The Latest Detailed Guide to Spider Plant Care Methods and Precautions
Spider plant, also known as ribbongrass, bracketplant, hanging spider plant, orchid grass, and airplane plant, is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the genus Chlorophytum in the family Liliaceae under the class Monocotyledoneae, with a flowering period in May and a fruiting period in August. It is native to southern Africa and widely cultivated around the world. It has high ornamental value, and the plant helps purify the air. The whole plant can be used as medicine. Now let us take a look at the care methods and precautions for spider plant!
Growth Habits of Spider Plant
Spider plant prefers a warm, humid, and semi-shaded environment. It has strong adaptability, is relatively drought-tolerant, and is not very cold-tolerant. It is not particular about soil and grows best in well-drained, loose, and fertile sandy soil. It is not strict about light requirements and generally grows well under medium light conditions, and it also tolerates weak light. The optimal growth temperature is 15-25°C, and the wintering temperature is 5°C. It grows fastest at 20-24°C and readily produces stolons. Above 30°C it stops growing, and the leaves often turn yellow with dry tips. If the indoor temperature in winter is kept above 12°C, the plant can grow normally, produce leaves, and bloom. If the temperature is too low, growth slows or the plant goes dormant. Below 5°C, cold damage is likely to occur.
Propagation Methods of Spider Plant
1. Cutting method: Spider plant cuttings can be taken at any time from spring to autumn. Cut off the clustered stems and leaves on the stolons of the spider plant (which are actually young new plantlets, with leaves above and aerial roots below), plant them directly into a flower pot for cultivation, water thoroughly, and place them in a shady spot for care. When taking cuttings, be careful not to bury them too deep, otherwise the center is prone to rot. When potting spider plants, the number of cuttings depends on the size of the pot. Generally, a small pot can hold 2-3 plants, a medium pot about 3 plants, and a large pot 5-6 plants.
2. Division method: When dividing spider plant, lift the plant out of the pot, remove the old soil and decayed roots, cut apart the old roots so that each divided plant retains three stems, and then transplant and cultivate them separately. You can also cut off the clustered stems and leaves on the stolons of the spider plant (which are actually young new plantlets, with leaves above and aerial roots below) and plant them directly into a flower pot for cultivation.
3. Sowing method: Seed propagation of spider plant can be carried out every year in March. Because the seeds are not large, the soil covering them after sowing should not be thick; generally 0.5 cm is enough. At a temperature of 15°C, the seeds can sprout in about 2 weeks, and after the seedlings take shape, they can be transplanted for cultivation. When seed propagation is used for varieties with leaf variegation, the offspring revert to all-green varieties.
Care Methods for Spider Plant
1. Soil selection: For growing spider plant, it is suitable to use loose, fertile sandy loam, and the soil should contain humus and have strong permeability. For potting, you can use a mixture of equal parts leaf mold or peat soil, garden soil, and river sand, plus a small amount of base fertilizer as the growing medium. After repotting, be sure to prepare new soil again.
2. Suitable light: Spider plant prefers a semi-shaded environment and is very sensitive to light. If exposed to direct sunlight in summer and autumn, the leaves will wither and turn yellow, and even the whole plant may die. Therefore, avoid strong direct sunlight and place it in a cool, ventilated spot, and pay attention to maintaining environmental humidity. At most, it should only receive some slanted sunlight in the morning and evening. In winter, because the sunlight is not strong, spider plant can be allowed to receive some direct sunlight.
3. Growing temperature: Spider plant prefers a warm and humid climate and cannot tolerate severe cold or intense heat. The most suitable growth temperature for spider plant is 15-25°C, and the indoor temperature in winter must not be lower than 5°C. During hot periods, avoid strong direct light and maintain light shade; during low temperatures and cool conditions, it should receive more sunlight to keep the leaf color bright. In Guangdong Province of China, the temperatures in spring, summer, and autumn are all suitable for the growth of spider plant, but when the winter temperature is lower than 5-7°C, attention must be paid to cold protection and insulation.
4. Watering: Spider plant likes water. Because its fleshy roots have well-developed water-storage tissue, it has relatively strong drought resistance, but during the peak growth period from March to September it needs a large amount of water, so it should be watered and misted frequently to increase humidity and keep the potting soil completely moist. During the winter dormant period, you can water after the surface of the potting soil is dry to a depth of about one cm. Note that if the soil is too dry, the leaf cluster may temporarily fade in color; after watering again it may recover its original color, but the leaf tips may permanently turn brown. Around noon and in the evening, water should also be sprayed on the branches and leaves,
5. Fertilization management: Spider plant is a relatively fertilizer-tolerant plant. If fertilizer and water are insufficient, it is prone to scorched tips and aging, and the leaves turn yellow, losing ornamental value. For spider plants that have begun to produce small plantlets, a nitrogen-based topdressing can be applied once every half month. Spider plants that are growing well can also do without fertilization.
6. Soil and pot changing: Spider plant cultivation generally requires repotting once every 2-3 years, but in specific care, in order to achieve lush stems and leaves, the soil and pot can be changed once every year in March,
7. Reasonable pruning: In terms of pruning, yellow leaves should be cut off at any time. Once a year in March, the pot can be turned out once, and old roots, rotten roots, and excess fibrous roots should be cut off. In early and mid-May, some old leaves of the spider plant can be cut off, which will encourage the spider plant to sprout more new leaves and small spider plants.
8. Hydroponic spider plant: Spider plant can also be grown hydroponically. To do this, first take the potted spider plant out of the pot, wash the soil off with water, cut off old leaves and old roots, place it in a hydroponic vessel, and then add clean water. Note that there should not be too much water; it is best if it just reaches the root crown. For vigorous growth, you can add a few drops of nutrient solution to the water. The vessel can be a wide-mouth glass bottle, glass cup, or other container. The water in the container can be changed every few days, or you can simply add some water.