How to Best Take Care of the Spindly and Green Spider Plant

When it comes to nicknames, the spider plant is only really rivaled by the monstera deliciosa. Ribbon plant, St. Bernard’s lily, spider ivy, and hen and chickens are just a few of the monikers the spider plant has gotten over the years. Like pothos, spider plants are known for their ease of care, which makes them great for first-time plant owners and those who usually opt for faux plants.

Spider plants are great for adding texture and greenery. They’re especially practical additions for small homes because they do well when they’re root-bound. Their love for “cramped” spaces makes them easy to move around and maintain.

If you get their watering and lighting right, you’ll have a happy plant that sprouts off many more smaller plants. Learn more about this spectacular variation below and how to care for their variegated tendrils.

Spider plants can be grown outside in zones 9-11, where they prefer light shade and well-draining soil. But indoors, they really aren’t low-light plants: They thrive in lots of indirect light, between 55 and 80 degrees F.

Spider plants also love humidity, so the perfect spot for them is near a sunny window in a steamy bathroom. But as long as they have access to some sunlight, they’re relatively tolerant to many conditions. If the temperatures are right, a summer vacation outdoors in the shade can help an indoor spider plant put on some growth.

Spider plants are known to be impossible to kill, and while they don’t need much attention, they’re not invincible. Follow these tips to keep your plant healthy and happy. 

• Overwatering spider plants is the most common reason they die, so be sure to mark when you last watered your plant to avoid this. 
• Spider plants are susceptible to root rot if waterlogged, so they need to be planted in a pot with drainage holes. Cover the drainage holes with broken pottery to keep the soil from washing out, and plant in standard potting soil. 
• Allow the soil to dry before watering (once a week is usually enough), and dump out water that drains from the bottom of the pot.
• If your plant has lots of brown tips on its leaves, you can use distilled water to help flush out minerals, salts, and fertilizer.

Because spider plants appreciate more humid environments, on top of watering, a light misting around its leaves is always a great idea. When you do this, it’s a great time to check the plant’s leaves for dust, dirt, and bugs.

To keep them clean, use a soft microfiber cloth to dust the leaves—don’t forget to dust the tops and bottoms of each. You can add a little bit of water to your cloth to better help remove debris.

Although you can divide an overgrown plant into multiples, you don’t have to wait for the plant to double in size to propagate it. The flowers that form in response to increasing day length will develop into mini spider plants, called “spiderettes,” which are easy to grow into new plants.

• The best way is to leave the spiderette attached to the mother plant, but place it on a new pot of soil so that the nodules and tiny roots on the bottom of the plantlet are touching the soil. Keep the new soil moist, and cut the stem between the new and old plant after the spiderette has rooted.
  
• Spiderettes can also be cut off and rooted. If you see spiderettes on a plant in a business or a friend’s home, asking if you can take a baby plantlet is a great way to increase your home jungle size. 
  
• They can be rooted in soil or water. They will root faster in water, but sometimes plants rooted in water have difficulty adapting to soil, especially if they’ve been in water for a long time.
  
• Even if you don’t want more plants, if your adult plant isn’t as full as you’d like, you can root spiderettes and plant them in the same pot as the mother to help fill it out.

Luckily, spider plants are a safe option that allows for plants and pets to exist in harmony. According to ASPCA, both cats and dogs do just fine if they accidentally ingest the leaves of the spider plant.