Propagate Spider Plants [Top Grow and Care Hacks]

Spider Plants are the best air purifiers for a healthy indoor aura, and you can boost their air-purifying quirk by populating your house with more plants.

To propagate Spider Plants, use root division, layering method or offshoots. Root them in loose, water-retentive soil or dip them in water for 1-4 weeks. For seeds, sow them in well-draining soil maintained at 70-75°F to induce germination within 2-6 weeks.

Mature Spider Plants will have more babies than you realize. And, contrary to popular belief, there are more possibilities to propagate your Spider Plant!

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Why Propagate Spider Plants?

It’s easy to propagate Spider Plants and makes a cost-effective technique to multiply them.

Let’s see some reasons for propagating your Spider Plants.

Spider Plants are quick to become root bound. The best way to release them from root-bounding stress is to propagate them.
Besides, propagation ensures an easy escape from the energy-deriving flowering and fruiting phases.

Image represents a flowering Spider Plant — Flowers make a Spider Plant showy, but they are also energy-consuming to sustain and can drain the necessary energy from the plant.

Propagation allows you to grow a new plant from some healthy plant parts and save the plant from biting to dust during infestations.
Also, propagation helps Spider Plants to have a head-start in flowering and fruiting.

Best Time to Propagate Spider Plants

You can propagate spider plants almost any time of year.

However, spring or early summer is the best time to propagate Spider Plants when the plants are actively growing.

Spider Plants love warm temperatures ranging between 60°F and 90°F, so ensure the environment favors the plants before propagating them.

Image represents aerial roots in Spider Plant offset — To plant the offsets, wait for them to grow healthy aerial roots first and then transplant them into the soil.

However, if you’re propagating Spider Plants in water, transplant them into a suitable potting mix after they grow healthy roots.

Similarly, tiny baby Spider Plants (spiderettes) grow new feeder roots in spring but wait until they establish their own tiny aerial roots.

You can also sow seeds straight in the garden from early spring to summer.

But planting the seeds indoors a few weeks before the last frost and transplanting the seedlings in the spring or early summer is also the best option.

How to Propagate Spider Plants?

Let’s see some methods for multiplying Spider Plants to grow your own Spider Plant family!

1. Propagation Via Seed

Spider Plant produces bright green tri-lobed seed pods with 3-4 black seeds that mature, turn brown and split up.

The right time to harvest the seeds is any time in summer when they show up.

Note down the steps to completing the propagating process through seeds!

Stored seeds need soaking in room-temperature water for 12-24 hours, while fresh seeds can be planted immediately.
Take a seed-starter tray and prepare a suitable potting mix.
Fill the potting mix in the tray, and plant the seeds about quarter inches deep.

Image represents seeds of Spider Plants — Black Spider Plant seeds are present inside the dried fruits and reveal themselves in

Cover the tray using a plastic dome or wrap to secure humidity.
Keep the soil hydrated but not too soggy, keep soil temperature around 70-75°F and situate the setup in bright indirect sunlight.
Seeds shall start germinating within 2-6 weeks.
Allow the plant to grow 8-9 leaves and become 3-4 inches tall before moving it to a 4 inches terracotta pot.

Propagation of variegated Spider Plants from seed does not yield the variegated plants.

2. Propagation Via Offset

To start, you must separate the spiderettes from their mother plant in spring by cutting with sterilized scissors or pinching.

However, wait for the baby offsets to grow aerial roots first. Afterward, you can root them in water and transplant them into the soil.

Doing so will help you to inspect for any kind of root diseases and prevent it forehand.

Select healthy offsets and cut a few millimeters above where the baby plants attach the runner stem.
Position the offsets in a transparent glass with the cut end plunged in the hormonal water.
Change the water every 3-5 days when it turns murky.
Place the set up in bright indirect sunlight for 8-10 hours daily.
The offsets may take 1-4 weeks to sprout new roots.
When the roots grow about 1-2 inches long, move them to 4 inches planters with well-draining soil and resume regular care.

3. Propagation Via Root Divison

Because Spider Plants grow so quickly, you can divide the root division to keep your plant from outgrowing its container.

You can also divide the plant in spring during repotting when the roots poke from the pot drain holes or cram on the topsoil.

Unpot Spider Plants and examine the roots.
Cut the roots with a sterilized knife from the middle for thick, tightly packed roots.
You can get segments based on the number of planters you have and the size of the mother plant.

Image represents root bounding condition in Spider Plant — Repotting can offer a chance to divide the Spider Plants and grow each transplant in fresh soil and a larger pot.

Alternatively, twist the roots to untangle them and remove the soil chunks.
Also, cut damaged roots (black and mushy) and keep healthy ones intact.
Most mother plants appear to divide well into 2-4 smaller portions.
Replant each section in its own planter with well-draining soil and water thoroughly.

4. Propagation Via Layering

Layering Spider Plants involves repotting the plantlets, or offsets, in a different pot while still being connected to the parent plant.

Fill a 4 inches wide terracotta pot with a suitable soil mix.
Position the pot alongside the mother plant.
Now, drape the spiderette’s stem and place it in the soil on the new pot.
Poke a hole and take roots in the soil if the offset has grown with well-developed roots.

Image illustrates some steps to layer Spider Plants — For proper layering, use sterilized, well-draining potting soil and separate them from the mother plant after they grow new roots.

Pin the offsets down with floral pins.
Take a spray bottle and moisten the soil.
Give the offsets gentle tugs once a week to check for root growth.
You can cut off the spiderettes within 1-4 weeks after they grow new roots.

While propagating, use only a single pot to root and grow new plants and prevent overcrowding!

Follow the video to get an idea about the dos and don’ts of Spider Plant propagation.

Tips to Care For Newly Potted Spider Plants

Spider Plants need additional care after propagation to recuperate from the effect of transplant shocks and have healthy foliar and flowering cycles.

Provide 8-10 hours of bright indirect light with proper indoor placement.
Water once or twice a week in spring and summer, but cut back watering in fall and winter.
Provide loose, puffy and seeping acidic soil with pH levels between 6.1 and 6.5.
Sustain a temperature between 60°F and 90°F.
Provide ambient humidity of around 40-80%.
When the plant grows bushy and gets a disease or pest infection, prune it annually in early spring.
Also, repot the plant once every 1-2 years in spring to prevent the upshots of root bounding.
Use neem oil to deter pests and diseases after the infestation is noticeable for 7-14 days daily in the morning or evening.

FAQs About Spider Plant Propagation

Can You Propagate Spider Plants Without Roots?

It’s impossible to propagate Spider Plants without roots.

If the spiderettes lack roots or only tiny nubs, you must wait until they’re more mature.

Do Spider Plants Need to be Root-Bound to Produce Babies?

Keeping Spider Plants in a root-bound condition allows them to grow more shoots and spiderettes.

But, this process taxes them too much energy.

Should You Cut the Spiderettes from Spider Plant?

Offshoots or spiderettes suck up the energy from the mother plant, consume too much fertilizer, and take up more water.

But, to keep Spider Plant in a manageable size and rejuvenate its growth rate, remove the babies!

From Editorial Team

Plant the Spiderettes in Soil for Strong Roots!
Spiderettes can root faster in the water but don’t produce robust roots, and the plant may experience shock after transplanting in the soil.