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Watered my snake plant with ice cubes for 3 months and it got root rot
I read some blog that said watering with ice cubes prevents overwatering because it melts slow. Made sense at the time. So for about three months I tossed two ice cubes in the pot every Saturday. Plant looked fine until it started turning yellow and mushy at the base. Pulled it out and the roots were basically mush. My neighbor who runs a nursery said the cold shocks the roots and they can't dry out properly between waterings. Learned that slow water is not the same as gentle water. Has anyone else fallen for this trick and killed a plant?
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gavinlopez3d ago
Come on, once a month is totally fine for most snake plants indoors.
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sage_ramirez423d ago
Hold up, dylanmurray said snake plants want to be watered maybe once a month when bone dry? I gotta say that is a little too infrequent for most homes, especially if your place has decent light and dry air. Snake plants actually do fine with watering every 2-3 weeks in the growing season, just make sure the soil is totally dry before you do it. Once a month is safer for winter or low light spots, but telling everyone to water once a month might lead to underwatering in brighter rooms (and then you get those sad, wrinkled leaves). The main thing is checking the soil with your finger like dylanmurray said, not following a strict calendar rule.
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dylanmurray3d ago
Ice cubes are garden center snake oil. The cold water shocks tropical plants like snake plants that evolved in warm, dry conditions. Plus the slow melt keeps the soil wet too long which is exactly what causes rot. Snake plants want to be ignored and watered maybe once a month when the soil is bone dry. That blog was full of bad advice written by someone who probably never owned a plant. Stick your finger in the soil before you water and save yourself the heartache and a dead plant.
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