Spider Vegetation are one of the vital widespread houseplants on the earth and one of many best indoor vegetation to take care of, in order that they’re excellent for beginner plant fanatics. They’re adaptable, sturdy, and tolerate a variety of circumstances. Listed here are Spider Plant care and rising tricks to maintain yours wholesome, trying good, and producing infants.
When you’re searching for a low-maintenance, stunning houseplant that may thrive in varied environments, you’ve come to the suitable place. Spider Vegetation are beautiful with their cascading leaves and are available varied leaf patterns and colours, primarily inexperienced, white, and chartreuse.
These hanging vegetation want room to indicate off their arching shows as they develop. These lengthy stems, with infants and flowers alongside them, spray out any approach they need to. Spider Vegetation aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, however I like their wackiness and considerably wild progress behavior.
I grew them outdoor year-round once I lived in Santa Barbara, CA, in my aspect backyard in pots in a vibrant, shaded spot. They’re as simple to take care of outdoor as they’re indoors.
I’ve since moved to Tucson, AZ, and now develop mine indoors. That is about Spider Plant care as houseplants. When you’re “houseplant challenged,” Spider Vegetation could be for you. Right here’s what that you must learn about caring for these trailing vegetation whose arching leaves seem like giant blades of grass.
Botanical Identify: Chlorophytum comosum. Frequent Identify: Spider Plant (additionally Airplane Plant, Ribbon Plant, and Spider Ivy).
Spider Plant Traits
Measurement
The leaves of those vegetation are lengthy. A big plant could be roughly 36″ vast x 20″ excessive, not together with the infants.
My bigger one in a 12″ pot is 28″ vast x 22″ excessive. My smaller one in a 6″ pot is nineteen″ vast x 18″ excessive.
They’re generally offered in 4″ pots and 6, 8, and 10″ hanging pots.
Development Price
Reasonable to quick, relying on the rising circumstances.
Makes use of
Spider Vegetation make glorious hanging vegetation, particularly if they’ve stems with infants, because it actually exhibits them off. Smaller ones are tremendous as tabletop vegetation. I’ve additionally seen them in dwelling partitions.
Spider Plant Care Ideas
Spider Plant Gentle Necessities
Right here’s the place Spider Vegetation are most adaptable. They like good vibrant gentle, close to however not in a window until it’s a north or east publicity.
Being in a south or west window will trigger the plant to sunburn, however close to is ok. Regardless of the publicity, make sure that they’re not touching scorching or chilly glass.
One among mine grows within the eating room, 3′ away from a west-facing window. The opposite grows in my workplace, hanging 2′ from a south-facing window.
Despite the fact that vibrant, oblique gentle is their candy spot, they’ll tolerate decrease gentle circumstances. Simply know that some or all will revert to stable inexperienced in case you have a sort with variegated foliage. And people leaves will ultimately turn out to be paler, weaker, and limp if the sunshine is just too low.
They’ll do tremendous in sturdy synthetic gentle. They in all probability gained’t produce flowers and infants with out pure gentle or in low-light circumstances.
You could have to maneuver your Spider Plant to a brighter spot within the winter months so it will get the sunshine it wants. Listed here are extra recommendations on winter houseplant care.
Spider Plant Watering
Spider Vegetation have low to common water wants. Water yours when it’s dry or virtually dry. Remember to let the water drain by means of the pot, and if in a saucer, don’t let it sit in water.
Relying on how heat and vibrant your own home is, you’ll water each 10-21 days. I can’t inform you how typically to water yours as a result of many variables come into play. Listed here are a couple of: the pot measurement, the kind of soil it’s planted in, the situation the place it’s rising, and your house’s atmosphere.
Right here in Tucson, the local weather is heat, sunny, and dry. I water my Spider Plant in a 12″ pot about each fourteen days in the summertime and each twenty-one days within the winter. Mine in a 6″ pot will get watered each seven days in summer season and each 14 days in winter.
The thick rhizomatic roots of a Spider Plant retailer water. Don’t maintain yours too moist, or it’ll succumb to root rot. It’s finest if the underside of the pot has a number of drainage holes. This enables the surplus water to circulation out.
Think about using distilled water in case your faucet water is excessive in salts (Spider Vegetation are delicate to minerals). I’ve a tankless r/o water filtration system within the kitchen with a cartridge that places the nice minerals again in.
Thinking about extra on watering houseplants? Take a look at The best way to Water Indoor Vegetation.
Temperature
If your house is comfy for you, it’ll be so on your indoor vegetation, too. Preserve your Spider Plant from any chilly drafts and away from direct air-con or heating vent blasts.
Mine grew in my Santa Barbara backyard (zone 10) year-round, and I can inform you that they develop in heat and cooler temperatures outdoor.
Humidity
These vegetation are native to subtropical and tropical areas. Despite the fact that they like humidity, they’re adaptable. They do tremendous in our houses, which are likely to have dry air.
The humidity right here within the desert may be as little as 10%. Due to this, my Spider Vegetation have brown ideas; in any other case, they give the impression of being nice.
