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How to Care for Spider Plants, One of the Most Adaptable Plants to Grow

The spider plant (Chlorophytum comocum) happens to be one of the most adaptable houseplants to grow and can found in many of our homes.

It is very easy to care for and will grow in a variety of environments. Since the spider plant is so hardy, it is extremely difficult plant to kill.

So if you don’t have a green thumb and would like to try growing indoor plants, this is the perfect plant start with.

I have been growing spider plants as long as I can remember, and I’ve only purchased one plant! All my other plants are from the spiderettes, spider plant babies. Its also a perfect plant to start growing with your children, they can replant the baby spiderettes on their own, and this is a quick-growing plant.

Here are some tips:

1. Planting your spider plant. Choose a pot that is 4 to 6 inches in diameter and is free draining for your young plant. Not only should the pot be free draining, the soil also must be free draining. General planting soil works fine, but don’t use any soil that has fertilizer in it. You need to stay away from a growing medium that has fluoride, this can damage the plant. Look for an organic mixture of compost, peat, loam, and sand.

2. Watering your plant. Spider plants require a lot of water during the growing months, but it slows down in the winter months. When you water your plant be sure to soak the soil generously and evenly. We should wait a while to water your plant again because the roots hold a lot of water. They like it when the soil dries out a little between watering, and if you over water it can cause root rot and your plant will die. If you forget to water your spider plants before you go away, it’s very likely that the plants will be fine for a few weeks until you return. You might notice the tips of the plants have turned brown from lack of water. Also try not to use tap water if it contains fluoride, which can damage your plant; instead use distilled water.

3. Grow spider plants from spiderettes. Baby spider plants can be removed from the mother plant and planted in their own flower pot. If your spiderette has roots growing, it can be planted in soil; just sit back and watch it grow. If there are no roots, just place the baby spiderette in a container of water making sure only the bottom of the plant is touching the water and place it on your counter. Once the roots begin to grow, you can plant them in soil. With water and bright light your babies will grow to produce babies of their own.

One common problem is that the tips of the leaves turn brown. This isn’t an indication that the plant will die, it usually means there is fluoride in the water you’ve been giving your plant. All you have to do is trim away the brown tips and switch to distilled water.

Here’s a fun fact: Spider plants are a very durable plant that will thrive in our home or office. With many people working from home, it might be fun to bring a little greenery into your work space. There isn’t much you can do to kill them, even forgetting to water them will not cause any damage. Just remember if you see the roots growing out of the bottom of the flower pot, it’s time to re-pot your plant.

For more information and growing tips about a variety of plants, check out The North Haven Garden Club on Facebook. There also is a lot of information about all the club does for the town of New Haven.

North Haven Garden Club is a member of The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Inc., New England Garden Clubs Inc., and The National Garden Clubs Inc.