My Sansevieria trifasciata is Limp and SAD!!!!! :(

Maspeth, NY

I received a piece of Sansevieria trifasciata from a neighbor who was moving. I know them as Mother In Law Tongues.... anyway she took this piece out of her plant. I put it in soil in a nice sized pot. The tallest leaves feel soft and don't stand tall anymore. I think they are in shock from being pulled apart. I am watering when the soil feels dry, It is in a window that gets morning sun. I don't want to feed the poor plant, I think the new soil has food in it.

Is there anything else I can do to make this plant feel better???? I assume that it will get over it's shock sooner or later... I just hope its sooner.....

Dublin, CA(Zone 9a)

It could just be transplant shock, may be nothing to worry about. But a couple things to check on with regard to the watering...how big is the pot relative to the plant? If you put a plant in a pot that's too large for it, it makes it much easier to overwater so it's possible you may have it in a pot that's too big. And also when you say you water when the soil feels dry...are you just checking the top surface, or are you sticking your finger down into the pot? You really need to stick your finger down in the pot--the top surface of the soil will dry out fairly quickly but just under the surface can still be quite wet. This is even more important if it's in a pot that's a bit too large for it.

Vicksburg, MS(Zone 8a)

Agree with everything ecrane said. The only thing I will add is that plants of this type like to be a little crowded. In fact, they will bloom only if they are crowded in their pot. Also, you might try moving it back from the window for a while until it recovers from the transplant shock. Once it has recovered, the window you describe sounds perfect for it. And you are right to not fertilize for a while--that's hard on newly transplanted plants. Hope your plant does well.

Maspeth, NY

Thank You for the Information! Ecrane you are right, I can over-water... that is why I choose terracotta pots! I hear they are more forgiving. I will stick my finger in the dirt before I water again!!! Nature Lover, I will take it out of the window and put it on my desk! That should help...it will get filtered light there.

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