I’ve this humidity meter in my eating room near the kitchen. It’s cheap however does the trick. I run my Cover humidifiers when the humidity reads low, which is nearly at all times within the Arizona desert!
Each month or two, I take mine outdoor, give the foliage bathe, and depart it within the shade for a couple of hours. It additionally helps to maintain the foliage clear.
When you suppose yours appears burdened because of lack of humidity, listed below are different issues you are able to do. Fill the saucer your plant sits on with pebbles and water. Put it on the pebbles, however make sure that the drain holes and/or the underside of the pot aren’t submerged in water.
Misting your plant a couple of instances every week will assist, too. I like this mister as a result of it’s smaller, simple to carry, and makes use of a pleasant quantity of spray.
Fertilizing/Feeding
Spring and summer season are the perfect instances to feed your houseplants. Early fall is ok in the event you’re in a temperate local weather like me.
Now we have a protracted rising season from mid-February by means of October in Tucson. I fertilize with Maxsea or Sea Develop, Develop Large, and Liquid Kelp seven instances throughout the rising season. It’s how I feed all my tropical vegetation. I alternate utilizing these granular and liquid fertilizers and don’t combine them.
Spider Vegetation aren’t fussy or needy; fertilizing too typically will do extra hurt than good. Relying in your local weather and rising zone, feeding two or thrice a yr could do it on your indoor vegetation.
No matter houseplant meals you select, don’t use greater than the really useful quantity as a result of minerals construct up and may burn the plant’s roots. Spider Vegetation are delicate to salt. An excessive amount of will present up as brown spots and/or brown recommendations on the leaves in the event you fertilize too typically or use too excessive a ratio.
You need to keep away from fertilizing any burdened houseplant, i.e., bone dry or soaking moist. I don’t fertilize houseplants in late fall and winter as a result of it’s not their lively rising season.
Each different spring, I give most of my houseplants a lightweight software of worm compost with a lightweight layer of compost. Straightforward does it – a 1/4 ” layer of every is sufficient for a 6″ houseplant. Examine my worm compost/compost feeding proper right here.
Repotting
Like fertilizing, spring, summer season, and early fall are the perfect instances to repot.
Spider Vegetation like being a bit potbound, so don’t rush to repot yours until it’s burdened and/or outgrowing the pot. Rising barely tight of their pots will assist them produce infants.
Once I repot Spider Vegetation (which isn’t too typically), I typically go up one pot measurement for smaller vegetation and two sizes for giant, mature vegetation. I final repotted certainly one of mine 5 years in the past, and it’s exhibiting no indicators of stress.
The tuberous roots are powerful and develop tight collectively, so you will have to work a bit to get it out of the pot by urgent on the perimeters and/or working a knife across the perimeter.
Soil Combine
Spider Vegetation aren’t too fussy relating to the soil combine. Use good natural potting soil labeled for houseplants or indoor vegetation. It should drain effectively and supply ample aeration.
The well-drained soil combine I exploit for mine is a mix of 1/3 potting soil, 1/3 coco coir, and 1/3 pumice. I toss in a few handfuls of a combo of worm compost and compost as I plant and high with a skinny layer.
Pruning
This plant grows thick with foliage. I prune mine each couple of months to take away any yellowish undergrowth and bent and/or lifeless leaves.
And, after all, to take away the stems with the newborn Spider Vegetation for propagating! Simply make sure that your pruning instruments are sharp earlier than you do any pruning.
Propagation
Spider Plant infants are very simple to propagate. Merely reduce the stem and take away the decent-sized child. I wait till they’re not less than 2-3″ in diameter with root nubs exhibiting on the backside.
Usually, there shall be a number of infants on the stem, so that you’ll get multiple new Spider Plant! The roots begin as tiny brown nubs on the underside of the spiderettes and switch whitish as they develop and elongate.
The most well-liked approach of propagating is in water. Put them in a jar or vase with water, and the roots will develop actually quick. You don’t need water overlaying the foliage, simply the roots.
Change the water each 7-14 days so it stays contemporary. You possibly can plant them after 7-10 days or depart them in water for much longer. I as soon as left one in water for seven months, and it was tremendous.
You can too put them in a lightweight soil combine to root. Preserve it evenly moist whereas rooting. Whether or not you’re propagating them in water or a mixture, preserving them in vibrant gentle however out of direct solar is finest.
One other solution to propagate them is by division. This may be difficult if the plant is older as a result of these root balls are extremely thick, dense, and fleshy. You possibly can lose a portion of the plant and/or root ball within the course of.
Pests
Mine have by no means been infested with any, however I’ve seen them with mealybugs and scale. I’ve heard they will additionally get aphids and spider mites.
Identify these pests and deal with your plant accordingly to eliminate them. Pests can journey from plant to plant quick and multiply virtually in a single day, so make sure you get them underneath management as quickly as you see them.
Many individuals use neem oil to manage these pests. I’ve been utilizing this insecticidal tremendous cleaning soap for 2 years with success.
