Growing Spider Baby Plant for 3 Years Produces No Baby's

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You have this fantastic spider plant ( Chlorophytum comosum ) that has begun to grow a bunch of spider plant babies, or pups, which are now cascading down from their mother plant.

What to do next? How to propagate the spider plant babies?

First of all, you don't need to do anything.

You may simply leave the spider plant babies where they are. They will grow and can eventually even have babies of their own, trailing all the way down like a waterfall.

But if you are anything like me, you want to grow at least a few new spider plants from its plantlets.

If you got here looking for general information on caring for your spider plant, hop over to the spider plant care article or the post about common spider plant problems instead.

This article here covers the 3 propagation methods to grow new plants from spider plant babies.

3 Ways How to Propagate your Spider Plant

There are three ways to propagate your spider plant babies and create new full-grown plants. All three methods are discussed in greater detail later in this post, but here they are:

1. Propagate spider plant cuttings in water.
2. Plant spider plant cuttings directly in soil.
3. Root spider plant cuttings in soil while still attached to the mother plant.

Propagating spider plants from just the leaves is not likely to work. You can, however, propagate a large spider plant through division. That basically means you separate the plant and its roots system, and pot up in two pots.

For now we are just discussing the ways to propagate the spider plant babies.

When to Propagate your Spider Plant

Propagation may be done at any time of year, but is best done in the spring or early summer, when it is the growing season and your plant is at the peak of its energy.

When your spider plant matures and is growing in conditions it likes, it will send out multiple runners with delicate white flowers on the ends. These small flowers will become the new little plants.

First, do a little happy dance.

Second, try to be patient. Let the babies grow a bit before doing anything.

After a while, you will start seeing small nubs appearing on the bottom of the plantlets. These are aerial starter roots. You want these.

Now you can start thinking about how you want to grow your new spider plants.

Do you root them in water first? Or dive right in and put them straight into the soil? Maybe go for the striking visual of potting them, but leaving them attached to the mother plant.

Whichever way you choose, make sure to give the plantlets adequate bright, but indirect sunlight. No full sun!

The spider plant is a great plant when you want to try propagating for the first time.

The baby spiders, hanging from the mother plant, are basically complete plants already. Simply miniature versions.

How to Propagate Spider Plant Babies in Water

When you propagate plants in water, you're letting the roots grow out in water first, before transferring the cutting to the soil.

• Carefully remove the spider plant babies from the mother plant. Cut them from the long stems. Simply follow the runner and make the cut right above where the baby attaches.
• Next, place the spider plant babies in a small glass vessel with a little bit of water. You want the water to only cover the roots of the baby plant.
• Make sure to keep the water clean by changing it regularly. Once the plantlets grow roots about 1 or 2 inch long, you can transfer them to a small pot with well-draining soil and resume regular care once the plant has settled in.

What to do with the long spider plant stems after you have removed the baby?

You can cut off the entire runner from the mother plant after removing the spider plant babies. But if you don't mind it being there, just leave it. New babies can still grow from it as long as the runner hasn't dried up.

Can you grow spider plants in only water?

You can keep the baby spider plants rooting in water for a while and the roots can grow quite long.

But once it has roots, it needs more nutrients than just water will provide.

Planting the plantlets in soil will take care of that. Otherwise you will need to add aquatic fertilizer, specially formulated for water plants.

How to Propagate Spider Plant Babies in Soil

The simplest way to propagate the spider plant is just to cut off the babies and plant them directly into the soil in their own pots.

This way it could take a little longer for the little plant to settle in, grow roots, and show new growth. But that is nothing to worry about.

Your plant is working on its root system first. Keep the soil slightly moist, but not too wet, until new leaves appear.

Root Spider Plant Babies while Still Attached to the Mother Plant

When you think of it, keeping the baby plantlets attached to the mother plant is most like how they grow in their natural habitat.

The mother pushes out the long stems and grows her babies all around her. The babies hang down and come in contact with the soil. So they root right there next to the mother.

To mimic this, don't cut them loose. Just put the baby spider in a small pot filled with moist soil next to the mother plant. Don't pot it too deeply. Only the starter roots need to touch the soil.

This way, the baby plant gets strength from its own soil, and, at the same time, is still being cared for through the stem by the mother.

Wait until the baby starts to show new growth, then cut it away from the parent.

TIP: Plant a few Spider Plant babies together in one pot for an instantly fuller look.

The spider plant is very low maintenance and makes a lovely hanging plant. It's a great option for new plant parents or those who don't want to spend too much time on their plants.

If you have any issues with your spider plant, they are usually simple to fix. Add to it the fact that it purifies the air like a champion, and is non-toxic to pets.

Want your own Spider Plants? You can get them delivered to you through Amazon or Etsy!

More Easy to Propagate Houseplants

Looking for more easy to propagate plants? While you're here, check out these other popular houseplant articles.

• Learn How to Easily Propagate Snake Plants in Water from Leaf Cuttings
• Propagate Succulents in Water or Soil, Which Method is Best?
• How to Prune and Propagate your Angelwing Begonia Plant
• Propagate your Pilea Peperomioides Plant – How to Grow Pilea Babies
• Fishbone cactus Care – Prune, Propagate and Repot an Epiphyllum anguliger

Growing Spider Baby Plant for 3 Years Produces No Baby's

Source: https://www.modandmint.com/propagate-spider-plant/

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