third of the roots, and then grow it hydroponically; this can promote the growth of new roots.
Whether it is a hydroponic snake plant or other plants, the issues to pay attention to during cultivation are all the same, and can be divided into the following aspects:
1. Temperature: Hydroponic snake plant has decent adaptability to temperature, and with proper handling indoors it can grow well; even on that very day, it can be full of greenery.
2. Light: Snake plant is a sun-loving plant, but it cannot be exposed to the sun outdoors for a long time. If you grow hydroponic snake plant outdoors, remember to take corresponding shade measures; if indoors, just let your plant get some sun occasionally.
3. Nutrient solution: Sometimes, for better plant growth, many people buy nutrient solution, and there are also special hydroponic nutrient solutions for sale, whose concentration you can mix yourself. Note that when growing hydroponic snake plant, when the indoor temperature is too low, the plant struggles to survive; at this time you should pour out the nutrient solution and let the snake plant enter dormancy.
4. Changing the water: This is the most important part of the whole hydroponic process, and also the most tedious to carry out. In the early stage of hydroponic snake plant, water quality may deteriorate and cause root rot; if you never change the water, it may lead to the death of the plant. Here is also a quick way to judge root rot: through the water quality, and by smelling the odor. Therefore, in order to ensure the oxygen supply in the water and let the snake plant grow healthily, you should change the water frequently; generally, change the water once every 5-10 days, and in summer you can change the water every 5 days. At the same time, remember to clean the plant when changing the water. That is, use sterilized scissors to cut off the rotten roots and old roots, so that new roots can grow better; at that time, be careful not to cut the water roots.
Diseases of Snake Plant and Their Prevention and Control
1. Snake plant leaf spot disease
1. Harmful symptoms
Leaf spot disease mainly occurs on the leaves. In the early stage of the disease, nearly round or oblong spots appear on the leaves, and the edges of the lesions are light yellow and slightly sunken. When there are many lesions on a leaf, they easily merge, the leaf dies, and in the later stage the lesions fall off and perforate. Lesions close to the ground easily rot, thus causing stem base rot or the whole plant to fall over.
2. Prevention and control methods
During care, reduce watering, keep the soil slightly moist, and lower the soil humidity; this can effectively prevent leaf spot disease.
When the disease occurs, in the early stage you can choose Bordeaux mixture or 53.8% Kocide 2000 dry suspension concentrate, and spray continuously 2~3 times with an interval of 5~7 days. When spraying, change the pesticide at the proper time to avoid the plant developing resistance.
2. Snake plant rot disease
1. Harmful symptoms
In the early stage of the disease, water-soaked lesions appear on the plant's leaves. After gradually expanding, the lesions go from round to irregular, dark gray, soft rot, and slightly sunken; afterward the lesions dry up and become sunken, and in a humid environment black mold spots appear on the leaves.
2. Prevention and control methods
When diseased plants are found, promptly remove the diseased leaves, and change the pot and soil. Before replanting, disinfect the soil; you can mix quintozene into the soil or spray the soil with the fungicide Turficide.
When the disease is severe, spray 50% carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl 800 times solution, once every 5~7 days, and stop once it improves.
How to Fertilize Snake Plant
Fertilizing time: When planting snake plant, you can first put some organic fertilizer at the bottom of the pot, after that you can apply poultry manure, and hemp cake meal water can also be used. In the later growth stage, fertilizer is no longer needed, because snake plant is naturally drought-resistant and tolerant of barren conditions. Snake plant's demand for fertilizer is not very high; generally, in seasons with high growth demand, just apply one to two light fertilizer applications about every thirty days, and this can ensure the plant's leaves are glossy and full of green.
Precautions for fertilizing: For fertilizing snake plant, it is best to use liquid fertilizer as the texture, and especially note not to use it excessively; you can optionally place cooked soybeans in the flower pot without contacting the root system, and this can provide a very good supply effect.
How to Water Snake Plant
1. Water according to the weather
When the temperature is high or on windy days, because evaporation is large, you should water when the soil is dry, usually watering 2 times a week; when the temperature is low or on cloudy days, water less; on rainy days, do not water anymore, and sometimes when there is too much rain, move the flower pot to a rain-sheltered place to avoid the pot becoming waterlogged.
2. Water according to snake plant's habits and growth conditions
Because snake plant's place of origin and varieties differ, some like moisture and some tolerate drought. According to snake plant's appearance, those with larger leaves and rapid growth should be watered more during the growing period; those with smaller leaves and slow growth can be watered less.
Water more when flowering and less during the dormant period; usually in spring, summer, and autumn, you can water after the surface soil dries, and in winter water after the soil in the pot has completely dried, and when you water, water thoroughly.
3. Water according to the health condition of the roots
Snake plant's root system supports the aboveground part of the plant and absorbs water and nutrients from the soil. The root system itself also carries out respiration, inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide. Each time you water, it both moistens the soil and washes away the carbon dioxide around the roots and the waste in the pot soil. This fills the soil air with fresh air.
If watering is improper, the roots turn black and rot; when changing the pot each year, check the growth condition of the roots and adjust the watering method.
Today we learned together how to plant snake plant, and found that it is actually still quite easy to grow. As long as you take good care with the precautions and understand some basic prevention and control methods, we can also grow a beautiful pot of snake plant at home ourselves, which both cultivates the spirit and adds a touch of spring to everyone's home.