Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
Airplane Plant
The graceful, easy care, indoor spider plant, that can also grow outdoors in the shade during the summer, produces leaves directly from the center of the plant. When kept root-bound, a spider plant sends out numerous long stems with baby plants at the ends that can easily be used for propagation. Spider plants are available with green leaves, green leaves trimmed in white, or white leaves trimmed in green. All varieties are easy to care for and fun to have. A spider plant is inexpensive and a great choice for beginning plant lovers; an added plus, spider plants clean the air of harmful toxins. Read about other easy care houseplants, like this spider plant, in Don’t Talk to Me, I’ll Grow Better -A Guide to Easy Care Plants
Light
Spider plants like medium to bright indirect lightVery few houseplants should be placed in direct sun. High light refers only to bright indirect light since direct sun often burns the leaves of indoor houseplants. An area that is too hot and dry encourages Spider Mites and causes blooms to quickly fade. A northern exposure really doesn't provide enough light for high light plants. These plants need to be placed directly in front of an east-facing window, within 1-3 feet of a west-facing window, and within 5 ft. of a south facing window. A high light area has over 300 ft. candles of light.. Solid green varieties need less light than green and white varieties. No Spider plant should ever be put in the direct sun.
Water
Allow the top 50% of the soil to dry out before you water. A good way to tell when a spider plant needs water is to look at the leaves. The green color in the leaves starts to fade when the soil is dry. Water high in salts and chemicals causes brown leaf tips. Never use water that had passed through a water softener; it is much too salty.
Fertilizer
Fertilize monthly with a balanced plant food diluted 1/2 the recommended strength. Spider plants need food only when they are actively growing. Feeding too often causes the tips of the leaves to turn brown.
Temperature
A spider plant does well in temperatures between 45°F- 80°F (7.2°C-26.7°C).
Humidity
These plants prefer high humidity but still do very well in homes and offices.
Flowering
A Spider plant produces very small white flowers at the ends of long stems. These flowers are usually followed by “baby spider plants” that can be used to start new plants.
Pests
Mealy BugsLearn how to identify and treat Mealy Bugs, a houseplant pest that leaves sticky, white, cottony residue on houseplants., spider miteLearn how to identify and treat Spider Mites on plants. This sucking plant pest causes yellow blotchy leaves with a red haze and a gritty feel to them., scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew., and AphidsSee a picture, learn to identify, and read about Aphid houseplant pests in the Glossary of Houseplant411.com. - Spraying a spider plant monthly with the " green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil.
" ( recipe in the Glossary) helps prevent house Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pestss.
Diseases
Spider plants are rarely bothered by plant diseases.
Soil
Use a good organic houseplant soil like an an African violet mix.
Pot Size
Spider plants like to be root-bound in small pots. Don't worry about re-potting until the roots have taken up the entire pot and the plant’s rhizomes have popped out of the soil.
Pruning
If a spider plant produces too many "babies," you can cut them off and start new plants. Cut off any brown leaf tips that develop due to too much fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
or chemicals in the water.
Propagation
Propagate spider plants using " offsetsHouseplant offsets, or pups as they are sometimes called, are the baby plants that form at the base of certain houseplants.Plant offsets can be used to easily propagate new plants. Wait until the plant offsets have grown at least several inches, then gently detach them from the "mother"plant. Hopefully the plant offsets will have a few roots of their own at this point. Plant the offsets in a small container and keep the plant barely moist but never soggy at all times." (babies at ends of stems) or by plant divisionLearn how to propagate plants by plant division at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary.
Clean Air Plant
NASA lists spider plants as excellent plants for cleaning the air of harmful chemicals.
Poisonous Plant Info
How can I get my spider plant to produce "babies?"
