Chlorophytum Spider

How to grow Spider Plant

Plant Description: Chlorophytum Spider or the Spider Plant is easy to care and maintain, hence it is known as the beginner’s plant. When grown indoors it is known to add greenery and purify the air by absorbing Carbon Monoxide. You can place the young spider plants in your living room, corridors, bedroom or bathrooms. This is one of the finest plants for hanging baskets. This plant has gained The Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘Award of Garden Merit’.

Botanical Name: Chlorophytum comosum 'variegatum'

Plant type: Perennial bulbous plant.

Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen.

Growth Habit: Clump-forming.

Growth Rate: Fast Growing.

Average Landscape Size: Plant grows in rosette form with diameter of 1.5 to 2 feet.

Special features: The small white star shaped flowers appear in loose clusters on the stems. With the flowers small plantlets grow also develop, that can be detached and re-potted.

How to care for Spider Plant

Soil: Fertile soil or any decent potting mix.

Pot Size: 12-14 cms pot cover would be ideal.

Potting/Transplanting: The pot selected must have proper drainage holes. To prevent water logging, cover the drainage holes by broken pieces of earthen pots or brick pieces before putting the soil. Transplant the Chlorophytum sapling in a pot along with root-ball of original soil. Carefully place the plant in the middle of the pot & cover the roots completely with the remaining soil.

Repotting: Re-pot at the beginning of monsoon season, if the plant outgrows its pot. Lookout for roots shooting out of the drainage holes of the current pot. Separate the extra side growths & small plantlets before re-potting.

Sunlight: Well-lit rooms with no direct sunlight penetration for indoors. Partial shade or interrupted sunlight for outdoors.

Water: Keep the soil evenly moist. But even if you forget watering, the plant will forgive you.

Fertiliser: Every 2 weeks, feed the plant with a liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Temperature: Average room temperature should be 65-75°F/18-24°C. Do not expose it to anything below 50°F/10°C..

Humidity: The plant tolerates moderate humidity (indoors). Incase its leaves start to turn brown, increase the humidity around the plant.

Pruning: No pruning required.

Propagation: Propagate by dividing the main plant or detach and replant the plantlets during monsoon.

Companion Plants: Philodendron, Aralia, Ferns, Rhoeo, Croton