How to grow spider plants? A detailed guide to cultivation methods
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is a perennial evergreen plant of the Liliaceae family. It has well-developed underground rhizomes. The leaves are basal and broadly linear; long runners often emerge from among the leaf clusters, and small plantlets with roots grow at the nodes at the tips of the runners. The flower stems are slender and rise above the leaves, bearing 10-30 white flowers. The flowering period is July-August. The branches and leaves of the spider plant droop and its flower scapes are unusual; it stays green all year round, making it a fairly ideal indoor hanging foliage plant. Common cultivated varieties include the silver-edged spider plant, the golden-edged spider plant, and the golden-hearted spider plant.
The spider plant is native to South Africa. It likes warm, humid and semi-shaded environments, and prefers loose, fertile, well-drained soil.
Propagating spider plants is very simple. One method is division, carried out in spring and summer. Tip the plant out of its pot, separate the old plant and underground stems, and plant them in another pot; after one growing season they will grow very lush. Another method is to cut off the young plantlets at the tips of the runners and plant them in a flower pot. Either a single plantlet or two can be used, but it is best to plant 3, so that the plants that grow up are fuller in the pot. Be careful not to bury them too deep. This method can be carried out all year round.
Spider plants grow well in indoor indirect light, but to make them thrive, it is best to hang them on a balcony or under tree shade for a period in spring and late autumn. If kept stuffy indoors for a long time, the leaves become soft, wilted and weak, and growth is slow. In summer, when the indoor temperature exceeds 30°C, pay attention to ventilation and cooling, or use a fan or air conditioner to lower the temperature; you can also sprinkle water on the floor to cool it down, which prevents growth from stalling due to extreme heat. During the growing period, apply a diluted liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen once every 15-20 days, and keep the potting soil moist at all times. In winter, move it indoors, hang it in front of a window or place it on top of a bookshelf so it gets more sunlight; at the same time reduce the frequency and amount of watering, stop fertilizing, and keep the room temperature at around 10°C, and it will overwinter safely. During care, if you find dead branches and leaves at the lower part of the plant, cut them off promptly, and prune the flower scapes in time, so that the branches and leaves are well-proportioned and elegantly pleasing.
How to grow spider plants
Spider plants like warmth and humidity, are not tolerant of severe cold, and dislike direct blazing sun and dry winds. They can be grown indoors for a long time. Their leaves cluster like flowers and stay green in all four seasons, making them a fairly well-known foliage plant, known as the "flower of the air."
Steps/methods
Temperature: Spider plants like warm weather and are suitable for growing at around 20 degrees. In winter, pay attention to cold protection and move them indoors. Never place them in a windy spot by a window, to avoid freezing the leaves. If the temperature is too low, the spider plant will stop growing; if it drops below 5 degrees, frost damage may occur.
Light: Although spider plants prefer cool shade, they also need enough sunlight for photosynthesis to promote normal growth. When light is insufficient, the leaves turn yellow; when light is too strong, the leaves also turn yellow and may even wither and die. In spring and autumn, they can be placed in a cool place that still receives sunlight; in summer, direct sunlight should be prevented, and more than 60% of the sunlight should be blocked.
Soil: To plant spider plants, choose soil with good drainage and good air permeability. You can choose a mix of leaf mold, peat soil, garden soil, river sand, etc. as the growing medium. For example, you can put some water-permeable clay pebbles at the bottom of the pot, about 4 cm thick, then place the plant in the center of the pot, add the mixed soil until the pot is seven or eight tenths full, press the soil down with your hands, and then cover the surface with a layer of clay pebbles.
Watering: Spider plants prefer humidity, especially during the summer growing period, when they need watering once a day and misting of the leaves twice. In spring and autumn, water once every 5 days. Because spider plants are afraid of cold, do not water too much in winter to avoid frost damage; once every half a month is enough.
Pest and disease prevention: Spider plants sometimes get scale insects, whiteflies, etc. If found, remove the pests promptly. When the leaf tips are found to be turning yellow, watering and fertilizing should be increased.
