How to Prevent Dry, Brown Leaf Tips on Spider Plants and Care Tips

When spider plants are grown in pots at home, they often develop dry leaf tips and gradually lose their glossy sheen. To keep a spider plant in good condition, take the following measures:

Change the soil and repot. To keep the stems and leaves lush, change the soil and repot once every year in March. If the pot is fairly deep and the base fertilizer is sufficient, you can repot once every two years. When repotting, knock the plant out of the pot, cut off the dead and rotten roots and excess rootlets, replace with fresh humus-rich potting soil, and apply pieces of livestock hoof and horn or decomposed cake fertilizer as a base fertilizer. After planting, place it in a semi-shaded, warm spot to recover. The optimum growing temperature for spider plants is around 25°C. Once the plant has recovered and is growing vigorously, hang the pot under a porch eave or in a suitable indoor spot, generally at a height where it does not bump your head, and make sure there is good ventilation.

Suitable light. Spider plants like a semi-shaded environment. In spring and autumn, avoid direct exposure to strong sunlight; in summer, when the sun is especially intense, let it receive only some slanting light in the early morning and evening, and shade 50%-70% of the sunlight during the day, otherwise the leaf tips will dry out. Variegated varieties are especially afraid of strong sunlight; a golden-edged spider plant will grow more beautiful in a spot with weak light, with the yellow edges more pronounced and the leaves glossier. In winter, however, it should get more sunlight to keep the leaves soft, tender and fresh green. A potted spider plant at home should be placed in front of a south-facing window, otherwise the leaves will lose their gloss or even wither.

Moderate fertilization. Spider plants are foliage plants that tolerate fairly rich fertilizer. If fertilizer and water are insufficient, they easily become scorched and aged, with yellowing leaves that lose their ornamental value. From late spring to early autumn, apply an organic fertilizer solution once every 7-10 days, but for variegated varieties such as golden-edged and golden-hearted spider plants, apply less nitrogen fertilizer, so the variegation does not fade or even disappear and spoil the look. You can suitably apply organic fertilizer made by fermenting bone meal, eggshells and the like; once fully fermented, take an appropriate amount of the diluted liquid and water it on once every 10-15 days, which will make the variegated leaves bright and vivid.

Proper watering. Spider plants like a moist environment, so keep the potting soil moist at all times, water generously in summer, and around midday and in the evening also spray water on the branches and leaves to prevent the leaves from drying out. Normally maintain appropriate humidity: neither too dry nor too wet. If a lot of dust collects on the spider plant, it not only affects its growth but also spoils the fresh, bright look of the branches and leaves, so spray and wash the branches and leaves regularly to keep them clean and attractive. Dead and yellow leaves at the bottom should also be picked off at any time.