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One example pic, but for a general question. How do you get your… | Expert Level Greenspace | Comunidad de Planta

Sarah

One example pic, but for a general question. How do you get your spider plants to thrive? I have been using Planta since 2020 and have a pretty successful collection of ~50 plants. I love the basic beauties - pothos, peace lilies, African violets, etc. I have always loved spider plants especially, and currently have five full size and four starters I made from spiderlings. The problem is I feel like I can never get them happy! I have yet to kill one, but I’ve had a few rotate through and no matter if it’s new or a rehab, big or small, they all just putz along. I get occasional brown tips, but not many. I water a little less often than Planta tells me to as it seems too frequent, and I know they can get a grey tint to them when dry. I decided that maybe I wasn’t giving them enough light and put them on my three-season porch this summer. Not much has changed. One specific concern is how the leaves will turn all floppy and wilted. But they don’t die, they just live on like a limp ragdoll. Example pic is the most extreme one I have. They have not been exposed to extreme cold and the light is not too direct here. Yes, I’m holding leaves up with a trellis. Help?

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  1. Ciara

    How often do you water?

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    • Sarah

      Right now, probably every 12-13 days? Closer to one week in the summer. I’m in zone 5. This has been a problem even when I watered more frequently though… I usually pull it from the cachepot, top water it over a drip tray, let it sit a little bit to absorb, then remove water and return to cachepot.

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    • Ciara

      I’m in NYC and I have my spider plant hanging on my fire escape but it’s getting too cool for it to be watered so often. I water mine maybe once a month.

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    • Ciara

      Also spider plants like to be a bit root bound so you could try downsizing the pot and more sun ☀️

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    • honeybee 🌱

      To be honest my first impulse when I saw the plant is that it looks really thirsty! The pot seems small. It really shouldn’t get completely bone dry, I water mine once a week and she’s super happy. I think you should try watering more often gradually until you work her down to once every 7-9 days

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    • Sarah

      I was actually watering it when I took the picture. However it’s always limp like that, all the time. I’m now wondering if those leaves will ever regain their structure.

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  2. Vanessa

    I finally have one shooting out a ton of babies. I started with a super healthy plant. I have it sitting about 9 ft away from a huge south/southeastern window in Florida. I am currently watering it weekly especially with the growth. I did not repot it yet. When I water I make sure to take extra time to drain ALL the excess water out bc they are prone to root rot. I would suggest taking a look at the roots. White is good, black is bad and needs to be cut off. I currently have my fire flash in leca after peeling its roots like a potato bc I seem to have overlooked the fact the black on the leaves was not part of the plant when I got it at the nursery… anyway. Spider plants are the least easy “easy” plants and it grinds my gears when I see someone call them easy. They need a lot less light than you’re giving them here. Back it away from the window in my experience. It’s weird how they like to grow.

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    • Sarah

      It’s way less light than you would think. I’m in New Hampshire and the left window is facing north and the other window is east. I’ve had them in a variety of lighting conditions over the years, with this being the highest. My mom has hers (the mother plant of one of mine) outside in direct light in Maryland and it’s been great. I also live in a wooded area so I’m not sure this gets much of any direct light at all.

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    • Vanessa

      Gotcha! Hmm. The only other thing I’ve started thinking is maybe they don’t like to be fertilized 🤷🏼‍♀️ I stopped using MG in my weekly watering to see if the situation improves. Worth a shot.

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  3. Hippie Plant Grandma

    I only use distilled water for my spider plant and it seems to be working and I got some pups shooting off

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  4. JenThon🪴🪷

    Spider plants like to dry out, but at the same time live to be misted. Contradictory little buggers 😅. The biggest change in my Spider I saw was when I put in a clay pot the same size or maybe only 1 inch bigger than the plastic. They like to be cozy and cramped. Oh, and I have it under a floor plant light that’s not on of the strongest expensive ones, more indirect light.

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