Spider Plants Chlorophytum comosum

Often called an airplane plant, spider plants are another very easy care houseplant.
They look exceptionally good as hanging plants with all of their babies gracefully draping down. Spiders grow from tubers under the soil, and they really enjoy being root bound. However, when the tubers get so large that they take over the pot and push the soil up over the rim, sometimes even cracking a plastic growers pot, it is definitely time to repot.

Spider plants need to dry out between watering. A good reliable indication that the plant needs water is that the green in the leaves will become paler in color. As with many indoor plants, over watering will quickly result in root rot and the plant will die. Household temperatures between 65 and 75 during the day and evening temperatures as low as 50 degrees are ideal. Spider plants enjoy indirect light; afternoon sun will burn their leaves. Chemicals and heavy concentrations of salt in the water may cause the tips of the plant to turn dark brown. If the water is really bad, you can use distilled water; if it is only a minor problem, cut the tips off as the leaves become discolored.

Spider plants are easy to propagate and make great gifts for friends & family. The baby spiders, or pups as they are called, grow at the end of long stems coming off of the main plant. I leave the pups attached to the Mother Spider and plant each one in a separate 4” pot.
The babies will continue to get nourishment via the stem attached to the main plant until their own roots are established (4-6 weeks). Once the roots are formed, cut the pup off of the stem and watch how quickly the new plants grow. You can also root the baby spiders directly in a glass of water.

Fertilize spiders monthly as long as they are producing new leaves & pups. Do not fertilize the new baby spider plants for at least 3-6 months. The salt in the fertilizer will damage the delicate new roots.

Spiders are susceptible to scale, mealy bugs, aphids, and spider mites. Try spraying a solution of undiluted alcohol mixed with a few drops of mineral oil and a few drops of ivory soap. If the scale is really bad, you will see hundreds of what looks like very tiny brown hard shell like dots lining the leaves, you might have to use a children’s toothbrush to literally scrub the scale off of the leaves.

Whether you choose a solid green spider, a regular spider (white & green), or a reverse spider (green & white), they are great plants to have in your home.