Sansevieria Bantel's Sensation Care - Growing Bantel's Sensation Snake Plant

Last Updated on April 14, 2022 by Admin

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation is also called Bantel’s Sensation, White Sansevieria or Bantel’s Sensation Snake Plant.

It is a unique looking houseplant thanks to the white vertical stripes that go up each of its narrow leaves.

It is a cultivar of the Sansevieria Trifasciata. And it is often considered a snake plant.

The plant is native if tropical Africa. As such, it enjoys warm weather that is consistently sunny.

How do your care for the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation? The plant is drought tolerant. It can go on weeks without watering. So, avoid watering it regularly.

Its low water requirement also means that it is easily overwatered, which is dangerous because it can lead to root rot. The plant likes plenty of indirect sun, warm weather and moderate humidity.

Table of Contents

Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation Plant Care

Light Requirements

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation needs medium to bright indirect light. But unlike other snake plants, it does not do as well in low light.

That’s because of its beautiful white stripes on the borders of its leaves.

While these make the plant more attractive to us, it also means that the plant needs more light compared to other Sansevieria varieties.

That’s because these white variegations do not collect light.

They are not green in color because they lack or have very little chlorophyll which is the compound that make leaves green.

Interestingly, chlorophyll is also what allows the leaves to absorb light for use in photosynthesis.

Therefore, lack of this in its leaves means that the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation needs more bright light.

This is why the plant does better in brighter locations.

That said, the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation will survive and do okay in low light. However, I don’t recommend doing this as you’ll see its growth slow down and its leaves lose their vibrancy. They’ll also look duller.

That’s because less light absorbed results in less raw material input for photosynthesis. So what you get is less energy produced from this process.

This gives the plant less resources and energy to use to grow and maintain its healthy looks.

Temperature

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation thrives in warm temperatures. That’s because it is native to the tropical regions of Africa.

As such, it enjoys temperatures between 55 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It also prefers the middle-upper part of that range best.

And if you happen to leave it in hotter environments, don’t worry. It easily adapts to that as well.

However, the opposite is not true.

It does not like the cold. And it is not frost hardy.

Therefore, keep the plant away from anywhere cold.

Indoors, this is not much of a problem since most homes have moderate to slightly warm conditions ranging between 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

But you still need to be wary about air conditioners and open windows or doors where cold drafts can enter.

Also, avoid temperature fluctuations.

Outdoors, this is where things can get challenging. Although, a lot will depend on where you live.

If you live somewhere with tropical or Mediterranean climate with sunny, warm weather that’s fairly consistent all year round, then the plant will be very happy living outdoors.

In fact, this is why it loves USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11.

In these regions the sun is always up, and the weather generally stays warm 365 days a year. As such, the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation will happily live outdoors even during November through March.

But in colder regions, the plant is better off indoors as a houseplant.

You can bring it outside once the weather warms around mid-spring. Just make sure to take it back indoors once the weather nears 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

It will struggle in conditions below this level.

Humidity

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation prefers humidity of 40% to 50%. It can slightly higher as well.

However, try to avoid much higher humidity as this increases the risk of pests and diseases.

On the other hand, it also does not like low humidity. If you leave it somewhere with dry air, you’ll see its leaf edges turn brown. The plant will also suffer in terms of growth and health.

In most cases, you won’t need to bother with this as it will do fine with average room humidity. However, if you live in the desert or somewhere with similar dry air conditions, it is a good idea to monitor the leaves.

If they don’t change it color, the plant is adapting well.

So, you don’t need to do anything.

But if the plant is starts turning brown, it means that it is struggling with the lack of moisture in the air. In this case, mist the plant.

But be careful with misting. Don’t get the leaves wet with water droplets. These will lead to fungal disease and potentially cause root rot.

How Often to Water Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation is very drought tolerant. And it does not want regular watering. In fact, if you water it like your other houseplants, it will soon succumb to root rot.

Instead, keep it dry.

During the summers, it will only need watering about once every 10 days. This is the max. You can increase the interval as well without any harm to the plant.

In more moderate weather, it only needs watering about once every 2 weeks or so.

