GrowSabzHow to grow spider plant in pots
Also called Airplane Plant, St. Bernard's Lily, Spider Ivy, Ribbon Plant · Chlorophytum comosum
اسپائیڈر پلانٹ
- ☀️ Sunlight
- 4–6hours daily
- 💧 Water
- 0.3 Levery 5 days, 5 L pot
- 🌡️ Ideal temp
- 18–24°C
- 🪴 Min pot
- 5 L15 cm deep
- 🧺 Harvest
- 180–365days from sowing
Spider Plant keeps producing once it starts. First picking comes around day 180, and the plant then crops for roughly 365 more days — but only if you keep picking. Crop left on the plant is a signal to stop making more.
Short answer
Grow spider plant in a 5 litre container at least 15 cm deep, watering about 500 ml per 10 litres of soil every 5 days, and keep temperatures between 18 and 24 °C. First harvest comes 180–365 days after sowing.
Where to plant it
What size pot does spider plant need?
5 litres and 15 cm deep is the realistic minimum for a single plant. Pick a container below to see what changes.
| Container | Minimum size | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot | 5 L | 15 cm | Ensure good drainage |
| Grow bag | 5 L | 15 cm | Good aeration |
| Open ground | — | 20 cm | Only in frost-free climates; prefers shaded areas |
| Raised bed | 10 L | 20 cm | Ensure good drainage |
Watering
How often should you water spider plant?
Every 5 days through the growing season, at about 500 ml per 10 litres of soil — every 3 days in hot weather, every 7 days when it turns cool. Water at morning. Bottom watering or top watering until water drains works best.
Too little water
- drooping leaves
- pale leaves
- brown leaf tips
Too much water
- yellowing leaves
- mushy stem
- root rot
Avoid: standing water; soggy soil; tap water with high fluoride/chlorine (can cause brown tips).
Climate
Can you grow spider plant where you live?
No hardiness zone needed — compare your actual temperatures against the plant's own limits.
| Ideal range | 18 – 24 °C |
|---|---|
| Survives | 7 – 30 °C |
| Germinates above | 18 °C — best at 22 °C, about 10 days |
| Flowers drop | above 28 °C, or below 10 °C |
| Sunlight | 4–8 hrs/day, best 6 |
| Frost | Highly sensitive — will not survive it |
The flower-drop thresholds matter more than the survival ones. A plant can be perfectly alive at 30 °C and still give you nothing.
How cold is too cold for spider plant? Check your temperaturesEnter your night low and day high — see if it survives, and if it will cropTimeline
Spider Plant growing stages, day by day
Click any stage to see what's happening. Durations shift with temperature — a warm season runs roughly a quarter faster than a cool one.
Feeding
Fertiliser schedule for spider plant
Feed on the interval below, changing what you give as the plant shifts from making leaves to making fruit.
| Stage | What to use | Per 10 L | Every |
|---|
How to prepare each feed
Common mistakes
Why spider plant fails, and how to avoid it
- A container that is too small
Below 5 litres the root run is too shallow. The plant grows, flowers late, and drops whatever it sets because it cannot support the crop.
- Watering too lightly
A daily splash wets the top few centimetres and nothing else. Spider Plant wants about 500 ml per 10 litres of soil — one deep soak beats three shallow ones.
- Ignoring the flower-drop threshold
Above 28 °C, or below 10 °C, flowers fall before setting. The plant can look perfectly healthy and still give you nothing — shade it through the hottest hours.
- Planting it beside Cactus Succulents
Have vastly different watering needs; spider plants prefer consistent moisture, while cacti and succulents require very dry conditions between waterings, making co-habitation difficult.
- Leaving it out through a cold snap
Spider Plant is highly frost-sensitive. One night below 7 °C can end the plant outright — bring containers in or cover them.
Companions
What to plant with spider plant
Good neighbours
Shares similar light and watering needs, making them easy to care for together in an indoor environment. Both are excellent air purifiers.
