Sansevieria

Light

The Sansevieria prefers a moderate dose of filtered light. It is best to keep the plant in an area where it will not receive a lot of direct sunlight.

Placement

Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, Diningroom

Water Habits

Sansevieria grows best when watered thoroughly and then allowed to dry completely. Water the soil until it becomes very dark, but not to the point that the water is no longer being soaked by the soil. Allow the soil to dry before the next watering. When watering, pour around the edge of the pot and not into the center of the leaves as this may cause them to rot out.

Temperature

Ideal Temperature for Sansevieria: 60-80°F (15-27°C) Min: 40°F (4°C)

Toxins Removed

Benzene, Formaldehyde, Xylene/Toluene, Alchohol

Did You Know ?

The Sansevieria, sometimes referred to as a “Mother-in-laws tongue” or “Snake Plant”, originates from a region within South Africa where the plant’s sap is thought to have antiseptic qualities. The leaves of the Sansevieria have also been known to be used as bandages in this part of the world. The Sansevieria is also good for filling the container by sending out suckers.

How do I know if my plant is being infested by Spider Mites?

Spider Mites look like tiny dots on the underside of your plant leaf. They usually live in large groups, so you will definitely see more than one of these tiny dots in a group on the plant. Spider Mites are known as such from the silk webbing that they leave behind on infested leaves. This presence of webbing is the best indication that your plant may be infested.

How do I treat spider mites?

Spider mites usually become a problem on outdoor plants after certain insecticides have been sprayed that may have killed the natural enemies of the mite. The best thing to do when dealing with Spider Mites is to find an insecticidal soap that you can use to wipe down the plant leafs. It is advised that you test out the insecticidal soap on a small portion of the plant before applying it to the whole plant.

How do I know if my plant is being infested by Aphids?

Aphids are commonly known as the greenfly or black fly, and they are the most common pest for indoor houseplants. They are small insects (usually 1 to 5mm) and usually infest flowers, shoot tips and soft leaves. They are not likely to kill your plant but these sap-sucking insects will cause the flowers and leaves to look very distorted and/or curled.

How do I treat my plant if it is infested by Aphids?

To treat the Aphid infestation you should first try to wash off the colonies from your plant. To do this use a strong spray bottle using water. This treatment will not work with all species of Aphids. The next method to try is with a fine spray of soapy water on the colonies. This will interfere with their ability to breathe. If the second method fails, you will need to succumb and purchase a systemic poison or a spray containing malathion. We suggest Malathion because it has a relatively low human toxicity.

Mealy Bugs: What are they & how you get rid of them.

Mealy bugs are white, waxy creatures that live in large colonies usually on the undersides of the leaves and/or around leaf joints. The bug is about 1/10th of an inch and has the look of cotton. First course of action would be to remove the infested plant from any other plants within your home. After that either take a water bottle to spray the affected area to wash off the bugs, or wipe off the infestation with cotton buds dipped in rubbing alcohol. Take note that this may not work to get rid of all the Mealybugs at one time, so keep the plant away from others while you monitor it for more insects. Another option is to buy the Mealy Bugs natural predator called the mealybug destroyer (Cryptolaemus montrouzieri) which is a species of lady bug. This is an option for heavily infested plants, if you do not want to dispose of the plant for some reason. Once the mealybugs have been killed and consumed the mealybug destroyer will die off from a lack of a food source.

How do I know if my plant is infested with White Fly?

The white fly is a small moth like insect that is about 1/8th of an inch in length. Completely white and often spotted as they fly between plants once the plant is disturbed. This pest is notorious for carrying diseases between plants and also releases a sticky substance that promotes mold growth as well as Sooty Mould. The insect can often be found underneath the leaves of the plant. One of the first signs of the whitefly may be yellowing and a loss of leaves on your plant. As this pest is airborne it won’t be as easy to spray insecticide to suffocate the White Fly. If you do choose the insecticide route, it is best to keep up your treatment by spraying several times in four to five day intervals. Another solution is to introduce the White Fly’s natural predator into the environment.

How do I treat a White Fly infestation?

The Encarsia Formosa (a tiny member of the wasp family) and does not sting humans. In fact they are so tiny (females are about 0.6mm long), once released into the environment the only sign of their existence will be that your population of white flies will dwindle down to nothing. One note: Before releasing this predator of the white fly make sure to wipe off any insecticides you might have sprayed as a first attempt to rid your plants of the pest as it will affect the Encarsia Formosa as well.

Nitrogen Deficiency:

The leaves on my plant are turning yellow. What is going on?

When you start seeing some discoloration and yellowing of the leaves on your plant it is usually caused from a Nitrogen Deficiency. The yellowing usually start at the tips of the leaf and works its way inwards with no particular pattern. It will consume the old leaves from oldest right up the plant until only the newest growth stays green. Here are a few recommended tips to handle a Nitrogen Deficiency. For those who own fish aquariums is to empty some of the aquarium water they have replaced into the soil of their plants. Another solution would be to spray the leaves of the plants with a foliar fertilizer [fertilizers made especially for applying nutrients to the leaves] with a mix of about 5-10-5 (percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium).

Iron Deficiency:

How do I identify that my plant has an iron deficiency?

Interior plants can often suffer from an Iron Deficiency. You can tell that your plant is affected by a lack of iron by taking observation to the young leaves on the plant. There might be a slight yellowing, shedding of new leaves or flowers, and stunting of growth. This usually occurs to plants that are in poorly aerated soil or when the soil is over watered and saturated. Iron deficiency can be alleviated with regular applications of iron sulfate foliar fertilizer or for a long term solution the best way to alleviate would be to correct the poorly aerated soil and the water log problem.

Potassium Deficiency:

How do I identify that my plant is suffering from Potassium Deficiency?

Symptoms that your plant has a lack Potassium may always vary among different types of plants, but it will consistently appear on the oldest leaves on the plant. Yellow spots will appear on the leaves that are almost completely translucent. In some cases this is followed by the leaves rolling and giving a burnt or dead looks from the tips inward. As the problem persists it will makes its way from the older leaves into the younger leaves until the plant is dead. The best way to take care of this problem is to find a fertilizer that contains Potassium Sulfate. This should bring the color and life back to the new leaves on the plant.

Magnesium Deficiency:

Magnesium deficiency can first be detected by observing the leaves of the plant as with most other deficiencies. If you notice orange/brown veins on the leaves that would be one of the first indications. This is further identified with withering or curling of the leaves which will eventually lead to the burnt look around the tips of the leaf. The best/organic way to treat this deficiency is to take Epsom salt and mix it in with about 2 gallons of water. After doing so take a spray bottle and gently mist the plant a couple of times a week.