How to Propagate a Snake Plant?
What finally worked after so many failed attempts 🌿
What finally worked after so many failed attempts 🌿
✂️ Cut healthy leaves and let them dry (callous) for 3–5 days to prevent rot.
🌱 Propagate in soil or water—both work if done correctly.
💧 Use shallow water and change it often, or well-draining soil with minimal watering.
☀️ Place in bright, indirect light to speed up root development.
⏳ Be patient! Roots take 4–8 weeks, and pups may take several months.
If you’re here, you’ve probably tried to propagate a snake plant—and failed.
Maybe it turned mushy. Maybe it sat in water or soil for months and did… nothing.
I’ve been there.
I’ve cut beautiful leaves, followed advice from blogs and videos, and still ended up with a soggy mess.
After a lot of trial and error—and thanks to the incredible shared wisdom from our Facebook Snake Plant community—I finally found what works.
So if you’ve never managed to grow roots or babies from a cutting, this guide is for you.
It’s the no-nonsense version, based on real experience (mine included), and it’s here to help you get it right this time.
This might sound simple, but it’s the most common reason people fail. Every time I tried to propagate cuttings immediately after cutting, they’d start softening at the base within days.
Total flop.
What changed everything?
Letting them dry out first.
This process is called “callousing,” and it’s not optional. It gives the cut end a chance to seal up, protecting it from bacteria and rot.
Personally, I let mine sit for 3–5 days in a dry, shaded area with good airflow. Some in our Facebook group even wait up to two weeks, especially for thicker leaves. It made all the difference.
Some people also dust the cut with cinnamon to prevent fungus. I tried it—it didn’t hurt!
💧 Don’t submerge too deep!
Only the bottom inch of the cutting should sit in water—any more and it’s likely to rot.
I’ve tried both, and I’ve seen success (and failure) with each.
What I’ve learned is that neither is better across the board—what matters is how you do it.
Water is fun because you can see everything happening. That’s also the problem—you’ll immediately see when it’s going wrong.
My mistake at first was submerging too much of the leaf, using tap water, and placing it somewhere dark. Spoiler alert: mush city.
✅ What finally worked:
Roots showed up after about six weeks. It was slow, but once they came, things moved faster.
✨ Pro tip from the community: Adding a pothos cutting in the same jar may help—apparently it releases natural rooting hormones. I haven’t tried that yet, but several people swear by it.
Soil propagation took more patience, but it ended up being more reliable for me long-term.
Here’s what I did:
I kept the pot in bright indirect light and, honestly, mostly left it alone.
After two months, I noticed the cutting was still firm—that’s a win.
Around month three, tiny pups started showing.
By six months, I had a full little cluster of baby snake plants.
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This is the part no one likes to hear: propagating snake plants takes time. Like, real time. We’re talking months.
If you’re expecting roots in two weeks, you’ll be disappointed.
For me, it’s usually:
4–8 weeks to see roots
3–6 months to see pups or baby growth
And sometimes it takes longer, especially in cooler or darker environments. Don’t toss your cutting just because nothing is happening after a month.
As long as it’s still firm and not rotting, you’re in the game.
🕒 Callousing takes time—don’t rush it!
Let cuttings dry for at least 3–5 days before planting to avoid mushy ends.
After dozens of experiments, here are a few extra things that made a difference for me and other members of our Facebook community:
Don’t use a huge pot—it encourages overwatering
Make an upside-down V cut at the bottom to increase surface area for roots
If you’re doing water propagation, only fill about 1–2 cm of water
Avoid tap water if you can—chlorine and salts don’t help
Use a grow light if you don’t have bright natural light
Be patient and don’t overthink it—sometimes neglect is your best friend
What if the cutting turns mushy? 👀
Yep, this still happens—even when you do everything “right.” If the base starts going soft, the cutting isn’t necessarily doomed. I’ve saved plenty by trimming off the mushy part, letting it callous again, and starting fresh.
It’s annoying, but it’s better than tossing the whole thing.
Also, make sure you’re planting or placing the right end into soil or water.
A surprising number of people in the group had this issue—cuttings don’t root upside-down.
🌞 Light matters more than you think.
Bright, indirect light speeds up root growth and keeps rot away.
I can’t count how many times I almost gave up. I’d cut perfect-looking leaves, follow the “right” instructions, and still watch them turn to mush. But once I slowed down, let them dry, used the right soil, and stopped fussing, things started to work.
Snake plants aren’t hard to propagate—but they are slow, and they do require a bit of understanding. Now I’ve got multiple pots filled with cuttings-turned-babies, and the satisfaction is so worth the wait.
So if you’re feeling discouraged, take a breath and try again. And if you need support, come join our Facebook community—there’s a whole group of us figuring it out together.
You’ve got this 🫶
🪴 Skip big pots for small cuttings.
Use small nursery pots to avoid overwatering and focus root development.
Embrace the spirit of horticulture and spread the seeds of wisdom
One Response
I’ve tried water propagation, but I never changed the water often enough. Maybe that’s why my snake plants didn’t root properly. I’ll try changing it more frequently next time!