Thrives in similar indirect light conditions and appreciates consistent moisture, complementing the spider plant's needs. Also known for air purification.
Both are low-maintenance and tolerant of various indoor conditions, making them good partners for a beginner-friendly plant collection. Excellent air purifiers.
Requires similar bright, indirect light and can tolerate slightly drier conditions between waterings, making them compatible. Both contribute to indoor air quality.
Keep apart from
Have vastly different watering needs; spider plants prefer consistent moisture, while cacti and succulents require very dry conditions between waterings, making co-habitation difficult.
Require very specific high humidity, specialized potting media (bark, sphagnum moss), and precise watering schedules that are incompatible with the general needs of a spider plant.
Need extremely high humidity, consistently wet, nutrient-poor soil, and often distilled water, which are very different from the moderate conditions preferred by spider plants.
Problems
Spider Plant pests and diseases
Each lists the weather that brings it on, so you know when to start checking rather than reacting once it's established.
Brown Tips humidity <50% · temp any
Very common issue. Caused by fluoride/chlorine in tap water, low humidity, over-fertilization, or inconsistent watering. Use filtered/rainwater and maintain humidity.
Spider Mites humidity <50% · temp >25
Tiny pests that cause stippling (small dots) on leaves, yellowing, and fine webbing, especially on the undersides. Thrives in dry, warm indoor conditions.
Mealybugs humidity any · temp any
Small, white, cottony pests that cluster in leaf axils and undersides, sucking sap and weakening the plant. Can lead to stunted growth and sticky residue.
Aphids humidity any · temp 15-25
Small, soft-bodied insects (green, black, or brown) that cluster on new growth, sucking sap and causing distorted leaves and sticky honeydew. Less common indoors.
Root Rot humidity any · temp any
Caused by overwatering and poor drainage. Leaves turn yellow, become mushy, and the plant wilts despite moist soil. Roots will be dark and soft.
Leaf Spot Fungal humidity >70% · temp 18-28
Small, dark, often circular spots on leaves, sometimes with a yellow halo. Caused by high humidity, poor air circulation, or water sitting on leaves. Remove affected leaves.
Drooping Leaves humidity any · temp any
Can indicate either underwatering (soil is dry, leaves limp) or overwatering (soil is soggy, leaves yellow and limp). Also, sudden temperature changes or drafts.
Harvest
When to harvest spider plant
First picking falls between day 180 and day 365, and the plant then keeps producing for about 365 days. Pick often — what you leave on the plant signals it to stop making more.
How to tell it's ready
- Plantlets are 2-4 inches long with small roots forming at their base.
- Plantlets are robust and easily detachable from the mother plant.
How much to expect
Storing it: For propagation, not consumption. Root in water or soil immediately.
Questions
Spider Plant: common questions
How long does spider plant take to grow?
About 180 days from sowing to the first harvest, with picking usually starting between day 180 and day 365. It then keeps producing for roughly 365 more days. Warm weather pulls that forward; cool weather pushes it back.
What size pot does spider plant need?
At least 5 litres and 15 cm deep for one plant. A raised bed wants 10 litres of soil and 20 cm of depth.
How often should I water spider plant?
About 500 ml per 10 litres of soil, every 5 days in normal weather — every 3 days when it is hot and every 7 days when cool. Water in the morning.
What temperature does spider plant need?
It does best between 18 °C and 24 °C and survives from 7 °C to 30 °C. Seed needs soil above 18 °C to germinate, ideally around 22 °C.
Can I grow spider plant in winter?
Not outdoors anywhere that frosts — it is highly frost-sensitive and will not survive it. In a frost-free winter it grows slowly; anywhere colder, treat it as a warm-season crop.
How do I know when spider plant is ready to harvest?
Plantlets are 2-4 inches long with small roots forming at their base.; Plantlets are robust and easily detachable from the mother plant.. Once picked: for propagation, not consumption. root in water or soil immediately.