Hi!
I have one spider plant left that is dying. The leaves turn a flimsy
brown from the tips, that then moves back till it is dead.
I have a water meter, and check it once a week to see if it needs
watering. The others have died this way too.
Please help!
Thank you for any advice you can give!
Spider plants, Chlorophytum comosum, need bright natural light but will sunburn if grown in direct sunlight. They also do very well when grown under grow lights, but will be reluctant to produce the plantlets unless you decrease their light hours to simulate the naturally shorter days of fall, when they normally produce their 'babies'. Keep the soil evenly moist, but never soggy. They also prefer to be in a cooler (55-65 degrees F.) room but will tolerate warmer temperatures. Feed the plant every 3 or 4 months with any house plant fertilizer.
Spider plants are generally easy to grow, and mature plants are quite beautiful until the tips brown out. Tip burn is usually caused chemicals in the water. If you are using city water for your plants it has been chlorinated, and very likely has been treated with fluoride, either of which will cause the burn. Using rainwater or distilled water will take care of this problem. Over fertilizing will also damage the plant, so when you feed it, use 1/2 of the recommended strength.
Propagating Spider Plants
Spider plants are very easy to propagate. The ideal method is to allow the plantlet to root while it is still attached to the mother plant. Set a pot filled with sterile potting soil within reach of one of the plantlets and just stand the offset onto the surface of the soil. If necessary you can pin it in place with a bent paper clip. When the young plant has rooted in 7-10 days just sever its ties with the mother. If it is impossible to use this method, look at the base of the plantlets and choose one with a very fleshy set of roots rather than choosing one with good foliage. Sever it from the parent and follow the same procedure. This method will take about a month. The foliage can then be trimmed with a pair of clean sharp scissors if needed.
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