The spider plant is botanically known as the Chlorophytum comosum, is one of the most popular easy growing household plants. Spider plant, the name can be a bit frightening, but no worries, the smooth plant is a super delight to your garden and indoors.
What is the spider plant?
Spider plants exclude a unique charm due to their long, thin and arched foliage rosette. Leaves are green in color with a blend of white. The arching leaves can spread up to 1.5 feet. This peculiar name is given because of the young and small plants that droop down from the mother plant. They have this spider-like appearance. At the very beginning, these spiderettes look like a small white bloom. The small star-shaped flowers will fall, and tiny plantlets will start in their place. Once they produce roots, they can perform well as separate and individual plants.
What are the benefits of spider plants?
Growing a spider plant will never fail you and will reward you to a surprising extent.
- It is super easy to grow and maintain
- It is hard to kill
Spider plants can grow well themselves without hassle, and you can plant a new spider plant with small plantlets.
- Purifies Air
Spider plant is known for its astonishing air purifying ability. It acts as a perfect remedy against carbon monoxide, xylene, formaldehyde, and toluene. Spider plant is identified as one of the top three plants to remove formaldehyde, a common household chemical.
- No harm to your pets
Unlike other foliage plants, the spider plant saves your pets from trouble. However, be careful with ingestion because of Opium: a chemical that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
- Helps patient to recover fast
A number of researches have proved the spider plant’s ability to help surgical patients by reducing pain and other complications such as blood pressure, heart rate issues, anxiety, or depression.
- It Removes PM, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Ozone
Spider plants have a strong ability to remove particulate matter and Ozone gas, which is becoming a common household pollutant, and Nitrogen dioxide.
With several jaw-dropping benefits, do you still wonder, “is the spider plant harmful in any way?” As previously mentioned, opium can cause symptoms like upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea for cats.
Is spider plant indoor or outdoor?
Gardeners celebrate the spider plant for its adaptability and easy-growing nature. The plant can withstand a range of growing conditions and thrives in well-drained soil. It is better to maintain a dryness between the watering. The mild and indirect light is perfect. The plant prefers cooler temperatures below 200 Centigrades and requires occasional pruning due to its spreading temperament.
As you can see now, the spider plant is a perfect candidate for indoor planting. Therefore, the indoor containers are most suitable for trouble-free growth. But during warmer periods, you can let the plant grow outdoors.
What kind of fertilizer does a spider plant need?
The low demand is the foremost reason for the immense popularity of spider plants. If you give moderately fertile soil, the plant will gladly grow up to its best shape. But if you feel like your plant visualizes slow and weak growth, you can go for additional fertilizers. During the summer, you can apply fertilizer twice per month.
External nutrient supply will boost the sound growth of the plant. All-purpose fertilizer will do the work. But try to go for a 10- 10-10 balanced fertilizer. There are granular fertilizers and water-soluble fertilizers. You can select based on your preference. Spider plants can be a bit sensitive to fertilizers. You can follow the label instructions and adjust the dose based on your plant growth stage. However, it is crucial to avoid over-fertilization. You can use half of the recommended dose to prevent any chaos. It is best to stop fertilization during winter.
Why are the tips of my spider plant leaves turning brown?
There are a few reasons for the browning of spider plant leaves tips.
- Tap water can be a silent reason behind the browning. It contains salt and minerals like chlorine fluorine that accumulate and cause the leaf tip to brown. A water filtration system can help you with this. It is best to leave your water in an open container to remove chlorine before watering.
- Lack of humidity also causes leaf browning. You can provide the required humid environment by misting or moving the plant close to the humidifier.
- Overwatering and underwatering a spider plant can cause a significant problem with root and leaf rotting. So be on alert to provide an adequate amount of water.
- Overfertilization is the most notable cause of leaf tip browning of spider plants. Overfertilizing also causes salt building and damages the root system of the plant. Replanting in fresh soil will help the plant to recover from this shock.
Selecting the right combination of plants for your garden or indoors can be tricky. You have to consider several pros and cons. In the end, the spider plant will save you from lots of trouble with its low-demanding nature and intriguing beauty.