Spider plant likes a moist soil or potting mix that drains well, but it can also tolerate periods of dryness. Don't over-water or the roots may rot. As long as it's given an application of controlled-release fertiliser once a year at the start of spring, your spider plant will be happy.
Spider plants will put up with most light conditions, but will flourish in brighter spots in your home. Keep your spider plant away from harsh, direct sunlight; he'll enjoy being on a desk or hanging from a shelf.
Spider plant needs are simple: Place the plant in bright to moderate light in a room that's a comfortable temperature for everyone. Keep the soil slightly moist. Once-a-week watering is sufficient in spring and summer; in winter, allow the soil to dry a bit more between waterings.
If just the tips of the leaves are brown, your spider plant is probably fine. You can even trim them. "Go for it in the growing months [of] spring and summer," Bendall explains. However, avoid trimming your spider plant in the winter.
A spider plant likes bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight as it has the potential to scorch the leaves. Spider plants will grow in low light, but they'll grow slowly and may not produce plantlets. In low light, striped spider plant leaves may lose their variegation.
Once your spider plant's leaf tips turn brown, there is nothing you can do once the damage is already done. Simply trim the brown leaf tips off with a pair of sharp scissors. What is this? What you can do though is to focus on addressing the potential cause(s) so that new growth will be free of brown tips.
Spider plants can be grown outside in zones 9-11, where they prefer light shade and well-draining soil. But indoors, they really aren't low-light plants: They thrive in lots of indirect light, between 55 and 80 degrees F.
Spider plants grow best when they're a little pot-bound, so only go one size up (about 2 inches larger in diameter) if you plan to repot your plant. Avoid repotting during the fall or winter; wait until spring when the plant is actively growing.
Do Spider Plants need to hang? No, they don't. If they have a lot of spiderettes attached, hanging gives them more room to do their thing. They look better this way because it really shows the sprays of babies off.
You can water it over the soil, from the bottom, or via a water bath. The most typical way to water spider plants is by watering over the soil. Using a watering can or placing the plant directly under a faucet, provide water to the soil. Water should be added to the pot until it begins to drain from the drainage holes.
Problems: The most common problem for spider plants is the tips of the leaves can shrivel and turn brown or black. Overwatering is usually the problem, not underwatering. Be sure to let the soil dry out completely before watering again. Spider plants are from the tropical rainforest, so they prefer humidity.
Do plants cry? It may appear like your indoor plants are shedding tears when you see water drops on leaves, but they can form water droplets like outdoor plants. Water drops on plants can be caused by transpiration, dew, or guttation.
Can you leave spider plant babies attached to the main plant? While it's totally OK to leave your spider plant's babies attached to the vine, you may need to give the main plant more water and fertiliser so it's able to support itself as a result.
Gently wiggle the roots of their shape and then plant into a new, larger pot with fresh potting soil for indoor plants. Once the plant is repotted, this will stimulate new growth and make your spider plant bushier once again.
For Your Houseplants
You will want to just add just a tablespoon or two of milk to a quart-size pitcher filled with water. Mix it and then pour the diluted milk into the soil once or twice a month. I've tried it and had great success with my Jade Plant, English Ivy, Parlor Palm, and Spider Plant.
In general, you should water your spider plants about once a week. Before watering, check the soil of the plants to see if it's dry. If it's still moist, you should wait another day or two and repeat this until the soil is dry. The plant might be thirsty, but it does like the soil to dry out every once in a while.
Terracotta pots are a great choice since these pots absorb moisture from the soil and hence the soil dries out faster. Given that Spider Plants don't like to sit in waterlogged pots, terracotta pots (clay pots) are an excellent choice. Plastic pots are cheap and they come in a variety of shapes and colors.
The most important spider plant indoor benefit is its ability to filter and purify the air in your home. 'This non-toxic plant is also perfect for filtering toxins from the air such as formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene – so breath deeper with this plant in your environment' recommends Megan.
Repotting spider plants is only necessary when the roots have become very visible, and the plant is pushing itself up out of the pot. If you plan on splitting your spider plant at the same time, it is best to repot in spring. Avoid repotting spider plants in winter.
When well-cared for, these plants can live anywhere from 20-50 years! Ready for this? The typical lifespan of a chlorophytum comosum vittatum or chlorophytum comosum variegatum, the two most common varieties, is around 20 years.
Pot Selection
Clay pots often wick water from the soil, making them a poor choice -- the spider plant's willingness to grow tuberous roots so large that they burst fragile pots means that a clay pot can be a disaster down the road. Heavy plastic pots are more flexible and will retain moisture better.
Plant spider plants in Miracle-Gro® Indoor Potting Mix. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. After a month, begin feeding regularly with Miracle-Gro® Indoor Plant Food. Divide when the plant is too large for its container and give the extra plants to friends.
Spider plants produce babies on long stems called runners. They only do this when they are mature and conditions are right. They generally have to be a year or more old. The baby spider plants are a form of asexual reproduction: so they don't need another plant to produce mini replicas of themselves.
Caring for spider plants is easy. These tough plants tolerate lots of abuse, making them excellent candidates for newbie gardeners or those without a green thumb. Provide them with well-drained soil and bright, indirect light and they will flourish.
Too much or too little water. Both underwatering or overwatering your spider plant can cause a spider plant to develop brown tips. If you allow the soil to dry out entirely between watering you are not giving your spider plant enough water.