Dividing a cylindrical snake plant is an easy and fast way to propagate your plant. This can be done in just 4 easy steps:
- Clean away the dirt from the roots of your cylindrical snake plant so you can inspect and decide where to cut the rhizome.
- Cut the rhizome of the cylindrical snake plant (make sure each new plant will have some roots)
- Plant the new cylindrical snake plants into a pot filled with a succulent style potting mix with good drainage.
- Keep watering your cylindrical snake plant weekly until you see signs that it is growing.
Cylindrical snake plants can be propagated with cuttings but the division method is a faster way to propagate and establish new cylindrical snake plants.
The division propagation technique explained in this blog can be used on many types of plants in the Dracaena family that grow and spread via underground rhizomes, like the snake plant.
Steps to Divide and Propagate Cylindrical Snake Plant
Cylindrical snake plants grow and spread out horizontally via a rhizome that creeps and crawls underground. Dividing the rhizome is how your can multiple your cylindrical snake plants.
Things To Note When Dividing Cylindrical Snake Plants:
- Only do this if the offshoots have matured and are at least 5-7 inches long.
- Cylindrical snake plants like a crowded pot, so only do this if they are actually going to be separated and re-potted separately. Otherwise, just leave the plant alone.
How to Divide and Multiply Your Cylindrical Snake Plant (Dracaena angolensis)
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Prepare Your Cylindrical Snake Plant
Wash away all of the dirt on the cylindrical snake plant’s roots and rhizome. This will make it much easier to see where best to cut the rhizome.
Ideally, you will wait until the shoots are 5 inches long before separating it, but if it is smaller but has roots attached to it, it should be fine.
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Divide Your Cylindrical Snake Plant
Clean your knife or secateurs before cutting the rhizome to prevent the spread of any plant diseases.
Cut the rhizome so that each new plant will have at least 2 to 3 roots on it. Having roots will help the plant to survive and support itself.
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Pot Your Divided Cylindrical Snake Plant
Cylindrical snake plants are succulents, so ideally you will pot the new plants with a succulent style potting mix. If you don’t have a premade mix don’t stress, as long as it allows the water to drain through it should be fine.
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Water Your Cylindrical Snake Plant
Once the new cylindrical snake plants are potted, give them a really good watering.
Water the plants at least once per week until they show signs of growth, then you won’t need to worry too much about watering them (as they are very drought hardy).
Supply:
- Cylindrical snake plant
- Cactus/succulent style potting mix
- Plastic grow pot
- Water
Tools:
- Utility knife or pair of secateurs
- Working surface (flat surface)
- Watering can
Final Thoughts
Cylindrical snake plants can also be propagated from stem cuttings.
Dividing and planting your cylindrical snake plant will only take a few minutes, but it is a really easy and quick way to grow more plants that can be used in your home or given as a gift to friends and family.
Happy gardening.
