Care of Spider Plant
House Plant Care
A large indoor atrium where I was caring for the plants was in dire need of a makeover. I had to make a decision on what plant would grow well and also look great. It was a big indoor atrium with large Ficus trees and towering Norfolk Island Pines and there were some low containers that needed plants that would fill out but not up. Wanting to add some contrast to the all-green foliage in the atrium and minimize the stark container lines, variegated Spider Plants fit the role perfectly!
That interior landscape account was, at the time, being used to film some of the indoor scenes in the Showtime series, Homeland. If you have ever watched the show you may have caught a glimpse of those Spider Plants, Ficus and Norfolk Island Pines!
One of the first times that I had to care for Spider Plants was in the 1980's. The most memorable thing about this account was the many Spider Plants they had hanging over the bar counter. Since restaurants always have to be cared for early, as they generally open around 11 AM to start serving lunch, you could find me, once a week, standing on a bar in the early morning, watering lots of Spider Plants.
That was quite some time ago, and although Spider Plants are still very popular as houseplants, they are not seen as often as they used to be in commercial indoor plant design. Enough of the stories now, on with the plant care!
Although not used as frequently in the interior landscape industry as it used to be, the Spider Plant, or Chlorophytum comosum, is still a very popular house plant. This is mainly because it is one of the more tolerant and easy to grow indoor plants.
In my humble opinion, one of the best things about Spider Plants is the grass-like appearance that you don't see in many other indoor house plants. It is quite an attractive houseplant, available with all-green foliage or variegated foliage.
Spider Plant Care Question?
Spider Plant houseplant questions? I would be happy to answer any houseplant questions as I can. Free of charge, no sign-ups required!
Spider Plant house plant questions or problems? You can send a houseplant question but before you do, please finish reading this page and other house plant care information on watering your indoor house plants, how to help keep your houseplant's root system healthy, lighting for your houseplants, and basic houseplant care. These are most important for your house plant's health and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an email.
Working in the interior landscape industry, I get a lot of questions from customers about their personal houseplants. It is nice helping them keep their indoor house plants growing and healthy. That is why I started this website, to help others learn how to care for their indoor plants and flowers. So please read on!
⚘ How This Website Started ⚘
Hi Plant and Flower People!
I started this website in 2012 while helping my younger brother through a fight with terminal cancer. Between shopping, cleaning, cooking, laundry, doctor/hospital visits, and other tasks to help him, I taught myself HTML/CSS and other skills used in creating a website. My brother had a very successful stock photography website himself and his advice to me was to make a website about something you know.
I had left a job in the interior landscape industry in 2012 (I have worked in the interior landscape industry since 1986) to go across the country to help him out. So that became the subject of this website, indoor house plant and flower care.
It costs money for hosting service, domain fees, etc. to keep websites running. That is why I have third party ads/Amazon products and other affiliate links on webpages. Please use them if they are helpful to you as I earn commissions/ad revenue through them and they help pay costs for hosting, domain name, etc.
If you need some help with the general care of your indoor plants and flowers, read about basic houseplant care. You can also email houseplant care questions or requests for help identifying your mysterious indoor plant!
Please also consider supporting this website with a donation, if you can. Any help is appreciated. Hope you find some helpful information here. Thank you and read on Plant People!
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Spider Plant Care
How To Water
In bright light, spring through summer, water Spider plants when top of soil has just dried out. In lower light, allow soil to dry down one-half of its depth, before watering. Please check out the information on lighting for your house plants and watering of your indoor house plants. These are most important to the well-being of your indoor house plants.
Spider Plant Care
Other Care Tips
Chlorophytum elatum, or Green Spider Plant, was used in the NASA clean-air study and found to be quite efficient at removing the common chemical, Formaldehyde, from the air. Quite an accomplishment for such a little plant. These test were done with plants in soil, not plants grown in water or hydroponic media. It is believed the microorganisms in the soil contribute to the results.
Spider Plants will adapt to a variety of indoor conditions. It can be grown in shade or partial sun, hot or cool temperatures. Spider plant does not require the high humidity that some house plants prefer.
Average temperatures for Spider Plants should be at a very minimum of 45°F in the winter, too cold for me! Watering should be reduced in fall and winter, allowing your Chlorophytum, or Spider Plant, to dry down three-fourths the depth of the soil before watering.
Lighting for Spider Plants should be bright indirect light and Spider Plants will tolerate some sun. For a nice full plant keep in bright light. Spider Plants can be maintained for awhile in lower light but the plants appearance will suffer.
Spider Plants have a tendency to develop black or dark brown leaf tips, usually on the older, lower foliage. I have found it quite beneficial to make a regular habit of just removing some of the older leaves completely as they start to "tip". This will keep your plant looking better and help promote healthy new growth.
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If you are getting dark tips on new growth, review your watering practices, you may be watering more than the plant requires. Also, Spider Plants are susceptible to soluble salt damage which can occur if you are applying fertilizers too often. This is often seen as dark tipping of leaves.
Bringing home a new houseplant? It is a good idea to quarantine any new plants for a few weeks just to be sure there are not any insects that were not noticed at first. Wash down your new house plant with a mixture of water and mild dish detergent. I like to add a few drops of Eucalyptus essential oil or Orange Essential oil to my houseplant cleaning solution.
Apply to top and lower leaf and stem surfaces of your house plants, being careful not to saturate the soil. You can clean by hand or use a spray bottle to apply your house plant cleaning solution. I use a sponge moistened with my cleaning solution to gently wipe the top and lower leaf surfaces. Cleaning of your houseplants should be a regular part of your houseplant care.
Never apply anything to the foliage of your plant while it is in the sun or when the soil is dry. Water first and move to a shady location. Hope this has been helpful to you as you care for your indoor plants and flowers! More houseplant care information below...
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Houseplant Care Question?
Questions about your indoor house plants or plant care problems? You can send a house plant question, free of charge, no sign ups, registration or log in required!
Before you send a houseplant care question, please be sure to read this information on watering your indoor house plants, how to help keep your your indoor house plants root system healthy and lighting for your indoor house plants and flowers. These are most important for the health of your house plants and this is some of the information I will refer you to if you send an indoor house plant or flower care question.
You can post comments, find answers to plant care questions, or share some of your own plant wisdom on our plant care Facebook Page, Twitter page or visit my plant care blog. You can also find plant pictures, gardening ideas, and more at our plant and flower Pinterest page.
Thanks for visiting and come back soon as houseplant care information, pictures and more are being added all of the time. I hope that your indoor tropical house plants and all of your plants and flowers are happy, green and growing because that is why I started this indoor house plant and flower care website, PlantAndFlowerInfo.com.
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