Plant Care Guide Spider Plant
What is the Spider Plant?
(Chlorophytum Comosum)
Unlike their insect counterpart, there’s nothing to fear about the Spider Plant! Also known as the Ribbon Plant, this prized houseplant is as easy to maintain as it gets, and its elegant multi-colored leaves are a sight to behold. You can place these plants in any room of your home and enjoy the sleek, natural aesthetic that they provide.
Native to the Southern and Western regions of Africa, the Spider Plant enjoys a breadth of environments, making it one of the most durable houseplants on the market. When taken care of properly, these plants can live for decades at a time, keeping their original beauty over all that time!
Light Care
The Spider Plant prefers to be placed in areas of your home that enjoy bright, indirect light. Ideally, you could place this plant a few feet away from a window in your home. However, placing it closer to the window is also fine, so long as you have a curtain or other fabric to work as a buffer between the plant and direct sunlight.
Since the Spider Plant is especially sturdy, you are able to place it in low light environments as well. If this ends up being the case for you, expect slightly slower growth over time, which is a common effect when plants are deprived of bright light. Keep an eye on your plant, and if you feel that its growth is extra slow, consider finding a space that offers more light.
Water Care
While it is young, water your Spider Plant with purified water on a weekly basis. This plant is fairly drought-resistant, so you do not need to water it again until the top inch of soil is completely dried. As the plant grows older, you can water it even less frequently, keeping an eye on the soil and reapplying as you deem fit. Watering should not be a source of concern for you; your plant knows what it is doing!
To check the water levels of your plant’s soil, place a water meter into the soil, where it will give you an accurate indication. If you do not own a water meter, stick one finger knuckle-deep into the soil. At this depth, you will be able to accurately account for the soil’s level of moistness.
Food Guide
For your Spider Plant, it is recommended that you use a regular potting soil that drains well. While water is not a serious concern for this plant, its ability to pool and cause root damage is still in play, so having soil that drains out excess water is ideal. Spider Plant roots grow quickly, so anticipate repotting fairly frequently.
Since the Spider Plant already does most of the work of growing for you, there is no real guideline to follow as far as fertilization goes. Your plant does not necessarily require fertilizer during the summer and spring months, but if you feel like it could use a boost, sparingly provide it with all-purpose fertilizer once per month and see how it responds.
Staff Holy Grail Tip:
One of the most important parts of keeping your Spider Plant happy is ensuring that it has the right nutrients. Though this plant can survive just fine without any added nutrients, it responds impressively well to an occasional feeding.
If you want to give this plant a treat, provide it with some all-purpose fertilizer. Be careful not to over-fertilize and give your plant this special treat no more than once per month.
FAQ
Is the Spider Plant toxic?
No, the Spider Plant is considered to be non-toxic to both humans and animals. That being said, it does contain a chemical that studies have shown can function as a mild hallucinogenic for animals, leading to stomach irritation, vomiting and diarrhea. While it is not necessary to keep this plant away from pets, it may be advisable.
