Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with my plants lately, and I had this question that kept bugging me: Can I use cactus soil for snake plants? I mean, both are pretty chill when it comes to watering, right? So I decided to give it a go and see what happens. I grabbed a bag of cactus soil and one of my smaller snake plants that needed repotting anyway.
First off, I checked the cactus soil. It felt pretty gritty and well-draining, which is what I expected. Snake plants hate sitting in water, so that seemed like a good start. Then, I took my snake plant out of its old pot and gently loosened the roots. They were a bit root-bound, so it was definitely time for a change.

Next, I filled the new pot with a layer of the cactus soil, placed the snake plant in, and filled around it with more soil. I made sure not to pack it too tightly, ’cause you want those roots to breathe. Once the plant was settled, I gave it a good watering, letting the excess water drain out completely. The pot I used had holes at the bottom, which is super important.
I placed the newly potted snake plant in a spot with bright, indirect light, just like where it was before. Over the next few weeks, I kept an eye on it. The soil dried out pretty quickly, which was a good sign. It meant it was draining well and not holding onto too much moisture.
Observation and Results
- Watering: I only watered the snake plant when the soil was completely dry to the touch, which ended up being less frequent than before.
- Growth: The snake plant seemed to be doing okay. It didn’t show any signs of distress, and there were even a couple of new leaves sprouting.
- Fertilizing: Since I read that snake plants don’t need much fertilizer, I only gave it some diluted, all-purpose liquid fertilizer a couple of times during the growing season. In the winter, I skipped fertilizing altogether.
So, after a few months of this experiment, I can say that, yeah, you can use cactus soil for snake plants. It seems to work just fine, as long as you remember that it dries out faster than regular potting soil. You’ll need to adjust your watering habits accordingly, making sure not to overwater. And don’t forget to use a pot with drainage holes! All in all, my snake plant is still alive and kicking, so I call that a win.