Comparison of the Latest Spider Plant Varieties: Which One Is Best at Removing Formaldehyde?
Spider plant is one of the most traditional hanging houseplants, also known as grape orchid, Zhehe orchid, upside-down orchid, etc. It is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the genus Chlorophytum in the family Liliaceae, with rhizomes lying flat or slanting, numerous thick fleshy roots, and flowers clustered at the ends of the drooping branches, with yellow flower centers. It is suitable for potted ornamental display. Let's take a look below at which spider plant is best at removing formaldehyde!
Which Spider Plant Is Best at Removing Formaldehyde?
There are many kinds of spider plants. Common ones include variegated spider plant with golden edges, golden-centered spider plant, silver-edged spider plant, silver-centered spider plant, broad-leaf spider plant, middle-striped spider plant, milky-white spider plant, etc. These spider plants differ only in appearance; in fact, they are all the same plant species. As for which spider plant has the best formaldehyde removal effect, actually these spider plants are all about the same at removing formaldehyde. But when it comes to removing formaldehyde, you cannot pin all your hopes on plants, after all, the formaldehyde removal speed of spider plants is relatively slow.
What Common Varieties of Spider Plant Are There?
1. Golden-edged spider plant: The leaves of the golden-edged spider plant are broadly linear, tender green, borne on short stems, with large cylindrical fleshy roots, racemose inflorescences, curved and drooping, small white flowers, and often several clusters of rooted small plantlets formed from plantlets on the flower stems, which is very interesting.
2. Silver-edged spider plant: The leaf margins of the silver-edged spider plant are white, with racemose inflorescences, small white flowers, and rhizomes and fleshy roots. It prefers a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment, has poor cold resistance, and is suitable for growing in well-drained, fertile sandy soil.
3. Golden-centered spider plant: The leaves of the golden-centered spider plant are slender, linear-lanceolate, with yellow-white longitudinal stripes in the center, clasping at the base, bright green. Stolons emerge from the leaf axils, extend out of the plant clump, curve outward, and bear small plantlets with aerial roots at the tips. The flowers are white, with 6 perianth segments.
4. Large-leaf spider plant: The large-leaf spider plant is native to southern Africa. It prefers a warm, humid, and semi-shaded environment. Its leaves are especially sensitive to light, and it fears strong light in summer. The soil should be loose, fertile loam with good water retention, and the winter temperature should not be lower than 10°C.
How to Grow Spider Plants So They Thrive?
1. Light: Spider plants prefer a semi-shaded environment and are very sensitive to light. When exposed to direct sunlight in summer and autumn, the leaves will turn yellow and withered, and even the whole plant may die. In winter, because the sunlight is not strong, spider plants can be given some direct sunlight as appropriate.
2. Temperature: Spider plants prefer a warm and humid climate and cannot tolerate severe cold or intense heat. The optimal growth temperature is 15-25°C, and the winter room temperature must not be lower than 5°C. During hot periods, avoid direct strong light; during cold and cool periods, more sunlight is appropriate.
3. Watering: Spider plants like water and have relatively strong drought resistance. From March to September, during the peak growth period, they need a large amount of water, so water and mist frequently to keep the potting soil completely moist. During the winter dormant period, water again after the surface of the potting soil is dry to about 1 cm deep.
4. Fertilizing: Spider plants are relatively tolerant of fertilizer. Insufficient fertilizer and water can easily cause tip dieback and aging, with leaves turning yellow and losing ornamental value. For spider plants that have begun to grow small plantlets, apply nitrogen fertilizer once every half month; well-growing spider plants can also go without fertilizer.
5. Soil: Spider plants are suitable for loose, fertile sandy loam, and the soil should contain humus and have strong permeability. For potting, a mixture of equal parts leaf mold or peat soil, garden soil, and river sand with a small amount of base fertilizer can be used as the substrate.
6. Repotting: Spider plants should be repotted once every March. If the pot is relatively deep and the base fertilizer is sufficient, they can be repotted once every two years. When repotting, knock the plant out of the pot, cut off dead and rotten roots and excess roots, replace with new culture soil, and apply sufficient base fertilizer.
7. Pests and diseases: Spider plants generally are not prone to pests and diseases. When problems occur, they are usually root rot caused by water accumulation in the potting soil and poor ventilation, and pesticides should be sprayed promptly for control. When the plant clump is dense and ventilation is poor, it is susceptible to scale insect damage, so prevention should be the priority.
8. Pruning: Spider plants should have yellow leaves cut off at any time. They can be repotted once every March, cutting off old roots, rotten roots, and excess fibrous roots. In early to mid-May, some old leaves can be cut off, which will encourage the spider plant to sprout more new leaves and small spider plantlets.