Soil for sansevieria (Pike tail) for planting

The pike tail is an unpretentious plant that does not require special knowledge in domestic agricultural technology. If you choose the wrong soil for sansevieria, the transplant can end in disaster. An indoor flower in uncomfortable conditions does not adapt well to a new place.

The pike tail belongs to succulents, so peat should be the basis of the substrate. Beginners can buy ready-made balanced soil in the store. Experienced flower growers prefer to knead it themselves.

What soil is needed for sansevieria

The plant does not like acidic soils - the peel on the flower cracks from the high nitrogen content. The best option is a soil with a neutral ph (6-7). The loose, lightweight structure provides good aeration to the roots.

Substrate for transplanting sansevieria is prepared according to the recipe:

• the same amount of sand is added to the 1st part of the peat;
• make 3 parts of sod or leafy land, as well as ½ part of humus;
• a little vermiculite or perlite is added to the mixture (to absorb excess moisture);
• the substrate is poured into a pot and used for transplanting a flower.

You can take a different composition of the soil: from sand, deciduous and sod land in a ratio of 2: 2: 6, respectively.

How quickly sansevieria grows

The question of how to transplant a pike tail rarely arises among gardeners - this plant develops very slowly. It will be more relevant to ask when this procedure should be performed.

Mother-in-law's tongue (another name for the plant) can develop freely in one container for 2-3 years. Time is not yet a reason to make a move. The following moments will become a signal for a transplant:

• separate rosettes have formed on young leaves;
• the plant is cramped, roots peep out of the drain hole at the bottom of the pot;
• sansevieria began to wither, turn yellow, curl, curl.

Transplant rules

If you ignore the plant's signals that it is time to change the pot, it will begin to deform as it continues to develop. To make sansevieria feel comfortable, a transplant at home is carried out in compliance with the requirements:

• in the pike tail, the roots are located close to the surface, therefore, when choosing a container, they take into account not the depth, but the width;
• the new pot should be only 10% larger than the previous one - the root system of this plant loves tightness;
• the stability of the container is important - sansevieria refers to heavy plants (especially tall species).

How to plant a pike tail at home

Sansevieria does not have a dormant period, so the time to move to a new container can come in any season. Having prepared the pot and soil, they study the algorithm on how to transplant sansevieria correctly:

• taking a knife in hand, hold it with its blunt side along the inner wall of the pot - this will facilitate the extraction of the flower;
• the pike tail is placed in a basin and the old soil is washed off with a stream of water from the roots;
• the bottom of the new container is covered with expanded clay, on top of which a layer of fresh substrate is poured onto 1/3;
• a plant is installed in the center, neatly leveling the roots;
• a little earth is poured around the flower and tamped.

The last step is repeated until the container is filled with soil. In this case, each layer is slightly moistened with water at room temperature.

Reproduction of sansevieria

If the time to plant the mother-in-law's tongue fell on the spring, you can combine this procedure with reproduction. During this period, all biological processes proceed at an accelerated pace, the active movement of juices will help the plant to take root faster.

Novice florists are interested in the question of how sansevieria reproduces. This event is carried out in several ways:

• division of rhizomes;
• cutting off side shoots;
• fragments of a leaf plate.

The latter option does not allow you to preserve the color of some species of pike tail, but the method still remains popular. This method is especially good if the root system is sick and becomes unusable.

Sheet

You can also take advantage of the propagation of sansevieria by a leaf in the case when an already formed plate breaks off. At the same time, the mother-in-law's tongue can be rooted both in the ground and in a cylindrical container with water.

The soil

In order for sansevieria to take root, leaf propagation is carried out in the wrong soil, which is intended for transplanting a flower. In this case, the loose substrate should contain components in the following proportion:

• 1 part of sand and humus;
• 2 parts of sod and leaf land;
• the presence of charcoal is mandatory.

Another composition is suitable for reproduction: from leaf and sod land with the addition of perlite (all ingredients are taken in equal parts). The soil before planting must be sterile (calcined) and moist.

What kind of pot is needed

The rules for choosing a container for a pike tail were mentioned above. The stalk with which the plant will propagate is small. Therefore, you should not take a spacious pot. For a start, a container no more than 8 cm in diameter and about 5-6 cm deep is quite suitable.

