Growing spider plants in water are spectacular hydroponic and low-maintenance plants that can live long. Known as chlorophytum comosum scientifically, spider plants of the Asparagaceae family are famous for their unmatched feature of growing both in soil and water.
So, if you are a gardener, even a novice, who wants to grow these beautiful and bushy plants in water, you don’t need to worry. Our experts are here to give you complete guidelines.
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How Can You Grow Spider Plants in Water?
💥 You can grow a spider plant in water by first buying a nursery plant, and making some cuttings. Then, you must place it in a jar, and fill with non-chlorinated water, and locate it in a bright place. Moreover, do some water changes, and add proper fertilization.
– Buy a Nursery Plant
You will need to buy a spider plant from a nursery and manage a container or jar with water and some fertilizer, and sunlight will work as a natural assistant to help your plant grow.
You have to collect your plant as the first step of propagation from a plant market or a nursery which they will provide you in a pot.
– Make Some Cuttings
Now you have to accomplish some tasks to ensure the healthy growth of the plant in water and multiply it without the support of any inert matter like soil or gravel.
At first, you have to cut the plantlets or young, small baby spider plants, which the mother plant produces on runner or stolon due to asexual reproduction. Use sharp tools like knives or scissors to cut the plantlets or spiderettes.
– Place It in A Jar
Then place the extracted baby plants in a jar full of water but be careful so that the full plantlet doesn’t get submerged as only the root or bottom part is required to be immersed in water.
Be careful to keep the plantlets in the right position, as it’s also a vital requirement to grow the plant in water. Keep spiderettes vertical in a jar or container, and new roots will be shown in a week to two weeks, and as a result, a healthy spider plant can live until 20 years on average.
– Non-chlorinated Water
Proper maintenance is the key to making spider plants grow faster in water. It would be best to fill up the jar or container where you will raise the plant with pure, non-chlorinated water and put the spider plant babies into the jar, ensuring its leaves stay outside the water.
Ensure the jar is kept away from direct sunlight but always open to indirect sunlight as long as it grows developed roots, and change the pale water with clean water frequently. This is the process that helps spider plants grow faster in water.
– Place it in a Bright Location
Choosing the right growing location for the plants is mandatory for spider plant care in water. The spider plant should be kept in a sunny spot but must be kept away from direct, intense sunlight as direct rays burn its leaves.
It would help if you placed the container in such a place where it will receive bright sunlight in the morning and indirect light in the other parts of the day because the assortment of full, radiant sunlight and shade is best for plant propagation.
The origin of the spider plant is Southern Africa, but interestingly it doesn’t like full sunlight causing brown leaves, which leads to its death gradually. Whereas most plants of South African origin can easily survive full sunlight.
– Water Changes
Spider plant water requirements should be followed carefully by maintaining the accurate time of intermission between water-changing sessions of the jar where the spider plant is growing. You must change the water once every five to seven days, but if the jar’s water seems odd due to being worn or discolored, you should change the water before five days.
Always use room temperature water if you want your plant to grow healthy, and it is strictly prohibited not to use hot or cold water. Avoiding tap water is suggested as tap water holds fluoride and chlorine which causes brown leaves, one of the dangerous spider plant problems. Always try to use purified or mineral water as well as pond or rainwater in your jar.
– Proper Fertilization
Growing spider plants in water only require a little fertilization. You don’t need to fertilize the jar when the young plant is evolving roots. But when the roots are developed, the plant will need some fertilizer. Any water-dissolved fertilizer, such as fish food or liquid fertilizer, will work fine in helping the plant’s growth.
A standard measurement of mixing water and fertilizer is quarter of a spoon of fertilizer for a water gallon. You can also use fish aquarium water directly to avoid the hassle of mixing compost with water, as it is a wonderful natural compost. However, overfertilization is detrimental to the spider plants as it will cause burnt leaves. Whenever you see burnt leaves, you should stop fertilizing the plant.
Can Spider Plants Propagation Kill Them?
Yes, the plants’ propagation can kill them if the process fails, because they would not establish well, as they can develop some weaknesses, or even attract pests, because of the water content and the humidity level, and if the conditions are not given well.
If you opt to propagate spider plant, but it doesn’t establish they could die in water for many reasons, including improper water changing schedules, lack of sunlight, or exposure to direct and harsh sunlight. Environmental factors like humidity or water quality can cause death to the plants.
If there are much chlorine or other harmful substance in the water, your spider plant won’t survive. Besides, pests, diseases, and root rot can kill your water plant.
FAQ
1. What Plants Survive in Water?
A few plants which survive in just water are Peace lily, English ivy, Lucky bamboo, Wandering Jew, Pothos, Dumb cane plants, Flamingo flower, Chinese evergreen.
Conclusion
Spider plants are unique and gorgeous plants that are easy to grow in water and preferred by gardeners for being undemanding. After reading the article, you too are planning to cultivate the plant probably in your house but before that, let’s summarize the main points of the write-up.
- To propagate spider plants in water is entirely possible, just like reproducing in soil by following some steps properly, providing the necessary environment for the plants.
- As a plant that is sturdy and hydroponic, the spider plant thrives in nutrient-enriched water without the support of sand, soil, gravel, or vermiculite.
- You must put spider plant babies in a jar or container filled with non-chlorinated water and ensure their roots are submerged.
- Spider plants dislike direct, harsh sunlight but will require to be placed in a minimum bright area to grow.
- When the plant babies are developing roots, the plants don’t need fertilizer, but when the roots are set, the plant will need some fertilizer which can be any water-dissolved fertilizer.
You see, the plant’s growing process is not that hard, so there is no reason you don’t grow them in your house. Besides, as spider plants live a minimum of 20 years, you must try to cultivate them in water to beautify your home for a long time.
References
- Spider plant. BBC.
Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plants/plant_finder/plant_pages/4252.shtml - World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 26 September 2011, search for “Chlorophytum comosum”
- “StackPath”. www.gardeningknowhow.com. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
- Almanac, Old Farmer’s. “Spider Plants”. Old Farmer’s Almanac. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
- (MARCH 3, 2021). Are spider plants bad luck?. Sage-Answer.
Retrieved from https://sage-answer.com/are-spider-plants-bad-luck/ - Find a Plant. N.C. Cooperative Extension.
Retrieved from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants
