Wilty spider plant...

Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:05 pm

My mom has a spider plant that has gotten sort of limp and wilty. She just gave me some of its babies and they're wilty too. I googled around and found a lot of people saying you can cut spider plants back to the roots and they will grow back healthier. But can you do that with the baby ones, who barely have roots at all?
I also found people saying they start the babies in water. I just put mine straight into a pot. Does it matter?

Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:35 pm

I have always just potted them up in soil. In fact, you can just pin them to the surface of the soil and they'll grow roots.

Is your mom's plant by any chance root bound? If the roots get too tight in the container, they aren't able to absorb moisture. The leaves then wilt and eventually begin to brown on the tips and edges.

Spider plants are also quite sensitive to fluoride and chlorine, so it's best to allow water to sit in an open container for 24 to 48 hours prior to using it on the plant.

Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:00 pm

I don't think it's root bound. It was in a smaller pot, but now she has it in one of those big ones with openings on the sides, like the one on the right in this pic: http://media.photobucket.com/image/plan ... matoes.jpg
I'll tell her what you said though, about that and the water.

Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:40 am

Is it in a relatively sunlit area? I have several at the office and find I need to rotate them every so often so they do not stay in a place where they get sunlight a big part of the day.

Mike

Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:44 am

It IS, she has it by a big window. They don't like that? I will tell her!
Mine are in a window too, but it's not very bright.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:40 pm

Spiders don't like alot of direct light on them. they seem to prefer bright but not direct. I had one hanging in a large east window and didn't do well with the drapes open, kept them closed and was alot more happy. Now, I have one hanging on the front porch and is fully shaded and seems to be doing fine for 10 years now. However this is now in hot dry California instead of hot humid Louisiana. They also seem to like more humid weather, after all they are a "tropical" plant so I'm sure that has something to do with it.