Martha Stewart Has Brilliant Advice for Keeping Your Favorite Houseplant Alive

It seems like everyone with a houseplant obsession has a snake plant (Sansevieria) in their collection. These succulents are fairly easy to care for, but can be a bit picky when it comes time to repot — unlike most plants, snake plants don’t mind being kept in smaller, shallower pots. So how do you know when it’s time to upgrade? Martha Stewart shared the process for repotting snake plants on her blog’s Instagram account so you can do so with confidence.

“Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, repotted a variety of specimens including the very interesting and popular Sansevieria,” Stewart wrote in her caption. “Sansevieria is a genus of about 70 species of flowering plants, native to Africa, Madagascar, and southern Asia. You may know it as one of its common names such as mother-in-law’s tongue, devil’s tongue, jinn’s tongue, bow string hemp, snake plant, and snake tongue.”

In the photos Stewart shared, you can see that her snake plants were so lush that they filled the entire pot from rim to rim. That’s when you know it’s time to take action.

First remove your plant from its pot and cut about an inch off the roots. “This will help to stimulate new root growth after it is repotted,” Stewart writes. Next, it’s best to divide the plant into various sections.

“It is not difficult to divide sansevieria. Dividing is a good option for large plants,” she continued.

Then it’s time to replant your snake plants into new pots with a bit of fresh soil. “Clay pots provide a healthy environment for plants because of their porosity, which allows air and moisture to reach the roots and encourage growth,” Stewart wrote.

She likes to use Miracle Gro’s Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix as well as a scoop of fertilizer from Osmocote in the new pots.

And just like that, these snake plants are looking a lot less crowded and are ready to take off in their new pots (which aren’t that much bigger than the plants themselves, you’ll notice). 

As soon as you notice your plant looking overcrowded, it’s time to do something about it. Your snake plants will look healthy and happy, and continue to be some of your favorites in your collection.