The spider plant is very easy to care for, making it perfect for gardening novices as well as gardening gurus.
Spider plants enjoy a bright position indoors, with indirect or dappled light, although they will also tolerate a low light level. Conversely, they do not respond well to being placed in direct sunlight.
Self-confessed houseplant enthusiast Claire, who runs YouTube channel The Jungle Haven, shared some of her top tips for making spider plants thrive. She advised that a growing cabinet could work wonders.
Showing her viewers her houseplant, Claire said: “This is my little variegated spider plant that I propagated from my mum’s big one a few months ago and it’s doing really, really well. I’ve transferred it to soil now but originally propagated it in water.
‘For the last few weeks, I’ve had it in my new grow cabinet – and it has literally gone absolutely crazy’
YouTube / The Jungle Haven
“For the last few weeks, I’ve had it in my new grow cabinet – and oh my God, it has literally gone absolutely crazy. I’m pretty sure it’s doubled in size in the time that I’ve had it in there.
“If anybody is thinking about setting up a grow cabinet, I highly, highly recommend it.
“It’s basically an environment that firstly, looks very pretty for displaying your plants, but also allows you to control the temperature, the humidity, the light and all that sort of stuff.
“A lot of my plants are doing well in there but this one has just responded amazingly.”
SuperCloset, which sells grow cabinets, said: “Indoor grow cabinets, also known as grow boxes or grow tents, are rapidly gaining popularity among both experienced and novice gardeners.
“These versatile systems offer a convenient and controlled environment for growing a wide variety of plants year-round.”
With grow cabinets, the possibilities are endless as gardening enthusiasts can “cultivate plants regardless of the season or weather conditions”.
The ability to control its environment, including light, temperature, humidity and air circulation, allows the gardener to “optimise the growing conditions for specific plants and achieve maximum yields”. Consequently, you can see improved quality and yield.
Grow cabinets have the added benefit of reducing pests and diseases. This not only ensures “healthy and productive” plants, as well as saving time and money on pest control measures.
Claire provided a second tip for thriving spider plants, telling fellow houseplant enthusiasts: “You really need to watch out for overwatering.”
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She explained that overwatering can cause problems such as browning leaves, yellowing leaves, leaves dropping and ultimately, “a plant’s death”.
The houseplant fan said: “They kind of like an evenly moist soil but I personally always let the top layer kind of completely dry out before I water them again.”
She also stressed the importance of good drainage when watering spider plants. Claire’s spider plants are in nursery pots (complete with drainage holes).
She explained that she places her plant in a basin, then “drenches it” from the top, leaving it in the basin to soak through for a few minutes.
In other houseplant news, an orchid enthusiast shared a hack that encourages clusters of “beautiful and gorgeous flowers”.