During winters, make sure to scale back significantly as the cold weather and the plant’s inactivity means it needs very little water. Once a month or even less works fine.

The biggest mistake many home gardeners make is overwatering the plant.

And this can happen even if you already cut back your watering schedule.

The best way to avoid overwatering the plant is to always check the soil. Stick your finger into the soil down 1-2 inches from the surface.

It should feel completely dry.

This is the bare minimum before you water the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation.

In most cases, you’re better off waiting until 50% to 75% of the soil has dried before you add any water. I know many successful growers who let the entire root ball go dry before they water the plant.

Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation Potting Soil

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation needs very well-draining soil.

Never use regular potting soil on its own. Otherwise, it will hold too much water for the plant’s roots. Similarly, don’t use the same soil you do for most of your houseplants.

Even Aroid mixes which are well-draining will still give the plant a hard time over the long run.

Instead, make sure that the soil is fast draining.

In addition to getting only little water, its roots like staying relatively dry.

You can use a simple combination of the following to make your own Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation potting mix at home.

2 parts perlite
1 part potting soil
1 part peat moss

Here, perlite which is kind of like Styrofoam is both light and drainage moisture very well. Notice it takes up 50% of the components.

This ensures that there’s sufficient drainage to keep the root dry.

If the soil holds too much water for the plant’s needs, it will eventually lead to root rot.

Note that you can substitute some of the ingredients if you happen to already have them at home.

You can use coarse sand in the place of perlite.

And you can swap out the peat moss for coconut coir if you wish to be more sustainable or environmentally friends.

Finally, make sure that the pot you use has drainage.

This will allow the excess liquid that drains from the soil to exit the pot instead of just building up at the bottom of the container.

Fertilizer

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation does not need fertilizer. This means you can let it be and not give it any plant food. And it will be healthy and grow well.

Like many of its other features, this is what makes the plant very low maintenance and easy to care for.

On the other hand, if you want to feed the plant, you may do so.

But make sure that you take the same approach to feeding as you do in watering this plant. Less is more.

You can use an all-purpose fertilizer. Only feed the plant during its growing season which is spring and summer.

You don’t need to feed it regularly either. Just once on occasion is enough.

It is easy to overfertilize the plant which will cause more problems. Therefore, keep it low.

Pruning

With proper care, the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation will grow to between 2 to 3 feet.

Its leaves will make up all its height from the soil upwards.

The plant has an upright growth habit. Although, you may see some leaves bend outwards.

Because of its looks and how uniform its leaves grow, there’s little to no pruning needed.

The only time you need to prune is if there are outliers or leaves that go in directions you don’t like them to. Or if certain leaves affect the look of the plant.

Besides that, pruning is all about removing leaves that are old, dying, diseased or discolored.

How to Propagate Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation can be propagated in many different ways.

The good thing about this is that you can choose whichever method works best for you. But on the downside, there are pros and cons to each of the methods.

Here are the different ways to propagate Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation.

Leaf cuttings
Rhizome cuttings
Division
Offsets

Here’s how to do each below.

Propagating Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation from Offsets

Propagating from offsets is the easiest. And there’s very little on your end to be honest.

All you need to do is check the base of the plant to look for baby plants. These are plantlets or offsets which can grow into full sized snake plants just like their parent.

Once the offsets get at least a few inches long, you can separate them from the mother plant. Then plan them in a pot with well-draining soil.

From there, just take care for the offsets like you would the mother plant.

Propagating Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation from Leaf Cuttings

Leaf cuttings is probably the most popular propagation method. Bur for me, it is also the slowest. By that I mean it takes months to grow a new plant.

That’s because you need to wait for the cuttings to root. Then after a while the rest of the plant will slowly grow.

To propagate from leaf cuttings, use a sterile knife or pruning shears and snip off a part of a healthy leaf.

If you only need one cutting, take a tip that is 4-6 inches long. You can plant this into a pot with well-draining soil and keep it under bright, indirect light.

If you want to grow more than one new Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation plant, you can cut a larger part of the leaf. Some will take the leaf almost near the base (leave about 2-4 inches of leaf on the soil).

You can then cut up that one leaf cutting into 3-4 inch segments. And each will be a leaf cutting you can plant into the same pot or their own pots.

