The spider plant, is a popular, easy-to-grow tropical houseplant. Although it is native to Africa, it has become domesticated in many tropical regions of the world.
It has bright variegated leaves and small flowers, usually white. It is easy to propagate from cuttings. When they outgrow the pot you will need to transplant spider plants into a larger container.
When To Repot Spider Plants?
Spider plants (Chlorophylum comosum), can be reported when they outgrow their container.
You can examine your plant to see whether the plant has begun to cast roots above the ground or grow roots out of the holes in the bottom of the pot.
If it is healthy, it may need repotting every other year.
The best time to repot a spider plant is during the active growing season of spring and summer when the extra daylight will help the plant recover from being moved.
Some spider plants suffer from insect pests like mites. In such cases, you may wish to repot the plant, discard the old soil, and wash it before repotting it.
Many plants come from garden centers or greenhouses having been over-watered. In those cases, you may wish to repot the plant to ward off root rot.
How To Actually Repot A Spider Plant?
Here’s what you need to do:
- Remove the plant from the pot.
- If you are repotting the plant because of disease or pest issues, remove any diseased leaves, and wash the plant to remove any mites or insects. Discard any diseased leaves and soil in the trash, and do not place them in the compost heap.
- Check for rotted roots, which might occur if the plant has been overwatered. Healthy roots should be white and nearly translucent. Rotting roots will be darker or perhaps even black. Remove any rotten roots.
- Put a base of soil down to fill about a third of the pot or to the height you want the plant to be.
- Spread the roots evenly around the pot, so they are not bunched up. You may notice some of the roots are thicker. These are the tubers of the plant, which are designed to store water and nutrients. They are perfectly normal, and you should leave them.
- Add soil until you have filled the pot to about 1” or 2” inches from the top.
- Tamp the soil down to ensure the roots are in good contact with the soil and the plant is firmly in place.
- Water the plant, UNLESS you are repotting the plant because of over-watering, in which case you might want to let the plant dry for a couple of days.
What Kind Of Soil Should I Use For Spider Plants?
Spider plants are heavy feeders and like well-drained soil that allows the plant to dry between waterings.
A fully developed spider plant develops tubers that can store water for the plant.
Most garden soils will be too heavy to drain well and so aren’t really suitable for potting mixes.
Sandier soils like succulent or cactus potting soil won’t do well because they won’t hold nutrients or water.
You might wish to look for good regular potting soil that contains a mix of pumice or perlite to give good drainage and soil that holds nutrients.
What Kind Of Pot Should I Use?
Unlike many plants, spider plants often grow in confined spaces in nature, so don’t mind being a little root bound.
However, they grow fast and will outgrow pots soon enough, anyway. So you are looking for a pot the next size or two larger.
If you are rooting a spiderlet or cutting from a spider plant, choose a small pot and fill it with potting soil.
Terra cotta pots are a good choice because the clay material of the pot allows for better evaporation and airflow to remove water from the soil, which helps reduce root rot from over-watering.
Other types of pots can be used.