I have no idea what var. it is; but tag said trifasciata - there are many var. of it. Pup is usually left, or could be removed. If happy, it will keep producing more of them. No plants 'prefer' to be root-bound, ppl just made that up because plants keep growing despite abuse we give them...If stressed (and potbound is kind of stress), they often grow and bloom to set the seeds, or produce more offshoots etc. because they 'think' they will die - so they want to reproduce themselves. It is often advised to keep plants in less soil, because lots of soil stays wet for longer time. And plant could start rotting easier. Especially succulents. So if soil is wet, I would most likely change it, adding sifted perlite or pumice to improve drainage. And I would make sure the container has drainage hole. Sans need to be watered maybe 1, 2x/mo, depending how hot it is. As for fertilizer - sometimes less is better. Using slow release fert. is easy - just add some to the potting mix. Or use balanced fert at half strength 2 - 3 x in Spring & Summer.

I do far better with plants outside, although that isn't saying much. I've kept a spider plant and pothos alive for many years but, again, that's not a high bar. But I chose the snake plant because I knew it was a fighter.

It definitely has drainage holes - that's where I saw the roots coming through.

Should I give it a few weeks after its travels - or even a season - to adjust before I root prune and repot?

Oh - thank you so much for taking the time to reply!!

Snake plants are pretty bulletproof. I've no idea if this is a Twist, but it does look like it's a twisted leaf, so... It's really the first time I'm seen it "in person."

Usually, if in active growth, my advice is that you can repot. Or if there's a problem or reason to repot, then repot regardless of what the calendar or rules say. In this case, with the plant being durable, if new, I'd simply repot it if it's rootbound.

I do like that pot, though... :-)

But it's true that nobody likes shoes that are too small. We get blisters. Plants start losing leaves, think they're dying, and start doing strange things.

Shh...I almost never root prune, or at least as little as possible. I'll break girdled roots, of course. But I won't cut them back if I don't have to, I'll simply choose a pot that's large enough to encompass the old root with room to spare, and replace the soil that I can. Except when I can't, and cut back the roots by 90%... :-)

Go up just one size, no more than an inch or so as these are slow growers, and definitely use the well-draining mix that Rina recommended. You can change out the entire soil if it seems heavy, or just add more if the soil is OK.

It probably came fed, but you never know. I always assume it did, and snake plant aren't particularly heavy feeders anyway. But if you want to, give it a half-strength feeding with any decent plant fertilizer. That should do it for the spring.

I'd keep the pup, but you don't have to if you don't want to. That's how they spread, via rhizome, so it's a sign of a growing plant!

https://www.joyusgarden.com/sansevierias-snake-plant-care/

Thank you Morpheus! Very helpful as well. I appreciate the time and detail. Given that I bought the plant with that particular pot (I love it too!) I may try some gentle trimming of roots and see if I can keep it in its current home for another season. I will check out the link, as well as youtube, for guidance on the pup. As slow-growing as they are, it's worth it to try to raise it.

It seems as though nurseries and big box stores overwater everything they get. I purchased a Sayuri Sans and it took over a 2months for it to completely dry out. Snake plants can go long periods of time without watering especially in the type of soil they are grown in which is more peat based. Great advice given just do not overwater, a sure killer of even a tough snake plant!

I already suggested to leave the pup in and let it grow, unless you want/need a separate plant. They usually look good together, but it is up to you. And they do not need repotting yearly (you suggested..."if I can keep it in its current home for another season"...). That pot is big enough for more pups, and especially if you want to separate the growing one. Eve if, I would let it grow bigger before separating. I would pay attention more to the quality of the potting mix. Photo from the net:

you are on the verge of loving it to death.. just stop ... stop ..

its stressed form moving from the growers perfect environment.. to the seller.. to your house ....

just water it properly for the next month or two ... and let it settle down and adjust ... period.. and if its sopping wet.. that probably means.. dont water it at all ...

do not cut roots off stressed plants...

do not fert stressed plants ... and just dont do anything else until it de-stresses ...

at most.. i might slip it out of the plastic pot.. and look at the roots .. just to see whats going on.. and then just slip it back into the pot ... the idea being.. that if i know whats there.. then in 30 to 60 days... i might have a plan to go from there ...

in general... just dont ever root prune ... if there are too many roots.. repot it into a bigger pot .. root pruning is a big part of bonsai ... if that is your new hobby... then learn how to do it ... but its not really a houseplant thing... in general ... [yes i understand there are plants that need it after 3 to 5 years in a pot .. crikey.. this just came from the grower.. why should it need it ...]

and just leave the babes alone for now...

finally.. its a plant.. not a child ... it wont need much fert ... a little of this or that very diluted is ok ... but dont think it needs to be fed often.. frankly... when i get a plant directly from a grower.. i presume there is probably enough fert in the pot to choke a cow .... so dont get carried away with adding more too soon ... [and you dont need a special fert for every plant ... thats all marketing mumbo jumbo when you boil it all down ...]

ken

ps: did you really expect a bigboxstore warehouse to reply with plant answers .. lol ... even if they did ... i would not believe anything they said .. lol ... i tell you exactly.. imo .. what happened here .. some grower got a contract for ten thousand plants .. and his stock got too big.. so he or she just started jamming in whatever sized plant he had out in the greenhouse into the quart pots he had ... thats why it looks like a volcano .. thats why the roots are too large for the pot.. and those are the rather useless tags he had 10,000 of sitting around waiting on the contract performance ... and as long as it was a sans.. it was going out the door because he needed the money from the contract ...

rina, you did indeed discuss the pup. I guess I was still taking in everything and didn't start thinking pup action until morpheus posted, lol!

