How to Care for Spider Plants, According to a Horticulturist

Types of Spider Plants

There are quite a few varieties of spider plants out there, but two of them top the list as the most popular choices for gardeners.

Variegatum: The common names for variegatum spider plants are airplane plants or reverse spider plants. This variety has green leaves with white edges and grows white star-shaped blooms. Their plantlet stems can be up to two feet in length, and they do well indoors in pots or hanging baskets.

Vittatum: The vittatum variety of spider plant looks opposite of the variegatum—their leaves have a cream-colored center with green edges. It has white stems, and while slower-growing than the variegatum, this spider plant can be cared for in a similar manner.

How to Plant Spider Plants

Though they can survive hot, dry conditions, spider plants should be grown where the temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Generally, spider plants need to be repotted approximately once every 2 years, but first things first. After purchasing your plant, here are steps for transferring the spider plant into a new pot.

Step 1: Select a New Pot

Unless you purchased a spider plant already in a decorative container, it’s likely in a temporary plastic one that’s unattractive and less than ideal for the plant. Plastic prevents air from circulating and can eventually cause the plant to rot. Instead of plastic, choose a container that’s porous, like terracotta, and ensure it has a drainage hole. Spider plants hate to sit in standing water.

Step 2: Provide for Drainage and Transplant

To ensure maximum drainage, fill the bottom of the pot with an inch or so of orchid bark or peat moss. Disturbing the roots as little as possible, repot the plant, add more potting soil as required, and give the plant a good drink.

Step 3: Hang or Place on Stand

It’s unnecessary to hang spider plants, but doing so shows off their naturally cascading leaves and gives the plant extra room. They also look great in a plant stand or cascading down from a shelf. If you decide to place your spider plant on a surface instead of hanging it, make sure not to crush its leaves.

How to Care for Indoor Spider Plants

Once you’ve repotted your new spider plant, they don’t require a lot of maintenance. Horticulturist Bliss Bendall suggests regularly rotating the pot so one side isn’t constantly getting more sun. It’s also important to avoid positioning a spider plant directly on or in front of a heater or air-conditioning unit. Temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal.

“Mist the plant with distilled water that has been sitting for 24 hours,” says Bendall. “If your plant receives a lot of full sunlight, I strongly recommend doing this first thing in the morning at sunrise or an hour or two before the sun goes down. This will ensure it doesn’t burn, get too cold, or become damp and rot.”

Sunlight Requirements

Unlike low-light plants, “Spider plants appreciate bright-to-moderate indirect sunlight. But that doesn’t mean they can’t survive without sunlight,” says Bendall. “Established spider plants can accommodate different types of light if they are watered specifically for the particular condition they’re kept in.”

Water Requirements

Every spider plant has its own water needs. Bendall’s rule of thumb is to wait until the top 2 inches of soil are dried out but not entirely dried through. Also, avoid watering during peak sunlight. “If you water spider plants when the sun is high or directly shining on the plant, they will burn,” says Bendall.

“During the first month, once a week, gauge how dry the soil is getting in between watering to get a feel for how quickly water evaporates from [the] soil in your home or office,” Bendall suggests. With more daylight (as in the summer), water evaporates faster, and the soil dries out quicker, so your plant’s watering needs will likely be more frequent.

“When watering the plant makes it feel heavier than before you watered it, let the water drain through the holes for at least one to two minutes,” Bendall says. “Over time, you’ll get used to the change in the weight of the plant and be able to know when it’s time to water.”

Temperature and Humidity

Spider plants are indigenous to tropical climates in West and South Africa, so they do well in humid conditions and need to be kept in temperatures over 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Although they can survive droughts, you should keep an eye on them and ensure that they’re watered sufficiently when conditions are dry. And you can grow them in the winter, but you’ll have to do so inside or they’ll wilt and die in the cold temperatures.

How to Prune Spider Plants

To remove unwanted foliage, simply cut at the base of the plant where it meets the main stem using sharp pruners or scissors to prevent damage. Remove any discolored or dead leaves as they appear.

If you see a baby plant cropping up, also known as a spiderette or a pup, you should actually prune it off to encourage more growth. You can then propagate the pup. (More on propagation below.)

Common Spider Plant Problems

You’re unlikely to experience any problems with your spider plant as long as you keep it in its preferred conditions for temperature, light, and moisture. Nevertheless, things happen, and here’s what to do about a few of those things.

Yellow Leaves

If your spider plant’s leaves start to turn yellow or lime green, it’s likely caused by overwatering, which is usually an easy fix. “Take the plant to a place where it can receive a little more shade, and be sure the topsoil is dry before watering again,” Bendall recommends. Then remove all the yellow leaves.

Brown Leaves

If you notice the leaves turning brown, your spider has likely been overwatered with tap water. The high salt levels in tap water are toxic for tropical plants like spiders, so let it dry out and switch to distilled water if possible.

If just the tips of the leaves are brown, your spider plant is probably fine, and you can trim them. “Be sure to trim off the brown tips with sharp, sterile pruning shears or use a florist knife,” says Bendall. “Cut at an angle to recreate the sharp tip shape of the leaves. It’ll scab over and be like nothing ever happened.”

Bendall urges you to avoid trimming your spider plant in the winter. “During colder seasons, the plant goes dormant and needs all of its chlorophyll to feed itself and survive,” she explains. “If you must trim the leaves [in winter], just know it can be risky. Go for it in the growing months [of] spring and summer.”

Wilted Leaves

If the leaves are fully wilting, your spider plant may be too far gone. Bendall suggests waiting 10 days to see what happens. If no progress is made, the plant is probably not salvageable.

Bug Infestation

Despite its name, spider plants don’t attract spiders. It can, however, suffer from insect infestations (like most plants). Common spider plant infestations can come from scales, aphids, mites, mealybugs, and whiteflies. Most pests are eradicated by the application of horticultural neem oil as directed on the label.

Propagating Spider Plant Babies

A distinctive characteristic of spider plants is their sprouting little offsets. “They are called pups and are like newborns,” says Bendall, who suggests leaving them alone unless you want to start a new plant. While you can propagate spider plants via seeds and division, it’s easier, less messy, and more fun to start new spider plants with offsets.

“While the pup is still attached to its mother, plant it in its own container in lightweight, easily drainable soil,” she explains. “Wait to detach until the pup is established on its own, and then cut them apart. You’ll be able to tell it’s established once there is new growth.”

Alternatively, Bendall says you can use that same technique to plant a few babies in the same pot as the mother. “This works for a mature plant you want to fill out and thicken a bit more.”

Troubleshooting a Spider Plant With No Babies

There are several reasons why your spider plant is not creating offsets:

• Artificial lighting. Spider plants are sensitive to day length. Three weeks of short days triggers them to develop shoots, so if they’re getting artificial light that doesn’t correspond to diminished day length in winter, they may not develop flowers and offsets.
• It’s not pot-bound. If there’s plenty of room for its roots to expand, like a plant that’s been newly repotted, the plant won’t feel the need to produce offsets.
• It’s too young. A spider plant doesn’t produce offsets until their root system is fully established, which can take up to several years.
• It’s under duress. If it’s too hot or cold, too wet or dry, or too sunny or shady, a spider plant is unlikely to want to reproduce. Give your plant its preferred conditions, and it’s likely to come right back around.