Spider Plant & Plantlets

Description

• The spider plant reaches 12 to 24 inches tall and wide with long leaves resembling wide blades of grass. The green blades are striped with white. When grown in a hanging basket, the leaves and plantlets cascade over the edge. Long arching stems covered with small white star-shaped flowers emerge from the leafy clusters. The blossoms appear from spring throughout the summer.

Indoor Growing

• Spider plants are commonly grown as houseplants. Ideal temperatures for growing inside fall between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the plant in an area with bright indirect light. Use equal parts of peat moss, potting soil and sand in the container to create a good-draining soil so the roots do not stay wet for prolonged periods. Keep the soil moist by watering weekly throughout the summer. Reduce the amount of water given to the plant during the winter, but do not let the soil dry out completely. Feed the spider plant once a month during the growing season with 1/4 teaspoon of liquid 10-15-10 fertilizer mixed in a quart of water.

Plantlets

• Mature root-bound spider plants produce plantlets along the same stems that blossomed the summer before. Several weeks of short days and long nights trigger the growth of plantlets. To encourage the growth of the plantlets do not overfeed the mother plant during the summer. Plants growing in too rich of soil produce vegetative growth rather than plantlet formation. When the plantlets begin to grow small roots of their own, they can be separated from the mother plant. Bury the roots in potting soil to produce more spider plants.

Problems

• Spider plants have few pest problems. They do suffer from root rot when grown in poorly draining soil. Exposure to direct sun causes the leaves to develop sunburn. Brown leaf tips and drying plantlets can be caused by several environmental problems. Too little water or low humidity causes the tips to begin to dry up. Misting once or twice a day increases the humidity around the spider plant. Too much salt or fluorides in the water cause the browning of the tips as well. Collect rainwater and use it to water the spider plant if the tap water is full of chemicals.