How to Grow and Care for Spider Plants

Spider plants are extremely easy to grow, making them the perfect houseplant for beginners, frequent travelers, absent-minded individuals, college students, and, well, just about anyone. Their name refers to the tiny plantlets dangling from wiry stems that resemble spiders floating on a bit of web. An individual plant is composed of a loose rosette of leaves that grows from a fleshy underground tuber. Common leaf colors include solid light green and variegated dark green with white stripes.

Spider plants can adapt to low or artificial light settings, but the ideal light setting is somewhere where it receives lots of bright, indirect sunlight but no direct sunlight which can burn its leaves. Whatever light setting you choose for your spider plant, try to keep the light level consistent.

Spider plants are excellent for growing in hanging baskets because of their fountain-like habit and trailing plantlets. Select a container that is no more than 1-2 inches larger than the root ball of your plant. Use soil that's formulated for tropical plants, like Miracle-Gro® Tropical Potting Mix. This potting mix is designed to be less prone to gnats (it contains no compost or bark to shelter them), a common issue with spider plants. The mix also contains lava rock for the added drainage that tropical plants need.

1. Choose either a hanging basket or decorative container; both should have a drainage hole.
2. Fill your container about ⅓ full with Miracle-Gro® Tropical Potting Mix.
3. Place the plant in the container so that the top of the root ball is about ¾ to 1 inch below the top of the container. That will leave space to water the plant without the water running over the sides of the pot.
4. Fill in around the root ball with more mix.
5. Thoroughly water the plant and let it drain, then move to its permanent location in the house.

Spider plants don't like to be watered too much or too often, and they don't like having water touch their foliage. Every few days, check the moisture level in the potting mix by sticking your finger into it. Water spider plants when the top inch of soil is dry, aiming the stream of water at the base of the plant, not the leaves. If your plant is hanging, take it down and water in the sink to allow drainage to run off. If you have a container, remove any excess water from the saucer after watering.

Spider plants benefit from regular feedings, especially when they’re actively growing. During spring and summer feed your spider plant once a week with Miracle-Gro® Tropical Houseplant Food, which is specially made to promote lush foliage in tropical plants. Remember to follow all label directions.

Mature spider plants produce plantlets (baby plants) at their end of long, stiff stems. Simply cut off the small plant, stick it in a small pot of moist Miracle-Gro® Tropical Potting Mix, and water gently. Once your plant fills its container, you can repot it in a larger pot or hanging basket using the directions in the "How to Repot" section above.

The most common spider plant issues are the result of low humidity or too much fluoride in the water.

• Brown leaf tips: This can mean that your spider plant is reacting to over-fluoridated water. If the tap water where you live is treated with fluoride, try allowing the water to sit out overnight before you give it to your spider plant. This will evaporate some of the fluorides and give your spider plant a break from chemicals. You can also switch out your tap water for distilled or rain water. If that doesn't solve the problem, make sure you are watering your plants frequently enough.
• No plantlets: If your spider plant isn't producing plantlets, it could be because of several factors. Both not enough and too much light can cause your spider plant not to form plantlets. Try relocating your spider plant to a spot with bright, indirect sunlight. Another reason spider plants don’t form plantlets is because they’re container is too big. Their roots need to completely fill their container and become slightly rootbound before they will produce plantlets.

Spider plants can add a playful vibe to your space. Add one to your houseplant collection and help it thrive with tips and ideas from Miracle-Gro!