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Spider plants, also called ribbon plants or airplane plants, are well known for being one of the easiest plants to care for and propagate. In this post, I’ll review spider plant care and propagation.
The spider plant is native to parts of Africa, Australia, and Asia. This fast-growing plant is known for its long, thin, ribbon-like foliage (hence ribbon plant). Its leaves are variegated light and dark green and grow out from the center of the plant.
Where can I buy a spider plant?
You can find lots of spider plants available to purchase on Etsy! Check out this cute spider plant from one of my favorite Etsy shops.
How do you care for a spider plant?
Spider plants are relatively forgiving and very easy to care for, making them great for beginners as well as people who don’t consider themselves “plant people” but might just have one plant in their home. Let’s dive into spider plant care!
How much sun does a spider plant need?
Spider plants do best in bright, indirect light. Do not put them in direct light, which can scorch their leaves. They still make great low-light plants but will grow less bushy and more leggy or spindly in low light.
My easy guide to natural light for indoor plants can help you determine whether spider plants will thrive in your home.
You can also make your plants happy by increasing the amount of light they receive using grow lights! I use a few different grow lights but these grow lights are by far my favorite.
My plants have been thriving under them for years, and they’re really convenient, being able to position them in so many different ways!
How often should you water spider plants?
Water your spider plant when the top inch or two of the soil is dry. Exactly how often that will be simply depends on how quickly your plant dries out!
Spider plants like to stay somewhat moist and not dry out completely. They have tuberous roots that store water so if you do forget to water them it’s not an automatic death sentence.
Do spider plants like to be misted?
Since they are native to tropical regions, spider plants will definitely appreciate some extra humidity in their environment. There are many easy ways you can create humidity, such as using a humidifier.
Check out my post on houseplants and humidity to learn more about how to create humidity for your houseplants.
Potting Mix
These plants are extremely low maintenance when it comes to their potting mix and will be fine in a general, well-draining indoor plant potting mix.
If you like, you can also add in an extra handful or two of perlite for additional drainage. I usually do when I have perlite on hand.
Repotting
Spider plants like to be slightly rootbound so they are OK with being somewhat tight in their pots. Usually, they can be repotted every other year, but they do grow very fast and in optimal conditions, may need to be repotted every year.
Once you can see roots from the top of the pot—that’s right, the TOP—then it’s time to repot your spider plant! Use a pot that’s the next size up from its current pot and has good drainage.
Fertilizing
Something that makes spider plant care so easy is that they are such fast growers that they don’t necessarily need to be fertilized. However, using fertilizer can help them thrive to their fullest potential.
You can use a general indoor plant fertilizer once or twice a month during the growing season (spring and summer). Just be careful not to overfertilize your plant.
Pruning
Spider plants don’t need heavy pruning except to remove any dead foliage. Occasional dead leaves are normal and can be removed once they are able to be gently plucked off of the plant.
Should I cut the babies off my spider plant?
Yes, as part of your spider plant care routine, you should cut off your spider plant’s babies, or “spiderettes.” As cool as they may look hanging off the end of your plant, they can suck nutrients away from the mother plant, which will affect its overall health. We’ll go over how to use these spiderettes to propagate your spider plants in the next section.
Propagation
Not only is spider plant care easy, but spider plant propagation is insanely easy, too! This plant is typically propagated through little “spiderettes” that grow off the ends of long runners on mature plants. The runners grow out from the center, similar to how the leaves do. These spiderettes look like mini versions of the mother plant.
I’ll review propagation in both water and soil below. Note that in both cases, it’s better to wait until you see the spiderette have some little roots growing before snipping it away from the mother. You’ll have a higher success rate this way.
Water propagation
The spiderettes are most commonly propagated in water. Using a pair of clean scissors or plant shears, snip away the baby plant from the runner.
Place the spiderette in a jar of water. If there are any leaves growing near the bottom of the plant that are submerged in water, remove those.
Try to keep the spiderette from completely falling into the jar. You might need to use a skinny vase or rig some sort of system for this. Sometimes, I put a few rubber bands around the jar (so that they’re secured around the top and bottom part, crossing over the opening) which will give the little plant something else to sit on if the opening of the jar is too wide.
Put the jar or vase somewhere that receives bright, indirect light. Within a few days, you should see tiny roots sprouting. Top off the water when the water level goes down.
Within a few weeks, your spiderette should have roots that are a few inches long and will be ready to transfer into its pot.
Plant it in an appropriate-sized pot with potting mix and good drainage, and that’s it! (Note: appropriate-sized pot because if your pot is too big, all of the excess potting mix will hold more water leading to overwatering.)
Spider plants look quite pretty growing in water and you can keep them in water permanently, they just won’t grow as fast.
Soil propagation
Alternatively, you can skip the jar of water and go directly to potting mix. Using a pair of clean scissors or plant shears to snip away the baby plant from the runner.
Plant the spiderette into an appropriate-sized pot with potting mix and good drainage, and put it somewhere that receives bright, indirect light.
Then, just tend to it like you would the mother plant. You should start to see new growth within a few weeks, give or take.
Soil propagation requires a little more patience since you can’t see the new roots growing to tell how well the propagation is going. I prefer water propagation for this reason, but both work fine!
Additional Information
Are spider plants toxic to pets?
Spider plants are non-toxic to cats and dogs. However, they tend to attract cats because they are mildly hallucinogenic. While this plant most likely will not severely harm your kitty, it can cause vomiting and an upset stomach and should still be kept out of their reach.
Do spider plants flower?
Spider plants produce little white flowers on the end of their long stems, which grow out from the center similar to how their leaves grow out. Spider plants don’t always flower, but a mature plant that is slightly rootbound, kept in bright, indirect light, and NOT overfertilized has a better chance of producing flowers.
Do spider plants attract spiders?
No, spider plants do not attract spiders. This is simply an old wives’ tale, so don’t worry! The little babies that grow off the end of the mom’s runners look like little spiders, which is why this plant is called a spider plant.
Judy Fowler says
Your tutorial was very informative, clear to understand, and right to each step. This is the first one I checked and it’s the last one I’ll need to check…….very good👍