The soil requirement must be fulfilled accordingly to acquire excellent air purifying benefits of the Spider plant.
When messed up, the Spider plant stays gloomy and shows various signs of improper soil. Thus, continue reading so you know the best soil and signs to look out for.
Table of Contents Show
Importance of Using Correct Soil for Spider Plant
Spider plant has comparatively higher water needs and is often prone to get overwatered.
Thus, the correct soil allows the Spider plant to receive optimal water without worrying about soggy soil.
Well-draining, loose soil with medium retention is the best option in such a situation.
Problems like wilting, yellowing leaves, and stunted growth are frequent under poor soil mix.
Contrarily good soil allows roots to develop and spread, increasing the water and nutrient intake.
The right soil mix ensures your plant gets the proper basic requirements such as moisture, organic components, aeration capability, etc.
What Kind of Soil is Best for Spider Plants?
Spider plant proliferates in a light substrate that does not get soggy with a weekly or more frequent watering routine.
Therefore, contemplate these factors before buying or preparing a potting mix for your Spider plant.
1. Drainage-capacity
Like most houseplants, Spider plant prefers well-draining substrate that retains moderate moisture without getting soggy.
Too quick or too slow draining is, either way, harmful to the Spider plant.
You can use perlite, coco peat, and compost to adjust the drainage and retention capacity of the soil.
2. Nutrient-Rich Soil
Spider plants are voracious feeders. They seek heavy nutrient-rich soil to thrive.
Other than commercial fertilizers, aim for organic matters like humus, compost, and worm castings that won’t cause fertilizer burn.
Also, inorganic materials like vermiculite supply nutrients, making soil porous and boosting aeration.
Lack of nutrients in the soil can cause wilting and falling leaves and eventually can kill the plant.
3. Soil pH Value
Spider plants prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH ranging from 6 to 6.5 but can tolerate up to 7.0.
Excess fluoride in soil for an extended period can develop brown tips in Spider plants.
Thus, add sphagnum peat, coffee leftover, or iron sulfate to make the soil acidic if the pH value exceeds 7.5.
Similarly, if the pH value of the soil is less than 6.0, you can use limestone to compensate.
4. Proper Aeration
Compact soil does not facilitate oxygen flow and discourages healthy bacteria growth.
Moreover, tightly packed, dense soil is a perfect recipe for diseases like fungal growth, root rot, etc.
You can add pine or orchid barks, pumice and charcoals to boost soil aeration and lower soil compaction.
Best Spider Plant Soil
The best Spider plant soil must have excellent well-draining capabilities and retain moisture without being soggy.
Therefore, here is some commercial potting mix from verified retailers that are suitable for the Spider plant.
Preparing the Potting Mix
Once you have gathered all the necessary material, preparing soil mix for your Spider plant is an easy job.
Now, ensure you have peat moss, coco coir, perlite, worm casting and sterilized compost.
Here are some soil mix recipes that you can try for your Spider plant.
Recipe No. 1
- Three parts organic potting soil mix
- 1 part perlite
- A handful of compost or worm casting
- 1 part coconut coir or orchid barks
Recipe No. 2
- Two parts succulent soil mix
- 1 part coconut coir or peat moss
- 1 part compost
- A handful of worm castings on top
If you need in-depth detailed steps to prepare soil mix, watch the following video.
Signs of Using the Wrong Spider Plant Soil Mix
Using the wrong soil mix can be detrimental, resulting in unhealthy growth and possibly death of the plant.
Some of the signs that Spider plant exhibit when they are standing on improper soil are as follows.
- Wilting and curling of the leaves
- Falling off of leaves
- Spots on the foliage of the leaves
- Root rot starts to occur
- Discoloring of the leaves (yellow, black, brown)
- Leaf tip burns
If you see any of these signs in your Spider plants, then it means that you need to take action as soon as possible.
Action usually refers to repotting your Spider plant in a new potting mix. Repotting should be done in either of the soil mix mentioned above.
How to Know When Spider Plant Needs Repotting?
Besides the Spider plant in the wrong soil mix, there are other signs that plants exhibit when they need repotting.
Here are some telltale signs your Spider plant may need repotting.
- Roots poking out the pot via drain holes
- Unusual yellowing or sudden dropping of leaves
- Water takes forever to soak up and runs on top of the soil
How to Repot your Spider Plant?
Removing a Spider plant is pretty straightforward and does not require any extensive knowledge or tools.
- Uproot the plant and inspect any signs of root rots.
- Untangle and shake the dirt off the roots and snip damaged roots.
- Rinse the roots properly and plant your Spider plant in a new 2 inches bigger pot.
- Ensure the pot has drain holes; if it does not, drill one.
- Thoroughly water the plant after repotting and proceed with Spider plant care.
FAQs About Best Soil for Spider Plant
Can I use cactus soil for the Spider plant?
You can use cactus soil mix for your Spider plant if they feature proper drainage.
Do Spider plants like deep pots?
Spider plants prefer to spread their roots, so give them a deep pot slightly bigger than their rootball.
Final Thoughts
Start ideal Spider plant care by choosing the best potting soil first, followed by ideal weekly watering.
Remember, with consecutive watering, the soil gradually becomes compact, so aim to loosen it using a blunt knife.
All The Best!
2 comments
You mentioned about Miracle-Grow indoor potting mix. At one time, this product may have been good, newer formulations are pure junk. I repotted mine…the mixture holds water badly…even with proper drainage. I am researching using a succulent mixture… I’m going to try Hoffman 10410 Organic Cactus and Soil Mix. I will update you on how I did.
I am so sorry to hear that your Miracle Potting Mix for indoor plants did not work out. Good luck with your new potting mix; I hope it works out. I am waiting to hear an update from you soon.