Spider Plant Care: How to Grow, Care for & Propagate

Welcome to spider plant 101! Have you mastered the pothos plant and are now ready to welcome another easy plant into your home?

Today I’m going to share everything you need to know to get started with a spider plant. I’m going to cover how to grow, care for and even propagate spider plants (also known as Chlorophytum comosum).

Spider plants are easy to care for plants that will add a fun vibe in any room. They’re great for propagating once they start sprouting babies and a perfect plant for beginners.

These care tips and tricks will help you quickly become an expert in spider plants!

Spider Plant Care Tips

spider plant care tips

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How much light does a spider plant need?

Spider plants do best with a good amount of indirect light. I’ve tried them just about everywhere in my house, from a corner in my son’s room that doesn’t get much light to a windowsill that gets a lot of full sun.

Like most plants (and people), each one is different and has different needs. Try a few different spots to figure out what your specific plant likes the best, but start them out in a pot that get bright, indirect light.

Spider plant on shelf

I currently have one in a hallway that doesn’t get much light, one on a ledge that gets almost a full day of indirect light and one in our entryway that gets about a half a day of indirect light.

The one on the ledge that gets the most amount of light produces the most babies, however it’s also the plant that I’ve had the longest and is the most mature (which is needed to produce babies).

I oftentimes move my plants around depending on the season and how each plant is thriving. I recommend leaving your plant where there are for at least a few weeks so you can tell if they’re happy or not.

Spider plant in gold pot

How much water does my spider plant need?

When it comes to watering your spider plant, aim for once a week (like the pothos). I find that my plants need extra watering during the summer months and less frequent watering in the winter.

Be careful to not water them too much or they’ll become soggy which can lead to root rot. Put your finger into the soil before water to see if it’s still wet (which means don’t water it more!) or if it’s dried out and ready for more water.

Should I cut the babies off my spider plant?

Your spider plant will start producing babies when they’re more mature and when the roots become more rootbound. You don’t want to repot a spider plant if it’s not growing babies yet because the roots are likely not rootbound enough.

Pruning spider plants keeps them at a manageable size, which is best for their overall health. The more babies it produces, the more the plant needs fertilizer and water, which can suck up its energy.

To prune the babies – called spiderettes! how cute is that? – off your spider plant, cut the long stems back to the base from both the mother plant and the babies.

Spider plant

How do I propagate my spider plant?

Head to this post for specific instructions on propagating your spider plant or just keep reading for the simplified version!

There are a variety of different ways to propagate your spider plants. You can keep the babies attached to the mother plant and simply place the baby in a pot of soil or water to encourage it to root.

I don’t always have space to do that so I typically cut the babies from the mother and grow roots in a jar of water.  

spider plant care - how to grow and propagate

Similar to pothos plants, all you’ll need for this is a spider plant with babies, a pair of scissors and a small jar with water.

Spider plants produce babies when they start flowering. Long, hard stalks will shoot out from the base of the plant and they’ll eventually produce flowers. These flowers will produce babies!

The easiest way to propagate spider plants is to simply cut the babies from the stalk and put them in water.

I like to use a short, small jar (similar to a pesto jar or baby food jar) since the babies of spider plants are smaller than those of pothos.

Once roots start growing, you’re ready to plant! Put the babies along with soil in a small pot, give it some water and you’re good to go! 

spider plant care - how to grow and propagate

Why Are My Spider Plant Leaves Browning?

Don’t stress if your spider plant start browning on the tips! That’s totally normal and doesn’t mean your plant is dying. 🙂

You can simply trim these off as they show up. One way to prevent them is by using distilled water. I don’t usually do that so I’m just trimming brown spots as I see them.

Head here for everything to know about your spider plant’s leaves turning brown!

Spider plants are some of the easiest houseplants to have in your home, especially for beginners! Don’t own a spider plant yet? Hit up your local greenhouse or grab one online (even Amazon has them!).

I hope this spider plant care post was helpful and inspires you to pick up one of the plants for your own home!

Happy planting!

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  • Jen

    Jen got her first plant in college from her mom and the rest, as they say, is history! She's owned hundreds of plants over the years and loves learning how to grow each one. She believes everyone needs to own at least one plant in their home and loves sharing her knowledge with others.

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