You just bought yourself your first spider plant!
Congratulations!
Now you may be wondering, where should I put this new plant? Can I grow it in the water? Can Spider Plants Grow In Water?
Well in this post, we are going to try to answer those questions for you so that your new plant can thrive.
Let’s begin…
Can You Grow Spider Plants In Water?
The answer: No, spider plants can not grow in water only. Like other vegetation, in order to grow and flourish they need nutrients. Without these key nutrients, they can not survive very long. They need to be planted in soil to thrive.
How long can you grow a spider plant in the water?
I would not recommend leaving a spider plant in the water only for more than 10 days. After ten days or so it should be planted in soil where it can get the key nutrients to flourish.
However, one unique thing about spider plants is that they produce little plantlets, some gardeners refer to them as spiderettes. These plantlets are often placed in the water until they develop a root system that is strong enough for them to be put in the soil.
This process is called propagation.
Let’s talk about how to propagate your spider plants.
How To Propagate Spider Plants In Water
One of the best things about spider plants is that they are the plants that keep giving. What do I mean? Well, they grow smaller offshoots or baby spider plants that can be cut off and used to grow a new plant.
The easiest and, in my opinion, the best way to propagate these baby plants is to first place them in water.
While this step is totally unnecessary, I prefer to propagate them early on in the water, in order to ensure they have a good root system.
Let’s briefly talk about how to do that.
- Locate a node. A node is basically a part of the plant where you will see aerial roots starting to form. This is what we are going to be using to propagate your plant.
- Next, with a sharp pair of scissors cut off the node. The important thing to note here is that you want to cut off the complete node. You don’t want to disturb the roots and you don’t want to cut too close to the node.
- Once you have your node, you are ready to place it in a clear cup of water. I have found that clear cups work the best for propagating your spider plants because it allows you to easily check the progress each day. However, with that being said, any glass, or cup will do. The important thing here is to remember to keep the node submerged in water at all times. Change the water either once a week or every other week depending on how dirty it gets.
- Next, place your little plants in a well-lit area. As mentioned, the whole purpose of placing your plants in water is to help them develop a good root system. To do that your plants need light. Keep in mind that being placed in the light all day long is going to evaporate your water rather quickly. So with that being said, be sure to check the water levels every few days to make sure your plants have enough.
- Lastly, after a week or two in water, you are going to see that your spider plant babies have developed a nice set of roots. Now it is time to place them in soil.
How Long Should Your Spider Plants Be Left In Water?
Well, that really depends on you. I would recommend that after you have an inch to 2 inches of roots it is safe to place them in soil.
Keep in mind that as we mentioned earlier, in order for your plants to really take off, they will need to be placed in soil. So, while there is no harm leaving them in water for a long time, in order to see them really start to grow, you need to transplant them into the soil.
So, don’t wait too long to place them in a pot.
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How To Propagate Your Spider Plants In Soil
Another effective way to propagate your spider plant is to remove the node and place it directly into the soil.
The reason this works is because the baby spider plants should already be starting to form aerial roots. The one benefit to placing them in water first though, is it allows them time to really grow roots before placing them in the soil.
However, you can skip this step entirely if you so desire.
In order to propagate your spider plants, you are basically going to follow the same steps mentioned above, but instead of placing them in water, you are going to place them directly into the soil.
Caring For Your New Plants
Once you have successfully propagated your spider plant babies, comes the fun part, watching them grow!
To grow and thrive, spider plants (especially new plants) need a good amount of water and a good amount of indirect sunlight. With that being said, be sure to check your plants regularly making sure they have enough water and place them in a well-lit area.
How Long Do Spider Plants Take To Root?
Once planted in soil, it can take anywhere between 2 to 3 weeks for them to take root in their new location.
What Is The Best Soil For Spider Plants
Since the soil is a key ingredient to seeing your plants take off, let’s briefly talk about what to look for in good soil.
Spider plants don’t tolerate sitting in water. For that reason, the first step is to choose a good pot. Select a pot that has plenty of drainage holes so that the roots are sitting in water.
Remember, too much time in water can lead to root rot.
Next, let’s talk about soil. Generally, spider plants aren’t too picky when it comes to soil. Just about any general potting soil will do.
You may also enjoy reading: Do Spider Plants Like Humidity?
Why Are My Spider Plant’s Leaves Turning Brown?
A clear sign that your plant is getting too much water or too little water is that the leaves will start to turn brown or even black. If you see this happening with your plant, first check the pot itself. Make sure the pot is draining properly. You don’t want your plant sitting in water.
If the problem is not the pot, it could be your watering routine. Remember you want to water your plants regularly, but you also want to allow time for the soil to dry, before your next watering cycle.
Another reason your plant might be changing colors is because it is not receiving enough water. That leads us nicely to our next question.
You may also enjoy reading: Do spider plants like to be root bound?
How often should spider plants be watered?
While spider plants are relatively easy to care for, one common mistake many make is watering their plants too often or not watering them enough.
So, how often should you water your spider plants?
An easy rule to remember is to water your spider plants when the first 1 to 2 inches of the soil is completely dry.
This is a clear sign that your plants need a little H2O.
To water them properly, give them just enough water until the soil is moist.
Concluding Thoughts…
I love spider plants because they keep giving. With the proper care, baby spider plants can be transplanted to a new pot and you can have yourself a new plant.
Sidenote: They also make great gifts.
Now let’s turn it over to you. Tell us about your experience propagating spider plants in the comments below.
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