I planted my Snake plant today and chose the best from the bunch. However, some of the tips has either dried off or damaged by some other means. I am posting some pics for better understanding:
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Cut the whole leaf from the bottom or remove the damaged part or leave them?
It is up to you. Brown tips clearly indicate a problem, usually watering, soil imbalance or too much fertilizing. There is no need to do it. That is a dead part of the leaf and will cause no further damage.
First, do you know what caused it, and have you corrected it? Looking at the soil, watering seems to be the first suspect. Personally, since you just transplanted the plant, I'd give it a few days to establish, before doing anything.
You can cut off the brown tips if you think it is an aesthetic issue. Be careful to cut to the edge, leaving perhaps a little brown sliver, so that the plant doesn't have a new injury to heal.
On the leaf where the damage is to the side, you can cut the leaf all the way to the bottom of the injury, if you so desire.
You've actually answered your own question. You bought a plant put out on closeout. It has had a tough month or more,
Some of the leaf damage looks like physical damage. You said you want to get better soil. Actually a cactus mix-sand-is best.
THE SNAKE PLANT IS FAMOUSLY HARD TO KILL. From what I see, the pot in the picture is too large for the plant. It will stay wet too long. Be sure your pot has a drainage hole. Partial sun is best. I would not fertilize it. If, you do use half what the INSTRUCTIONS SAY. Ours is outdoors in a protected spot-zone 9b and it is doing fine. TOO MUCH CARE CAN KILL IT.
I live in a 8a. I had one for my work that I took home to fix. It was limp, yellow and generally sickly looking. The reason was over watering. Some leaves were even squishy with rot. I repotted it with miracle grow, but mixed that with perlite and bark so it would drain better. I kept it in deep shade for a couple of weeks, then moved it out to where it would get morning sun. Then I moved it to where it got full sun all day. It was still protected where it wouldn't get rained on. I left it out all summer and watered it maybe 6 times. I watered it 3 times this winter. It loved it. The old leaves that weren't deprived of light had been a super dark green. The new full sun leaves are very pretty and have lots of variegation. So I'd recommend lots of light and little watering.
Having said that, when your plants gets settled in, I'd cut off the bad leaves and repot them to make new plants. It's very easy. I had one cluster left from the office and took off one junky looking, leaning blade. I cut it into 4" and pushed them just far enough into the soil to stand upright. That was after a couple of days for the cuts to callous. After a month or so, you'll have lost a few, but most will root. You can very gently try to tug them out of the soil and you should feel resistance. Eventually, they will put out a new plant from this cutting. Soon the whole pot will be filled. They like to be a little root bound. Just keep the original orientation in mind when cutting the leaf. If you take a segment and turn it upside down, I don't think it'll take. You can actually see what looks like little roots on the damaged section in your picture.
That's just what I did with mine, but I'm really happy with the results. Most of my cuttings took, though they quite putting out new plants when I brought it in for the winter. I'll put it back outside this summer and I'm sure the whole pot will be filled with an awesome plant.
