I don't know about you, but I just love spider plants! Maybe because they remind me of my childhood and my mother's plant collection, or maybe because it is just so fun to watch them produce their babies! And I'm not talking about just a few babies, but in the right conditions the plant can look like a chandelier or fountain of sorts on account of stalks laden with new little plants!
So, in case you are not familiar with spider plants, lets learn a little bit about spider plants and how they propagate! Find a spider plant, they are a common house plant, so maybe you know someone that has one? Spider plants propagate by growing “babies” on long stalks that grow from the mother plant. The spider plant babies do not need soil while still attached to the mother, and are actually already tiny plants just waiting to be planted in soil, or placed in water to root.
Separate the spider plant babies from their mother by gently cutting a stalk, and examine each baby to find the brown nodule from which the leaves are growing, (see photo above) and from which the roots will grow.Place your plants in soil or water. Keep the soil evenly moist, and soon your spider plant babies will form roots. Once the plants start to grow, they will likely need to be replanted in a larger container. And before you know it, your baby spider plants will become mothers themselves and you can start this wonderful cycle all over again!
Spider plants can be used as hanging plants or placed on plant stands, and they enjoy being outside in the shade. When they have been under-watered they start to look pale green, but will recover once watered. I keep my spider plants outdoors year round and bring inside only if the temperatures will reach freezing.
Note: This post is for those living outside of Israel, as we are not buying plants or propagating anything until the end of this Jewish year, which is the shemittah year.
