How to Grow Potted Spider Plants? A Detailed Guide to Home Cultivation Methods

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is a plant in the genus Chlorophytum, family Agavaceae. It is also known as weeping pot grass, guilan, gouilan, and zhehelan; in Western Europe it is also called spider grass or airplane grass. It is native to South Africa. It is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the lily family. The roots are fleshy, and the leaves are slender, resembling orchid leaves. Stolons grow out from the leaf axils of the spider plant, reaching about a chi in length, both stiff and supple; the leaves clustered at the tips of the stems droop outward from the rim of the pot and sway with the wind, resembling a crane with spread wings about to leap. Hence the spider plant was known in ancient times as zhehelan (crane-folding orchid). The plant has the ability to purify the air, and the entire plant can be used as medicine.

Daily Care of Spider Plants

1. Spider plants prefer a semi-shaded environment. If exposed to direct sunlight, combined with dry air, it most easily causes the leaf tips to scorch. Therefore, spider plants must be placed in a relatively cool and ventilated spot, and especially care should be taken to frequently spray water on the leaf surface to increase environmental humidity.

2. Although spider plants like moisture, excessive watering or poor drainage of the potting soil can also cause root rot, which indirectly leads to leaf scorching. Improper watering and fertilizing can also cause the leaves to dry up.

3. Spider plants like fertilizer. If fertilizer and water are insufficient, the leaf color will fade and the leaf tips will scorch. However, fertilization should not be excessive either. 4. In winter, be sure to guard against cold damage. When the ambient temperature falls below 4 degrees, the plant will suffer cold damage.

Key Cultivation Points for Spider Plants

Generally speaking, spider plants have strong adaptability, grow luxuriantly, and are relatively easy to cultivate.

1. Temperature. When grown indoors in winter, the temperature must not be lower than 5 degrees;

2. Light. Spider plants are extremely sensitive to light. In summer and autumn, shading is necessary, as direct sunlight is acceptable. In spring, 50% of sunlight can be blocked, or the plant can be placed in a semi-shaded spot for cultivation; in autumn, it can be given more light as appropriate. Through observation, one can find that with insufficient light, the leaf color becomes pale and sometimes even yellow-green; with too strong light, the leaves turn yellow and withered.

3. Watering. During the growing period, water appropriately more to keep the potting soil moist. In winter, watering should be controlled. Normally, pay attention to keeping the leaf surface clean and spray water on the leaf surface frequently.

4. Fertilizing. During the growing season, apply a thin fertilizer about once every half month. For variegated varieties, nitrogen fertilizer should be controlled.

5. Placement. Spider plants can be hung up, which gives a distinctive charm. The height should be level with people's eyes or slightly higher; if too high, watering becomes inconvenient. When fertilizing, take the plant down from the hanging basket, and after fertilizing, rinse the leaves with a fine spray.

Analysis of Why Spider Plant Leaves Become Soft

1. The potting soil is too dry. When the potting soil has dried out excessively, it is not easy to water it thoroughly; the water will just run off as you pour. If upon checking it is indeed too dry, use the soaking method once to replenish water, so that the water fully penetrates the potting soil.

2. Great importance should be attached to spraying water on the leaves. Wet potting soil cannot replace humidity in the air environment. In the current climate, spraying more than twice a day is not excessive.

3. At the current temperature, do not expose the plant to direct sunlight, and also guard against strong winds.

4. If it is hanging, do not place it too close to the wall, and do not let other objects touch it.

How to Grow Potted Spider Plants

  Spider plant is a common indoor potted foliage plant, also known as guilan. It is a perennial evergreen herbaceous flower of the lily family, genus Chlorophytum. On the short rhizome, cylindrical fleshy fibrous roots are clustered. The leaves are basal, linear to long lanceolate, about 30 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. For the broad-leaved spider plant, the leaves are about 2.5 cm wide, with entire or slightly wavy margins. The flower scape emerges from the leaf axils, about 40 cm to 60 cm long, arching downward and developing into a creeping stem (runner), with young plantlets bearing aerial roots often forming at the nodes and tips. The inflorescence is a raceme, with small white flowers, blooming in spring and summer; under suitable environmental conditions, it often blooms in autumn and winter as well. Commonly cultivated varieties include: golden-edged spider plant with golden-yellow leaf color, golden-hearted spider plant with yellow longitudinal stripes in the center of the leaves, silver-edged spider plant with white leaf margins, and silver-hearted spider plant with white longitudinal stripes in the center of the leaves.

  Spider plant is native to South Africa and is cultivated throughout our country. It likes a warm and humid climate and fresh air. It is not tolerant of severe cold or intense heat. The suitable growing temperature is 15°C to 25°C, and the indoor temperature in winter must not be lower than 5°C. In hot seasons, avoid direct strong light and maintain dappled shade; in low-temperature cold periods, it should be exposed to more sunlight, which can keep the leaf color bright. It requires a sandy culture soil containing humus, loose and fertile, with strong permeability. For home cultivation, it is most ideal to use spent clivia soil mixed evenly with half fine sandy soil, then sun-dried and disinfected before planting.

  Spider plants are generally propagated by taking the young plantlets growing on the creeping stems (runners). Whether or not they have aerial roots, they can be picked off and planted, and they will quickly grow strong. Broad-leaved spider plants are usually propagated by division, which can be done year-round in a greenhouse, or the small plantlets growing on the runners can be picked off and planted.

  Spider plants are not cold-tolerant. In the north, potted plants in winter should be hung indoors in an environment of 15°C to 20°C. In summer, they can remain indoors, but attention should be paid to ventilation and air exchange. If moved outdoors, they need to be kept under a shed frame that is cool and humid, sheltered from wind and rain. Spider plants are robust by nature and easy to cultivate. Normally, water when the soil looks dry and keep the potting soil moist at all times. In dry seasons, spray or mist water on the leaves to prevent the leaf tips from drying up or the leaf color from turning yellow. The wetness or dryness of the potting soil should be managed flexibly according to the season and climate changes. In summer and autumn, the potting soil should be kept on the moist side, and the environmental humidity should be high; apply a thin liquid fertilizer 1 to 2 times a month. In winter, keep the indoors warm and protect against cold; the potting soil should be kept on the dry side, with fertilizer withheld and water controlled, to prevent the potting soil from staying wet and waterlogged for long periods, which would cause the leaf color to turn yellow and the root system to rot. 

Key Care Points for Potted Spider Plants