As for the material of the pot, it must be breathable so that the future roots can breathe. Ceramics (clay) are best suited for this. In addition, it perfectly absorbs water, playing the role of additional drainage.

Agrotechnics

To know how to properly propagate sansevieria with a leaf, follow the step-by-step instructions. At the same time, despite the common points, there are differences in earthen and water rooting.

First, perform the following actions:

• a healthy, undamaged leaf is cut from the uterine bush;
• the plate is cut into strips of 10-15 cm, moving with a sharp knife perpendicular to the veins;
• on each fragment, the bottom and top are marked with a marker (this is important when planting).

Features of reproduction of sansevieria leaf

In the ground	In water
cuttings are dried for several hours; the lower cut is treated with "Kornevin"; deepen fragment 1/3 into the substrate at an angle of 45 °	a little filtered liquid is poured into a transparent glass container; add a small amount of "Kornevin"; cuttings are lowered into the water (also by 1/3); when roots are formed on the fragment, they are transplanted into the ground

Planting leafy parts directly into the substrate is preferable - rooting will occur faster (after 1.5-2 months).New shoots from the leaf can be expected in 7-8 months. For this to happen, the following optimal conditions are maintained:

• air temperature - within 21-25 °;
• luminous flux - only diffused;
• the substrate is moderately moist (watering through the pan).

Why remove the growth point from sansevieria

The purpose of reproduction is not just to get a new plant, but also to preserve all its characteristics. Not every method satisfies this desire. In varieties with variegated leaves, color can only be preserved by propagation by layering.

The older the plant, the less likely it is to get planting material from it. After 5 years, the flower practically does not form root layers. To stimulate the mother plant for development, you need to carefully cut (and not twist) the growth point and remove 2-3 top sheets.

The plant will immediately redirect forces to the development of the rhizome, after 1.5 months several good layers will develop on the bush. They are cut off and placed in pots. After that, adult sansevieria can grow for several more years (until the foliage dies off).

If sansevieria does not grow

The simplest reason why the mother-in-law's tongue stopped developing is the excessive tightness of the pot. If a young plant has stopped growing, attention should be paid to the conditions of care:

• improper watering;
• bright sunlight or shading;
• low temperatures;
• draft.

All these factors not only slow down the development, but also become the causes of sansevieria disease. The plant itself will signal the problem.

The pike tongue has soft leaves

First, the plates begin to turn yellow, then soften at the base. Waterlogging of the soil leads to the situation. In reality, the situation can be saved only by transplanting into a new pot. To do this, perform the following actions:

• the flower is carefully removed from the container;
• the roots are freed from the ground and revised;

• soft yellow leaves are removed.

Fresh soil is poured into a new container and a sprout is planted in it. The pot is placed away from the sun's rays and the irrigation regime is monitored.

Why does sansevieria have sluggish leaves

The opposite situation, when the soil is overdried, leads to lethargy of the plant (especially if the temperature in the room is below + 15 °). A quick way to bring sansevieria to life is to move the pot to a warm place, remove the limp plates, and water the soil.

If signs of trunk decay are noticed, then it is better to cut off the intact parts of the leaves and root them in a new container. Discard the remains of the diseased plant.

Other developmental problems

Sansevieria, like a cactus, does not like frequent watering. Excess moisture, as well as violation of other regimes, lead to serious deviations in the development of the pike tail.

How to fix sansevieria problems

Sign	Cause	Recipe resuscitation
Twisting	Leaves can curl up due to lack of moisture	It is enough to establish regular, but not frequent watering, and the plant will stop curl up
Rugosity	Affected by prolonged exposure to the shade and lack of moisture	The light regime is straightened by gradually moving the pot towards the window. After that, regulate watering
The leaves have fallen	Evidence that the plant is cold	It is enough to move the flower to a warm room, and the foliage will quickly straighten

Knowing which sign indicates a problem, it is easier to understand why the leaves of the sansevieria curl (wither, turn yellow, etc.). This will allow you to provide first aid to the plant in time and establish proper care.