After more reading and videos about pups last night, and discovering two more (smaller) pups after gently exploring the dirt mound on the open side, I decided just to leave the little ones be until they get bigger and more established. I appreciate everyone's guidance!

Ken... I feel like a post isn't official... until a reply packed with ellipses, return breaks and a request for "big city name" appears... and I say that with affectionate humor, not snark.... You are ever-present with efforts to assist each and every plant parent who posts... It's truly admirable! :-)

Ken, keep in mind that questions aren't actions - I can't stop what I haven't started! ;-) My questions were clearly to help me decide on how to act, not a request to validate action already taken, right? :-) My Twist, if that's what it is, has remained undisturbed except to remove and readjust excess soil. There will be no watering - it is quite damp, as I knew upon arrival - until it's appropriately dried out. I may do some mild fert when it does finally need watering. The pups, I've learned - as rina mentioned - have plenty of room to grow, so they will remain undisturbed as well.

As far as deludedly emailing a big box store, this wasn't a Home Depot as I said, it was Costa Farms - a high production grower to be sure, but they promote their personalized plant care & guidance personnel with a special email on their site and in the package insert, so it wasn't a wild thought to reach out to those who know how they select plants for shipment and subsequently water and fertilize and pack them for the most precise guidance. I may still hear back in a week or month, who knows! But in the meantime, this community has come to my rescue as always; I feel reassured by the guidance of everyone here that I'll have this beauty (and little ones to transplant one day!) for years to come. THANK YOU!

There is a member here from Costa Farms who replies and comments once in a while. They do try to be helpful. I believe they have several suppliers of their plants and so their cultural conditions/history varies.

In general, I think what Ken wrote was close to 100% on target. Sansevieria DO NOT like to be neglected. No plant does. But more people (including me) have killed Sans with too much fawning, attention, watering, pruning, fertiziling etc.

Right now, I have 21 Sansevieria plants, maybe about 11 or 12 different species. I have learned A TON here about how to care for Sansevieria. I have also experimented a lot, killed a few, grown a few into serious propagation levels, etc. There IS a proper way. Over-watering is a big danger, and Sans do not like cold, wet feet. But-- there is a mistaken belief that they like deep shade -- not true, from someone who lives in sunny Florida.

The point is -- stop fawning, stop ACTING -- and observe your plant. Put it in a decent location, give it air and light. Water when it is DRY (but never water into the center of the plant itself -- water around the outside of the leaves). Look for signs of contentment -- new pups, normal growth (not shriveled or shrunken), healthy looking leaves. Then, do what brings contentment.

Finally, I have used something that Stush (on the Sans forum here) suggested a long time ago. He is no longer using that method of feeding (I believe he is using his own compost) -- but I still am and it works superbly for me in my particular climate and growing situation. In the search box at the top, type in Sansevieria alfalfa potassium and you will probably find threads that cover the original method Stush talked about. It is a way of feeding Sans without commercial fertilizers that I use at will, based on Florida's growing seasons.

"The point is -- stop fawning, stop ACTING -- and observe your plant."

Exactly my point. I wasn't DOING anything - as evidenced by my questions about whether to do or wait and my statements that I may do this or that depending on guidance. If I'd posted a video of me hosing it down with liquid fertilizer after hacking it up with a dirty knife, I could understand the repeated cautions to step away! :-D

For the record, I've done nothing but adjust the soil volcano that I found upon unpacking and place it in its new home to get acclimated.
I have not watered.
I have not fertilized.
I have not removed it from its container.
I have not cut away pups.
I have not neglected.
I have not fawned.

I truly appreciate everyone's goal to help me maintain a healthy, happy plant!

My dear, with the length, depth and enthusiasm of your original post -- what most of us here are trying to do is help prevent you from making the mistakes we ourselves have made in trial-and-error over the years. No one is accusing you of anything. People are simply advising you of what generally works and what doesn't.

With 5 specific questions and 3 photos, that seemed to be what you were asking for. But.... perhaps I misunderstood. I appear to have offended you. Not my intention.

Not at all, Robin! I just had two individuals tell me to stop acting when it was clear I wasn't ACTING at all, but instead ASKING about how to act. :-) Things get lost in translation here sometimes and I was trying to clarify that the situation was not as dire as others interpreted. You and everyone have responded with eagerness to assist, which I truly do appreciate.

"If I'd posted a video of me hosing it down with liquid fertilizer after hacking it up with a dirty knife,"

Could you? Because that might become my Halloween wallpaper on my computer. If you have a Wednesday Addams costume, so much the better.

I'm at modest agreement of "settle in" except that it's after initial adjustment. If the plant needs a new pot or new soil, that's just the way it is. An initial fertilization is not at issue. Once there, you let them get adjusted to their new home, but don't make them uncomfortable and unhappy in a room that's too small.