Propagating Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation from Rhizome Cuttings

Rhizome cuttings are my favorite propagation method for the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation.

It takes more work compared to offsets and leaf cuttings. But you end up with a rooted new plant. And you don’t have to significantly reduce the size of the mother plant like in division.

To make rhizome cuttings, unpot the plant and remove enough dirt to see the underground structure of the plant. You’ll see rhizomes there which look like clumps of garlic attached together.

Choose a few healthy leaves and trace them down to their rhizomes under the soil. Make sure there are enough roots that go with the rhizomes.

Then use a sterile knife and cut the rhizome off. You don’t need a big chunk. Just cut one that’s enough to support the leaves above it.

Then repot the mother plant. And pot up the rhizome cutting into its own pot filled with similar soil to what’s used for its parent.

The rhizome cutting will grow more roots and stems. And it will also produce more leaves in time and get bushy.

This means you don’t need to wait for it to root. Similarly, you only take a small part of the mother plant.

Propagating Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation by Division

Propagating by division is quite straightforward. But it seems to be intimidating to some beginners.

If you feel that way, don’t.

Like all things, it just requires a few trial or practice runs and you’ll get a good hang of it.

So just try it.

To propagate by division, unpot the plant. Then decide where you want to separate it.

Depending on how big your Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation is, you can split it into 2 or more smaller new plants.

Usually, 2 is a good number.

Also, the two divisions don’t need to be of similar size. One can be big and the other much smaller. That’s fine too.

Just make sure each division has enough roots to support the leaves above it.

Take a sterile knife and cut the root ball where you want to divide. Then plant each division into their own pots with well-draining soil.

How to Repot or Transplant Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation only needs repotting every 2 to 3 years. I’ve likewise seen it kept in the same pot for longer up to 5-6 years (and still going) with no problems.

Of course, repotting only applies if you grow the plant in a container.

You can likewise plant it into the ground. And if you give it enough space or plan for enough space in the beginning, you won’t need to transplant it as it gets bigger.

In pots, the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation generally likes being root bound.

So, there’s no hurry to move them to another contain annually. But you can repot it yearly if you wish to replace the soil.

This is good practice with snake plants especially if you use sand in your soil.

That’s because sand can get compacted after a while. This means that it is a good idea to refresh the soil annually to make sure the plant is living in potting mix with the right texture.

It also maintains the good drainage and aeration.

The best time to repot the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation is spring to early summer.

And the process is simple.

All you need to do is unpot the plant and check whether the plant needs a bigger container. If it does, get one that it one size larger (2 inches wider).

You can likewise prune the roots if you don’t want the plant to keep growing. Then just plant it back into the same pot after refreshing the soil.

Finally, there’s the option of dividing to Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation to propagate it.

You can do this if you want to reduce its size and grow one or two more new plant from the mother plant.

Is It Toxic/Poisonous to Humans, Cats & Dogs

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation is toxic but only when ingested. It is poisonous to humans, cats and dogs.

So, you don’t want to keep it around where your kids or pets can reach it. If they happen to eat the leaves this can cause vomiting, inflammation, pain, and may other side effects.

Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation Problems & Troubleshooting

Pests

The Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation has very good resistance to pests. So, there’s a high likelihood that you’re never need to deal with pests throughout its lifetime.

However, you always need to be vigilant about them.

That’s because pests can happen any time.

The most common pests that bother snake plants are mealybugs and spider mites. These may look harmless because they are very tiny.

And they don’t pose the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation much harm when there are only a few of them.

But they multiply very quickly. Thus, it does not take long before they turn into an infestation.

This is when they can weaken the plant significantly.

Diseases

Root rot is the biggest threat to the Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation. That’s because it can kill the plant if not detected early enough.

Unfortunately, root rot is almost always man-made.

That’s because its main cause is overwatering.

And since the plant does not need water often, it is very easy to overwater it.

So, always wait until the soil is almost dry (50% to 75% of the way dry) before adding more water. Use well-draining soil and a pot with holes at the bottom.

Sansevieria Bantel’s Sensation Care – Growing Bantel’s Sensation Snake Plant