Don’t know what’s going wrong? Here are 5 Solid Reasons Why Your Spider Plant Isn’t Thriving and Ways to Fix Them!
The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is a fuss-free houseplant that produces abundant spiderettes when happy. But if its growth reduces, foliage discolors, begins wilting and splits, or even falls apart, your plant is clearly not growing well, and here are key reasons that are likely at play!
Reasons Why Your Spider Plant Isn’t Thriving
1. Overwatering and Poor Drainage
Spider plants are tropical perennials that need well-draining, moist soil. They can even survive in dry and somewhat drought-like conditions. However, they cannot stand wet feet! If you overwater the plant regularly or the drainage is poor, consistent stagnant water damages its roots.
This can lead to root rot, yellow and mushy leaves, or various diseases in the growing medium. To prevent this, don’t follow a fixed watering schedule for your plant; instead, saturate it only when you see a bit of dryness on top of the growing medium. Remember to reduce watering during the winter period.
2. Using Hard Water
The type of water may also be a reason why your spider plant is not thriving! These plants are susceptible to minerals and salts present in the water and soil.
Hard water contains higher amounts of calcium and other minerals, and if it’s tap water, chlorine and fluorides in it can lead to tip burn.
The Fix: Let your tap water sit overnight to allow Chlroine to dissipate or replace it with filtered or distilled water; rainwater is also acceptable.
3. Improper Lighting
Spider plants perform best in bright, filtered light. They prefer medium lighting and can tolerate a few hours of shade daily but will fade away if kept in constant darkness. Conversely, direct sunlight can lead to leaf scorching, browning, and pale foliage.
A common reason why your spider plant is not thriving can usually be traced back to where it was placed—too bright or too dark.
The Fix: An east windowsill is ideal for the plant’s sunlight needs. Otherwise, you can filter out sunshine using sheer curtains and screens.
4. Low Humidity
Native to the tropical regions of Africa, this plant needs humidity of 40-80% to flourish. Dry air with humidity below 40% causes its leaves to turn crispy, brown, and dead! If your home has this issue, use a pebble tray or a humidifier to keep it cozy and happy.
5. Regulate the Temperature
Even though spider plants are hardy and adaptable, they thrive in stable warm temperatures of 65-90 F (18-32 C). They can tolerate dips as low as 35 F (1.6 C) for a short time without damage. But they won’t push out spiderettes at such lows; they merely survive. A temperature above 90 F (32 C) will increase transpiration.
They also prefer stability and don’t enjoy fluctuations, such as sudden hot and cold drafts from vents, extreme heat or frost, etc. This will lead to wilting and the plant’s eventual death. So, how do you keep things steady amidst oscillating weather conditions?
The Fix: This one’s easy—move the plant to a naturally cozy, sheltered spot such as a kitchen.
