This will be the fourth spider plant I've killed. I used to have a small indoor garden, I don't believe I am completely plant stupid. But I'll be really upset, as between moving, putting my plants on a bad ledge (no air movement), the cats digging & admittedly, my own neglect at times...my collection consists literally of these 2 plants now.

It was pretty. It had babies. I watered it when it was dry. It drains freely. It is in a south facing window (I live in Vegas). I think I possibly overwatered once, and placing it in my handmade woven hanging basket really angered the leaves. The stalk with babies fell out. I tried to do the minimal, but now the leaves are mushy & limp, all shades from green to yellow to brown. The plant bottoms at the soil look healthy. I dunno.

Tell me there is hope? I'm assuming I overwatered? Maybe because it's next to a Pothos & I gave it too much attention?

Siiiiigh. Help appreciated.

I keep pulling off the brown leaves. Should I cut them all off? Should I repot? It's a good draining pot.

Hello Venividibxtchy, if it were mine, I would unpot and check the root zone to see its condition. Spider plant roots are able drinkers that hoard moisture very well:


If the plant is quite small now, you may consider putting it first in a slightly smaller container. It likes to go root bound, but still with good air circulation at root zone level. So add pumice in your media in case you do tend to overwater. With Spider plants intervals in watering is important.

Good luck!

I have several Spider plants. Most of the bigger ones live in
Hanging baskets. Inside or out.
I do not know their names--except the curly one. That is called "Bonnie".
It is quite pretty--as the fronds all curl this way or that under the basket.

I have an all-green one. I don't like it at all.
It is showing exactly the same signs as you have described.
Many of the leaves are pale/whitish green and blanched at the tips.
To me--this means they are too root-bound and need fresh soil in a new pot.
Most of the other BIG HB of Spiders do the same thing--as they transition
from outside to inside. I pull off all the pale, yellowing leaves. That's it.
IF the Spider plant shows true stress--I will un-pot it and give it a good root-trimming and tr-pot it in fresh soil MIX. They WILL recover.
Just have patience! Leave them alone (re watering) and let them be.

Rooted babies are the easiest to grow.
Take them off Mama plant and put them in a glass of water to plump up the roots growing from the removed "baby'. These will grow back the soonest.
DO NOT fuss over a Spider Plant!!! The more you ignore it--the better it will do. This is true of many houseplants newly acquired.
DO NOT fertilize!
Do not water it too often!
DO NOT have the urge to re-pot it!!!! NO!!! Just LET IT BE!

Believe it or not--most houseplants will take good-enough care of themselves if you just Let them be!
Listen to Tarev! He has some sane advice... Listen to me too.....

I have all my Spider plants in 8" round baskets, all are young plants, unrooted pups in late May 16. They are starting to put out flowering stalks. I have had some problem with leaves that wilt and die off and I'm convinced it is from under watering. They do not like being dry for even a day or two. It may be that these young plants do not have full root development yet, not really sure and I'm not going to dump one out to see.

I'm watering these every 2 or 3 days, south window indoors, 66-72*F and 50%+/- humidity. I'm going by the weight of the gasket to determine if they need h2o.

This kind of goes against what I have read about these plants. Mine are not happy when dry, they like to be moist all the time.

Steve--
I think your observation is correct re your unrooted Spider plants needing lots of watering. You said they are unrooted--so there are no roots developed yet to help the plant thrive on it's own.
It does take a while for unrooted spider plants to grow out roots so they can make it on their own.
I have always started with well-rooted babies (in water) and then potted them up in soil. And--off they go!
Try to get a start of the Curly Spider plant from someone. it is a beauty.
Gita

I usually wait for pups to develop roots, before I remove them from mommy plant. No roots, no means to get moisture for it, except through the leaves, so it is easy to put the plant in a too soaked media, which it does not need to be in.

They are not succulents that have moisture stored in its leaves. But you can root them first in water as Gita suggested.

Those temps and humidity levels you have are quite good for it Steve, my Spiders love those temps and condition..but got to have good formed roots, so it will thrive better. After Spring my growing environment here goes so dry, and they thrive here, just making sure they are in part sun/part shade so they don't get too toasted by our direct sun, and gets at least one day of thorough watering every week, or twice a week if it is heading to heat wave levels. Younger plants, of course would need a bit more babying, but always better with roots formed.

I started all in 3.5" pots and when I moved to the 8" I had great root devolvement filling the small pots. I'm watering some of these spiders every other day, they take more water than any other plant in the house. The Asparagus ferns run second.

Hi, @madcratebuilder, I am assuming you have had roots a while as you said they have flowers stalks now. Spiders are so fun when they send up pups freely.
Mine seem to want water more often than I expect them to as well. I will be giving them a bigger pot in early spring. I have a Bonnie, no pups just yet, but when they come I will root them up and gladly share.

Laurie B.