Spider plants are typically propagated through stem cuttings. You should cut the plantlet (also called a spiderette) below the roots or the area beneath the leafy base where the roots form, says Melinda Myers, gardening expert and host of the Great Courses How to Grow Anything DVD series.
Separate Your Plants
Another sign it's ready for cutting is it shows new growth. Cut the spiderette away from the mother plant by clipping away the stolon as close to the soil base as possible.
Using a sharp knife (or pruners) cut just below where a leaf attaches to the stem (the node). Roots grow easiest from this location. If you leave a section of stem below the node, it often rots. Remove the lower leaves but leave the top two or three.
Should You Cut the Brown Tips Off Spider Plants? You can cut the brown tips off your spider plant to get back the aesthetically pleasing appearance of your green companion. The damaged fronds may not affect your plant's overall health but pruning them will make your spider plant look so much better.
Snip off your spiderette (with sterilized, clean scissors) and plant its tiny roots in a well-draining potting soil in a pot with drainage holes. Optionally, you can root the spiderette in a small glass or jar of water for a few weeks for it to develop longer roots before transplanting into the soil.
While it's totally OK to leave your spider plant's babies attached to the vine, you may need to give the main plant more water and fertiliser so it's able to support itself as a result.
Growing Plantlets from Spider Plants
Look closely at the spiderettes dangling from your adult plant and you'll see little knob-like protrusions and tiny roots on the bottom of each spiderette.
Brown Leaves
If you notice the leaves turning brown, your spider has likely been overwatered with tap water.
Your Spider Plant will do well in normal household humidity but will thrive with a bit more humidity. Brown leaf tips may indicate the air is too dry, so mist your Spider Plant regularly using a Mister.
Too much, too little or inconsistent watering are major contributors to houseplant decline and can cause brown tips on houseplants. Overwatering, the most likely cause, decreases the amount of oxygen available for root growth and creates an environment susceptible to root diseases and rot.
Put a plastic bag tent over the top, held in place with an elastic band around the pot. Use some sticks to create a frame that the bag can sit over so that the plastic doesn't rest against the cuttings. Put in a light, warm position such as a well-lit windowsill, but not in direct sunlight. Keep moist but not sodden.
Willow is good for rooting cuttings because it contains high concentrations of Indolebutyric acid (IBA), and also salicylic acid, from which aspirin is derived and which protects against fungi and other pathogens. To make willow water, simply gather around 2 cups of fresh willow growth chopped up into short lengths.
Trim the cutting in the following way: Make the bottom cut just below a node (a node is where the leaf and/or the bud joins the stem) (Figure 1). Remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the leaves, starting from the bottom of the cutting. Cut large leaves in half (Figure 2).
How often should I water my spider plant? A light drink every week or so is all your spider plant needs, watering less frequently in autumn and winter. You're just looking to dampen the compost. A good way to check if it needs watering is to dip your finger into the soil, up to the second knuckle.
Move the mother to a secure enclosure if her enclosure is not already secure. If she already laid the sac in a non-secure enclosure, you can place the enclosure itself in a butterfly net. The option that many keepers use is a deli cup. To prepare it, make a small hole in the side, then cover with duct tape.
Spider plant generally has few pest problems other than scale insects and mealybugs. Tip burn of the leaves is a common problem that can have many causes. Low humidity, excessively dry soil, salt accumulation and/or chemicals, particularly fluoride or chlorine, in tap water may cause brown leaf tips.
Where to grow a spider plant. Grow these easy plants in a bright spot out of direct sun as this can scorch their leaves. They can cope with a bit of cold, but don't leave them anywhere where the temperature will drop below 8 degrees in the winter. The best room for a spider plant will depend on the light.
If you notice the green striping on your Spider plant is fading, it's likely because it's very thirsty! Fading leaves may also be droopy and limp.
The humidity is too low.
If the air around a spider plant gets too dry, its leaf tips can dry out and turn brown. Spider plants are tropical plants that need 50% to 60% humidity. You may naturally have this much humidity in your home during the summer, but in winter, indoor humidity levels tend to drop.
Propagating a spider plant in soil is the easiest and quickest method. Plus, it usually produces stronger roots as they weren't sitting in water prior to being transplanted. Some plantlets may have small roots starting to develop, meaning they are more mature and will develop root systems sooner, says Langelo.
Spiderette is a miniature version of the popular Spider, using only one deck and a smaller layout. It is harder to win than Spider, but uses less table space and goes more quickly.
Spiderettes, or baby plants, can sap energy from the mother plant. Detach these offshoots close to the base to focus the plant's resources on the main body. Plus, you can propagate these spiderettes to grow new plants.