Spider Plant Flowers
Oh sure, they do flower! They’re not notably showy, nor are they aromatic, and are small and whitish. The star-shaped flowers seem because the plant ages.
Pet Security
Are Spider Vegetation poisonous to cats and canines? Wave the flags! In accordance with the ASPCA web site, this one is deemed non-toxic.
Simply bear in mind that Spider Plant leaves are like crunchy grass. Fluffy or Fido may love munching away, making them sick. My kitty Tazzy sometimes chews on the ends of mine, in order that’s another excuse for pruning!
Listed here are a few of our houseplant guides chances are you’ll discover useful: 13 Shops The place You Can Purchase Houseplants On-line, 6 Low Upkeep Vegetation For Vacationers, 11 Pet Pleasant Houseplants, Ideas For Shopping for Houseplants, Finest Low Gentle Indoor Vegetation, Straightforward Care Workplace Vegetation, 7 Straightforward Care Flooring Vegetation, 7 Straightforward Tabletop & Hanging Vegetation
Spider Plant Care Video Information
Spider Plant Care FAQS
It grows the quickest in average to excessive gentle publicity. A vibrant spot exhibits off its arching nature and encourages flowering and the manufacturing of these small plantlets or infants a Spider Plant is thought for.
Spider Vegetation love vibrant pure gentle, however an excessive amount of direct solar will trigger burn.
They’ll survive in decrease gentle however gained’t develop a lot. This could additionally trigger the foliage to show pale and weak. Like many indoor vegetation, a location with oblique daylight is their candy spot.
No! I believe they’re one of many hardest indoor vegetation round.
Spider Vegetation can reside a very long time, effectively over 30 years. I knew a lady who had inherited her grandmother’s 40-year outdated+ Spider Plant. Good to have a dwelling reminiscence of a beloved member of the family!
No, they don’t. If they’ve many spiderettes connected, a dangling basket provides them extra room to do their factor. They give the impression of being higher as a dangling plant as a result of this exhibits off the arching leaves and sprays of infants.
I’d select one other indoor plant if you would like one to develop upright. Spider Vegetation have lengthy, arching leaves that look finest displayed as is. Apart from, they hardly ever get above 20-24″ tall.
You possibly can. Simply know that in the event you depart too many infants on for too lengthy and so they get too mature, they’ll drain the power out of the mom.
It is determined by many elements, so I can’t inform you. Yours may must be watered kind of often than mine, relying on the pot measurement, the kind of soil it’s planted in, the situation the place it’s rising, and your house’s atmosphere. Holding them on the dry aspect is healthier watering when the soil is nearly dry. They’ve thick, fleshy roots that retailer water, so soggy soil is one thing they don’t like!
Once more, it is determined by the place you reside. I’m in a local weather with gentle, sunny winters and water mine in a 12″ pot about each 21 days. I water my 6″ Spider Plant each 14 days.
Sure, I do. A damaged leaf won’t ever develop again. Apart from, Spider Plant foliage grows densely, so the plant will put out extra leaves very quickly.
Most of our houses have low humidity at a while throughout the yr. Brown leaf ideas are mostly brought on by dry air.
I don’t as a result of I don’t just like the look. You possibly can in the event you’d like, however will probably be an ongoing job!
Yellow leaves on vegetation are generally because of an excessive amount of water, too little water, an excessive amount of fertilizer, not sufficient gentle, or faucet water too excessive in minerals. My Spider Plant is large and really full. Some low underneath leaves flip yellowish because of lack of sunshine as a result of the higher leaves crowd and shade them out.
Very quickly in any respect! The roots are already poking out on the bottoms of the newborn vegetation. The roots are effectively alongside after 7-14 days in water.
When rooting in water, be sure you maintain the water at a gentle stage. You don’t need it overlaying the foliage, simply the roots. Change the water each 7-14 days so it stays contemporary. If in soil, maintain it evenly moist. It’s finest to maintain them in vibrant gentle however out of direct solar.
In conclusion, Spider Vegetation are resilient, easy-care houseplants which might be a beautiful addition to any residence or workplace house. By following these care ideas talked about above, you possibly can make sure that yours thrives and prospers for years. Keep in mind to offer vibrant, oblique daylight for it to look its finest and water when dry or virtually dry.
You’ll be capable to get pleasure from the fantastic thing about these wild and wacky inexperienced beauties for years to come back!
Be aware: This put up was initially revealed on 7/30/2014. It was up to date on 1/15/2022 & once more on 9/13/2023 with extra information & new pictures.
Pleased gardening!
This put up could include affiliate hyperlinks. You possibly can learn our insurance policies right here. Your price for the merchandise shall be no greater however Pleasure Us backyard receives a small fee. Thanks for serving to us unfold the phrase & make the world a extra stunning place!
- Concerning the Creator
- Newest Posts
Nell, the founding father of Pleasure Us backyard, was born right into a gardening household and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After dwelling in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert residence. She studied horticulture & backyard design, working within the subject all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & creator. She’s been gardening for a really very long time & needs to share what she’s discovered with you.