How to Multiply Your Spider Plants

The Spider Plant, or Chlorophytum comosum, is possibly the most popular house plant. They are good at purifying the air in your home and they are very easy to maintain. The purpose of this instructable is to teach you how to make more spider plants from your starter plant.

Step 1: Finding the Baby Spiders

If you have had a spider plant you will already know that periodically the plant will send down stems with little plants, or spiders on them. If you look closely you can see that there are roots starting to develop on some of these baby spiders. Carefully hold the baby spider plant and separate it from the stem being sure not to break the roots off of it.

Comments

[Gato Nipon]

I love these plants. I had one in high school and today i got lots of them in my balcony. Great tips.

[mannioncat]

Something is eating the tips of my spider plant. I have it hanging outside cause its summer... should I not leave it outside because of whatever is eating the leaves?

[bangbangmaxwell]

I have a question.  This is my first time on this site.  Can you grow spider plants in only water?  What other plants can be grown in water?  Are there any places you know that will send you free plants or seeds?  Okay, that's three questions.  Thanks for your help!


Bangbangmaxwell 

[kjrafn]

any idea why my spider plant never had any babies as a houseplant but when I put it outiside this summer (in Philadelphia) it had gazillians?

[jarfon0300]

if it is a young plant, they generally take up to two years to mature. but i once had one and it was 7 month old and produced five or six stems. it was planted in the ground but i fetched it in and then it reproduced itself. i live in the UK. when they are outdoors they go through, what they call ripening process, that is when they get all the light they need and get the fresh air. thats the main reason why mine did it at a few months of age. hope this informatoin helps you.

[Art Nut]

Open up a paper clip, straighten out one end and use it to pin the baby spider back into the mother plant's pot.  It's a way to fill up sparse pots or start new plants.
Another term for the spider plant is Mala Madre or Bad Mother because she throws her babies out of the nest!

[jarfon0300]

other names include Ribbon plant and Plane plant.
the latin is 'Chlorophytum Comosum' and the other species is 'Chlorophytum Elatum'.

[jarfon0300]

hi folk

i live in the UK and have two spiderplants with tons of babies and i would like to know if anyone knows any variatoins of the standard spiderplant. the two i have are green with the white stripe down the middle, i thought they were 'Vittatum', as that is the popular variety in the UK. but these two are very small, about 5 inches tall, and the leaves curl over. i think its a 'Bonnie', but the leaves dont spiral, they just curl over. if anyone has a name, please let me know as i really need to know what these spiderplants are. thanks.

[ft47]

what do you do with the long stem which hang down on the plant

[jarfon0300]

right, what you do is either take them off and root them in water once the plantlets have, what i call root buds, but i would not advise this because the roots that form are water roots and they may not take once potted into compost. another way is to place a pot close to the parent plant and peg down the plantlets and they should root in a couple of weeks. this is the best and most reliable way of propagating chlorophytum (spiderplant). the last way is to take them off, then put them into a plantpot. this method takes about two to three weeks. overall, you have three ways. i have two spiderplants in my greenhouse and it was one plant but i split it into two. they are the most vigorous ones i have ever had and i have a lot of babies. some are rooted and others are just forming. i have estimated about 50 babies from one with 3 stolons and 6 from the other. keep them slightly potbound to get more stolons. after the babies are off the mother, cut the stolons off as low down on the plant as possible. one of mine has got a seed pod and i would like to know if anyone has any tips on growing them from seed. mine are the type with green leaves and a white stripe down the middle. i know the seedlings will be all-green but i have no idea what to do from collecting seeds and then trying to germinate them. all tips are welcome. thank you.

[lea_avon]

The long stems often put out tiny, delicate white flowers, but only when they're 'in the mood'. I've never noticed any rhythm or reason for them to suddenly flower, so you may have to be patient!

[PeoplesCar]

Great instructable. I have tons of houseplants, but no spider plants yet, and plan on getting one this week (I'll probably put it in a coconut fluff hanging basket over the peace lily in the living room). I look forward to getting some plantlets off it to put in pots on the front porch / more hanging baskets in the kitchen.

[AmyLuthien]

For the record, baby spider plants are called "pups' ;)

[l8nite]

Here in florida, spider plants aren't just for indoors, although the recent stretch of cold weather may have some adverse effects = (  Spider plants tend to spread quickly and make great ground cover.. nicely done "ible"

[Scolova]

Same here in south east Texas, and yep my spider plant almost died this past unusually cold winter. Thankfully it was large and I had it in a large pot and the center survived. It's a great multiplying plant.

(thanks for the instructable)

[Kostas K]

God, a cd! Why didn't I think of that? Thanks, I have 3 baby spiders in cups with water and the lower leaves suffer, being immersed in water. This will definatelly help.

[Mehehehful]

Aww. I remember my science teacher would grow a spider plant and at the end of the year almost all the students took one home...... I love plants :D

[cherriz]

I love the idea of holding it up with a CD! Thank you for that.