When you want to propagate those baby spiders, you may wonder what to use if you use the method of cutting it off and growing the roots in water. I am doing this all the time with my big spider plant; I give them to my kids, and place them by the bed for my asthmatic husband.
Here's how I do it: I know many of us drink a lot of 20 oz bottles of soda or water, right? Take one of those, and some ordinary scissors, and cut the bottom off at the bottom of the label. To start I pinch the side of the bottle. Or you can use a knife to start it but be careful! Anyway use that bottom to put two or three babies in and fill it with water.
Then I put it on my window sill (north, if it matters I'm not sure) and check to make sure it doesn't run out of water. In a matter of a couple weeks there will be roots. Then you can put it in rich moist soil, and give it a little extra attention until the roots take hold.
Don't worry about how long you keep them in water to grow the roots, the longer you keep it in water the longer the roots get. I haven't had one die in water.
Source: My first plant was a spider plant, my mom had them since as long as I can remember, and 30 years later she still has the same one!
By Pauline Morse from Georgetown, DE
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My spider plant leaves are getting yellowish and also drooping. Just bought it 20 days ago. I have also been watering it twice a week, mainly when soil gets dry.
Currently, I have kept it in a north direction in main hall. Please suggest how do I get it into proper shape.
I suspect you are watering your plant too often. This is a good link for learning the proper care for spider plants plantinstructions.com/
I have been raising spider plants for 40 + years. Your plant is pot bound and is probably too cold. Mine get yellow like this in these cases. I water a little (less than 1/4 cup for plants twice this size) almost every day. They get the water from the end of the dog bowl :)
Mine love morning sun, but they are pretty forgiving when the roots have room. They like some sun, but not a full day's worth.
My friend waters here with a healthy watering twice a week. Hers do brown more often than mine, so they are probably under watered.
I have spider plants in my yard. Should I cut away the dead shoots left from winter to make way for new green shoots?
I normally grow mine outside year round and have no issues. When it starts to get a bit warmer, I'd trim off the dead shoots from the plants. Normally, you can do this in the early Spring and they should be fine. You can also wait until early Fall and take the small babies from the shoots and plant them in the soil to allow them to grow during the winter months.
I've had this spider plant in my house for a few months. It was doing great! It was super happy in my north facing bedroom in the window, then I moved it into my living room to the west facing window, there's not as much light, but there was still enough. And then I started to notice the leaves are all bending.
So I moved it back to my bedroom and thought it would perk right up, but it's been over a week and it's still all droopy. I water it once a week like always. Is it too much water or not enough? Is it the sunlight? Helpplease! Second picture to show lighting.
It needs water,careful not to over water!
It may be overheard and need more water. It also may be time to repot it.
Mine are healthy as horses (so to speak) and all look like yours so I think they are fine. Mine do the bending thing mostly when my light in the winter is shorter, but it does not affect them otherwise. In the spring they get slightly straighter.
If the bending bothers you, you can try putting them back in the other light and try to use a thin stake keep them centered in the sun (mine tend to list to one side or the other which also can cause a little of the droop).
Some of my spider plants are over 25 years old, still healthy, still shooting off baby plants. They are very low maintenance! I only water them when the soil is totally dry. They do not like wet feet!
From the 2nd picture, I say from experience, it needs more sunlight. Also, once a week watering may not be enough if it's hot and low humidity in the house...plants dry out faster. And even worse during heating season.
I live in the tropics and have many spider plants that I just leave outside year round. They do require quite a bit of sunlight to grow and have the leaves standing straight out like you had in your bedroom. I think the area where you have moved the plant too is not getting the same amount of sunlight as it did in your bedroom. In the north window in yuor bedroom it receives a different amount of sunlight than the west facing window you have it in now.
You certainly have a beautiful arrangement for a bedroom window!
Hope you have a lovely place to sit and let the peace sink in.
Usually indirect light, air movement (overhead fan?), no wet feet, no dried out soil, very weak fertilizer once a month (or maybe Epsom Salt occasionally?) is how I take care of my plants and they usually do well all year.
Maybe your plant has not had time to adjust since you have moved it to your living room and then back to the bedroom - give it another week for it to feel 'at home' again.
If you think it may not be getting enough light you might try this trick for a few days; take some aluminum foil and wrap it around (loosely) the back/outside of the plant/basket so what ever light flows through the window will be reflected back on the plant (cover 1/2 of the basket on backside). I do this sometimes when winter light is weak or changed.
Would it be possible to place it outside in a well protected (no sun) place a an hour a day - breeze but not too hot? Sometimes does wonders.
Water - if the soil feels damp one inch down it may not need water.
Be sure your pot still has good drainage.
You have so many plants I wondered if you have a moisture gauge as I really like using mine. These are available at most Walmart, Home Depot type stores as well as online. The 3 in 1 is best.
www.amazon.com/
Some good advice here. Also, I would keep the plant isolated from the others til I had checked for insect infestation. Some that attack the spider plant are very tiny and hard to see, spider mites, etc.