Fertilizing: Spider plants rather like fertilizer. Except in winter, fertilize once every 10 days. You can choose organic fertilizer liquid or a fertilizer specially made for spider plants; both are sold at flower markets. When the temperature is below 5 degrees, stop fertilizing.
Precautions
If yellow leaves appear, cut them off promptly.
Once a year in March, you can repot the plant, cutting off old roots, rotten roots and excess fibrous roots.
In early May each year, you can cut off some of the old leaves, which will encourage more new leaves to sprout.
How to grow spider plants: cultivation tips for spider plants
Spider plant, also known as: weeping pot grass, hanging orchid, fishing orchid, orchid grass, and crane-fold orchid; in Western Europe it is also called spider grass or airplane grass. It is native to South Africa. It has relatively high ornamental value; the plant purifies the air, and the whole plant can be used as medicine. So how are spider plants grown? Today we will introduce this.
How spider plants are grown
Spider plants can be propagated by cuttings, division, sowing and other methods. Cutting and division propagation can be carried out at any time from spring to autumn. Spider plants have strong adaptability and a high survival rate, and are generally very easy to propagate. When taking cuttings, simply take a 5-10 cm stolon with new buds and insert it into the soil; it will take root in about a week, and after about 20 days it can be transplanted into a pot. Water it thoroughly and place it in a cool place for care.
Choose a suitable temperature for placement. Spider plants like a warm, humid climate and fear cold and high temperatures. They grow fastest at 24°C; above 30°C and below 0°C they stop growing, and the leaves easily turn yellow with dry tips.
Spider plants should be placed in a spot with suitable light. When grown outdoors in summer, pay attention to shading so the light is not too strong, otherwise sunscald easily occurs.
Regulate water and fertilizer. In the peak growing seasons of spring and autumn, watering should be sufficient and the potting soil should be kept moist at all times. Also frequently spray the branches and leaves with clean water close to room temperature to prevent dry tips, but do not let water accumulate.
Prune and repot. As the plant grows, to maintain a good plant shape, trim the old leaves at the base frequently, and change the soil and pot at intervals.
Prevent pests in time. Spider plants have dense foliage and poor ventilation, so they are susceptible to scale insects; prevention should be the priority.
Cultivation tips for spider plants
1. Spider plants like semi-shaded environments, and in autumn direct strong sunlight should be avoided. Autumn sunlight is especially strong; during the day, 50%-70% of the sunlight should be blocked, otherwise the leaf tips will dry up, and variegated varieties are even more afraid of strong light. Golden-edged spider plants grow more beautifully in places with weak light: the yellow golden edges are more obvious and the leaves are more glossy.
2. Spider plants are foliage plants that are relatively tolerant of fertilizer. If fertilizer and water are insufficient, they easily age, the leaves turn yellow, and they lose their ornamental value. It is advisable to apply organic fertilizer liquid once every 7-10 days, but for variegated varieties such as golden-edged and golden-hearted, less nitrogen fertilizer should be applied, to avoid the leaf variegation fading or even disappearing and affecting their appearance. Appropriately apply organic fertilizer fermented from bone meal, eggshells, etc.; after full fermentation, take an appropriate amount of diluted liquid and water it on once every 10-15 days, which can make the variegated leaves bright and colorful.
3. Spider plants like humid environments, and the potting soil should be kept moist often. In autumn, watering should be sufficient; around noon and in the evening, water should also be sprayed on the branches and leaves to prevent the leaves from drying up. If a lot of dust accumulates on the spider plant, it affects both its growth and its appearance, so the branches and leaves should be sprayed with water often to keep them bright and beautiful. Dead and yellow leaves at the lower part should be removed at any time, and normal humidity should be maintained at ordinary times; it should not be too dry, nor too wet.
The above introduced the cultivation methods for spider plants as well as cultivation tips for spider plants. The cultivation methods for spider plants are simple and easy to learn, with an extremely high survival rate. Friends who are interested may as well give it a try.