You can encourage a spider plant to produce "babies" or " plantletsCertain plants, such as spider plants, send off long slender stems called runners. New plants, or plantlets, that can be used for propagation, often develop at the ends of these runners. Place the plantlets on top of potting soil while they are still attached to the original plant. The plantlets will continue to get nutrition from the parent plant while developing roots of its own. Pin the plantlet to the soil with an open paper clip or a small piece of wire. Once the plantlet has rooted, sever the connection to the parent plant. Alternately, some plantlets can be carefully removed from the runners of the original plant and directly potted." as the are called by reducing how often you feed the plant, keeping the plant root-bound, and moving your spider plant to a brighter location. Do not cut off all of the stems that the plant sends out. A spider Plant needs the stems to produce flowers which are followed by the baby spider plants.
Could you tell me what the tiny, hard, brown, bumps are on the leaves of my spider plant.
The tiny brown bumps of the leaves of your spider plant are a Plant PestLearn how to identify and treat the plant pest called Whitefly at https://www.houseplant411.com/glossary/whitefly-plant-pests called scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew.. Scrape the scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew. off the leaves using a child’s toothbrush. Spray the entire plant with the “ green solutionIf you don't want to use a commercial chemical product to treat plant pest problems try the “Green Solution.” This is a mixture of water, alcohol, biodegradable liquid soap, and mineral oil. Always test any spray on one or two leaves to be sure it won’t damage the plant. Depending upon how severe the infestation is, you can use these ingredients in varying proportions. If there are only a few pests, dip a Q-tip in alcohol and gently swab them off. For a more widespread problem, start by using a spray of warm water mixed with a few tablespoons of biodegradable soap. If that doesn’t cure the problem, make a solution using 8oz. water & 8oz. alcohol, add two tablespoons of biodegradable soap and two tablespoons of mineral oil. Spray all areas of the plant. Use this solution on leathery leafed plants (except palms), never on fuzzy leafed plants like African Violets or Begonias. For palms, omit the alcohol from the Green Solution. Never spray a plant that’s sitting in the sun or one with very dry soil.
" (recipe in the Glossary) or Neem OilLearn about Neem Oil, a natural, organic, non-toxic product for treating houseplant insects and diseases. every 10 days for a month to prevent the scaleSoft Brown Scale is the most common scale that attacks indoor houseplants especially ficus, ivy, spider plants, ferns, aralia, and schefflera. It appears as small bumpy brown spots that appear to move. As the scale sucks on the sap of the plant it secretes a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew attracts black mildew. Because of the shell-like exterior, sprays are only partially effective against scale. Wipe off the lines of brown oval bumps with your finger, a cloth, or a child’s toothbrush then spray the plant with Neem Oil. Use the Green Solution to clean off the black mildew. from returning.
Why are the tips of the leaves on my spider plant turning brown?
Too much fertilizerPlants need fertilizer only when they are actively growing. Slow growing plants in low light require very little plant food. Too much fertilizer is worse than not enough. Most plants prefer a water soluble plant food at 1/2 the recommended strength. Plants that are in bloom or dormant should not be fertilized. Houseplant food contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). A fertilizer containing these elements in equal proportion is considered a balanced plant food. Nitrogen helps in photosynthesis and encourages the growth of leaves and stems. Potassium and phosphorus also help in photosynthesis and aid in root and flower development. Most fertilizers have trace elements of other minerals that are lacking in the soil but are necessary for good plant growth. Fertilizers have a high salt content. If a plant is not producing new leaves and doesn’t absorb the fertilizer, salts build up in the soil. These salts can burn the roots, discolor the leaves, and cause new growth to be small.
or using water that contains chemicals or salt causes the tips of the leaves of a spider plant to turn brown. Rinse the soil with distilled water to remove the excess chemicals and salts. Fertilize once a month with a balanced plant food diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength when your spider plant is actively growing. Never use water from a water softener; it is too salty.
Can I leave my spider plant on a protected porch for the winter?
Leaving a spider plant outside for the winter depends on where you live and how cold the temperatures get. Spider plants prefer temperatures between 60°F-80F° (15.6°C-26.7°C) though they can handle temperatures as low as 40°F ( 4.4°C) with minimal leaf damage.
My Spider Plant has lots of baby spider plants growing off of it. How do I know if it is time to re-pot?
Spider plants like to be very root- bound in small pots. I wouldn’t re-pot a until the rhizomes (tiny bulbs) are bursting out of the pot.
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