A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 spider plant

My spider plant fell a couple of months ago. ever since then it has been a fight to keep it alive. the bottom of the leaves keep turning brown. it starts out with just a couple then keeps spreading. I have transplanted it once into brand new miracle grow soil. When i transplanted it there were spots of what looked like mold but it was fuzzy. fruit flies have been on the plant. since I have transplanted the plant i wait until the soil is dry before i water it. I think it is to late to save this plant. please help me

Is it in the right size pot? Since it has been traumatized, I think I would keep it in the smallest pot possible for awhile. They like to be a bit rootbound. How often are you watering? If you are letting the soil completely dry out, that can stress some plants out. Use the stick your finger in the pot method. Stick your finger in the dirt up to your second knuckle. If you don't feel any moisture, it is time to water. Thats what I do anyway.

Is the air really dry in the room it's in? Brown leaf tips usually mean low humidity.

Brown leaf tips can be caused by over or under watering; too little light; and excess mineral salts from fertilizer and hard water. Once a leaf begins to turn brown all that can be done is trim it or, if the damage has spread to more than the tip, remove the leaf.

Spider plants do best kept in bright light, tightly potted in a porous soil mix (avoid perlite). Allow the surface of the soil to dry between thorough waterings. Spider plants are sensitive to excess mineral salts; if your tap water is hard, it might be helpful to use filtered or distilled water.

I think that if its that much work to keep it alive i'd start a nnew one from a plantlet. I'd do that as a "just in case" and still try to save the parent

The first plant I ever purchased was a spider plant and I still have it 32 years later! I can tell you one thing ... it's never too late to try and save a plant. I am assuming that the mold like spots your are describing were on the plant itself? My plant has dropped 15 ft or more, more than once, I have taken it from the pot it was in and sliced the roots in half, I think these plants are indestructable. It sounds to me as though your plant is too wet and circulation around the plant is poor. The fruit flies your describing are probably fungus flies and will die as the plant dries out. Spider plants can go weeks without water. Their roots are tubular and retain water. I'd let the plant dry out for several weeks and water it sparingly afterwards. Hope this helps good luck. Andi

It's too late for the big one. I think it might have been the tap water also. I think there are alot of minerals in it. I had that plant for 2 years. I'm still not completely sure what killed it. I got another from my mom. She has a plant with alot of baby spiders.

before you toss it out try cutting it back to the ground in the pot, leave it dry completly out and then water it sparingly. It will probably grow back.