I can't easily see from the (lovely) photo whether the pot for your spider has drainage. It's fairly important, I think. Try increasing watering to twice a week, perhaps a bit less water than the full amount you usually use? Mine tend to be somewhat thirsty and thrive with this schedule.
My spider plants have always looked like that....and they've lasted for years.
Marg from England.
My spider plant is getting really full and the leaves are bending. Any suggestions? Is there somthing I should be doing differently? Does it need a bigger pot? Thanks!
You do probably need a bigger pot but also make sure it's getting enough water. when leaves get brittle like tht a lot of times its lack of water.
it will get rootbound if you don't repot it into a bigger pot soon.
Spider plants prefer to be root bound. It's when they're root bound that they produce babies.
Good draining soil and letting the top soil dry between watering with a dilute food and indirect sunlight should help strengthen him up
Why do some say I'm over watering my spider plants because the leaves and babies are brown, and some say under watering? Which is it?
Hardiness Zone: 5a
By kitty from Indianapolis, IN
Here is a link... all about spider plants:
www.suite101.com/
Actually, it is neither over watering or under watering that causes the leave tips to turn brown. Spider plants do like lots of water, but they need to dry out between watering. They have a great root system that holds plenty of water for them. If you over water, the roots will rot. I find it pretty hard to underwater. I just check the soil and when it's dry (about once a week) i water with distilled water. However, I do mist mine with a water bottle daily as they don't like the dry air in my house. To avoid leaves turning brown, water them with distilled water. It's the chemicals in tap water that cause the tips to turn.
you can also tell if they need water, they actually fade.
I live in a climate where the temperature is about to go down below freezing. It will stay there at night for about 6 more weeks. I have a wonderful spider plant that is doing very well in a quiet protected nook, but I am wondering about the next few weeks.
Should I bring it inside?
By Joan
If you can bring it is, that will be best, but if it is really protected, you may not need to. Just cover it with an old sheet (cotton or poly-cotton blend) or towel, or other non-plastic cloth, and be sure it is well watered. If you can remove the cover during the daytime, great, if not, the cotton will let the plant breathe and it should be fine.
I agree (zone 4 upstate NY). We get much colder weather so I have to bring everybody inside but if it's mildly cold (I know that term is relative), consider leaving it outside in a protected place and covered as the above suggested. Remember it still needs water though!
I live in Phoenix and my spider plants just recently started showing what looks like hard water stains on leaves. They are getting the same water as before and I mist every morning or afternoon. They do not get any full sun, being in Arizona it is 108 degrees F. What can I do?
By Lori
Try using distilled / bottled water. It may just be that your tap water is hard.
I have the same thing on my Peoni Bush this year. Had it last year too. Somebody told me it's the city water? Maybe too much chlorine in the water? Also, my Peoni did not bloom this year. Any thoughts on that, anyone? Thanks,
Kathy, Zone 5
My spider plant is dying. Can I put it in a cup of water and try to save it?
Of course. And keep an eye on it to make sure the container remains full. Too, if you have little "spider" shoots, cut them off and set them in their own glasses of water until they take root.
What environment is needed by spider plants?
By Thamilla P
They thrive in full sun but can do ok in partial sun. They will live in a bowl of water as well as in a pot with soil or in the ground in your garden.
I have plenty of spider plants which have lots of babies on them. I use to keep them in my bay window and in direct sunlight. I now live in a basement apartment and I have them near the window, but not in direct sun. Do they need a lot of sun? Also some leaves are turning brown. What should I do?
By Jo from CT
They don't need to be in direct sunlight as long as they get some. If they are turning brown than you should try to crack a window and make sure they are getting enough fresh air. That always works with my plants.
My spider plant was outside all summer and it was doing great and now I've brought it inside for the winter and it's starting to die. The leaves are turning yellow and brown and falling off. The offspring is also starting to turn yellow. What do I need to do to save my plant?
By Kristy
Here are some tips on keeping Spider Plants healthy:
houseplants.about.com/
Here is a video on them as well:
www.youtube.com/
Blessings, Robyn
Check out these photos.
I've had this spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) for years and this year it flowered for the very first time. The flowers are very small, but quite pretty and delicate.
When the weather warms and there is no danger of frost, spider plants can do well outside with lots of water, and away from direct sunlight. This is a page about moving a spider plant outside in summer.
While spider plants can generally spend the spring, summer, and early fall outside, surviving through the winter is less assured. Considerations such as lowest temperatures in your area, winter protection, and more can help predict their success outside during the colder months. This is a page about, "Can a spider plant survive winter outdoors?".
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
How can I keep the tips of my Spider plant leaves from turning brown? Every one I've ever tried to grow has done this on every leaf.
Why does my spider plant tip always turn brown?
Just wondering if anyone knows the best way to get a new plant from my spider plant that is making babies.
