Spider plants or Spider ivy with Botanical Name Chlorophytum comosum is nontoxic and very easy to grow. It basically produces new plants at the tips of arching stems, which take root when they touch the soil. Also it grows from a fleshy root known as a tuber. Each plant is capable of producing multiple tubers, resulting in rapid spread over large areas if these are not lifted, separated and only a few replanted. 

The original species has strappy or grass-like leaves that are plain and mid green; more popular are the named varieties that have white central striping or white margins on each blade.  

It's flowers are small, white-green and in clusters on arching stems that grow 75cm or longer. The tip of each stem produces a small bunch of leaves. When these plantlets come into contact with the soil they form roots and new plants form. These are the 'spiderettes' or 'chickens' of the mother plant.

Thus established plant in the garden may have dozens of arching stems that are anchored to the soil by young plants. These in turn will grow to flower and produce even more spider plants, so it's easy to see how invasive it can become.

Here at Garden Pie, you will learn more how to plant and grow Spider Plants as well as how to prevent diseases and pest from it.

Facts about Spider Plants:

• Spider Plants Botanical Name: Chlorophytum comosum.
• The Plant Type: Houseplant.
• Recommended Sun Exposure: Part Sun and Shade.
• It's Soil pH: Neutral and well-drained soils.
• When it flourishes: Spring, Summer and Fall.
• The Flower Color: White.
• Recommended Climate: Tropical to cool temperate.
• Position: Bright indirect light.
• Flowering: Small greenish-white flowers on stalks; flower stems develop plantlets at their tips.
• Feeding: Controlled-release fertiliser as directed on container.
• Watering: Prefer moist but never wet soils; can tolerate dry conditions.
• Foliage: Ribbon-like or strappy, mid-green or variegated.
• Height:  About 60cm high and 60cm spread in a pot; 60cm high and spreading in the ground.

Ways of Planting  and growing spider plants

spider ivy can be grown from dry seeds placed in a sterile potting medium, and water them gently with a mister to avoid oversaturating the soil. Once it grows, you can then repot the young plant as needed.

Here, we are going to consider the below methods of planting spider plants:

• Planting spider plants Using Flower pots
• Planting spider plants in the garden

1. Planting spider plants Using Flower pots

You can use a flower pot which can hold the root mass of the spider plant.

2. Planting spider plants in the garden

You can also plant spider plants on the garden floor where its spread can be confined by barriers such as walls or solid edging. In this case, you have to be very careful about how it spreads on the ground in order to prevent it from taking over the rest of the garden.

If you try removing the plantlets around its confines, this can affect the productivity of the plants.

How to care for spider plants ?

Spider plants should be planted in a moist soil or potting mix with a good drain system. So do not flood it otherwise it will die off. It can tolerate periods of dryness though. So it generally survives in many situations. 

Using a good fertilizer at the beginning on spring will make your spider plant to prosper. 

When is it best time to prune spider plants ?

It is recommended that you remove some of the arching stems and plantlets to reduce both plant size and its ability to spread during autumn season. So you can trim any brown tips that appear. With this, you should use a pair of sharp, sterilized scissors.

What pest affects spider plants ?

You could have come across a brownish coloration on the leaf tips of potted plants. This is usually as a result of a build-up of fluoride or chlorine in the soil from tap water. 

To fix this, simply flush the pots through with rainwater or filtered water from the kitchen tap.

Also pests like Mealybugs, Scale and Spider Mites can affect the productivity of the plant. 

Mealybugs

• Mealybugs stands out like a sore thumb white fluffy residue on the stems, so they will be likely to catch them before they cause much damage. They can make foliage look like it has little pieces of cotton stuck to it.
• Mealybugs will latch onto and feed on your houseplant, stealing valuable nutrients. This will weaken the plant in turn, and can eventually kill it if the problem goes on too long.
• Making matters worse, mealybugs secrete honeydew, which can give a foothold to fungi, causing further risk to your plant's health.
• You can control these cottony-looking pests by wiping them away with a paper towel moistened with rubbing alcohol. Be sure to inspect the base of the leaves as well as the leaves themselves.
• If rubbing alcohol isn't enough to wipe out an infestation, your next mode of recourse is an application of neem oil, an organic treatment that can wipe out both pests and fungi.

Scale

• On the other hand, Scale is an insect masquerading as a little brown bump. Related to mealybugs, they have hard brown shells. 
• Just like mealybugs, scale insects will suck nutrients out of foliage, weakening your plant. Yellow leaves are one of the telltale signs of their presence.
• These pests can be treated in the same way as mealybugs, with rubbing alcohol or neem oil.

Spider Mites

• Spider Mites takes a yellow spots on the foliage.
• They suck nutrients from the leaves, and can leave your plant sick and malnourished.
• Similarly, to treat an infestation of these pests, first wipe them off of the foliage with a damp paper towel, then treat with rubbing alcohol or neem oil.

What diseases and affects spider plants ?

Spider plants  are not very prone to disease, but it does sometimes exhibit signs of illness.

A few diseases that you should look out for includes:

Root Rot

Root rot is often caused by overwatering, insufficient drainage, poorly draining soil, a pot that's too large. It makes the foliage on your specimen to turn yellow or wilt, and its soil looks a little wet.

When your houseplant's roots sit in soggy soil, they can't get the oxygen they need. This causes them to fail to transport water to the foliage, and they will eventually die off. This means that they suffer from dehydration.

If your plastic grower pot lacks holes, or seems to have otherwise insufficient drainage, drill more holes into the bottom of the pot. This should be done without removing the plant from the pot.

You can switch out the potting soil to remove any fungi or bacteria that have been given a foothold. If you're reusing the same pot, go ahead and clean it, then sterilize it with some hydrogen peroxide while you're at it.

Inspect the roots of your plant, and trim any that are rotten with a pair of sterilized garden pruners or scissors.

Southern Blight

Southern blight is a disease caused by a fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii, which can affect many garden species, such as apples and tomatoes.

Symptoms of Southern blight include wilting or collapse of the foliage.

The best way to tackle this disease is to remove all infected plant material, and switch out the soil.

Rather than placing infected materials in your compost bin, dispose of them in the trash to avoid inadvertently spreading this disease throughout your garden.