Chlorophytum comosum, popularly known as spider ivy, ribbon plant, Bernard’s lily, or airplane plant. The most frequent name for it is “spider plant.”
A spider plant native to Africa is a common houseplant due to its low maintenance requirements.
Hardy and adaptable, this herbaceous perennial has long, thin arching leaves and tiny white star-shaped flowers.
The pot will look constricted, and the plant won’t develop as well if you don’t repot it often once you start growing these indoor plants.
What Does It Mean To Repot A Plant?
Spider plants can be re-potted simply by transplanting them to larger pots. It is common for spider plants to outgrow their pots, which necessitates repotting.
The coastal regions of South Africa are home to spider plants. Tuberous roots help the plant survive in the wild.
When you forget to water your spider houseplant for a few weeks, its water-storing tuberous roots help it to live.
Before the roots break open, repotting a spider plant should be considered.
Should I Repot My Spider Plant?
Spider plants can quickly outgrow their pots, prone to root rot. A spider plant should be re-potted every two years.
Spider plants can be planted in the garden during the summer as annuals. Provided they are kept out of direct sunshine, and they look great along the sides of containers or beds.
Here is an article I wrote on keeping spider plants in the bedroom
What Are The Benefits Of Repotting?
For various reasons, houseplants require periodic replanting, which results in a more vigorous plant.
Repotting helps you provide the plant with more room and a nutrient-rich potting mix, improving its growing conditions.
You may ensure that your plants’ roots have room to grow by repotting them every few months.
Repotting enhances the soil quality and allows you to divide the plant.
- Expanded Growing Space
One of the most common reasons is to provide the plant with more room to grow when repotting.
In the end, houseplants will overflow their containers, resulting in crowded and compacted roots.
Stunted growth and even death can occur if the roots are not given adequate room to expand.
If the plant has outgrown its container, Danny Lipford recommends that you look for root growth through drainage holes or above soil level, water that runs right through the container, unhealthy-looking leaves, and congested roots.
If the plants get too top-heavy, they need to be replanted in a larger container.
When a plant is moved to a larger container, its roots can extend out and allow it to expand. Before replanting, gently loosen the roots.
- Potting Mix or Soil
When you repot a plant, you can switch out the nutrient-deficient soil for a richer, healthier, potting soil.
A potted plant’s soil is often infested with pests, diseases, and mold. Eliminate old dirt to avoid further harm or a reoccurrence of the condition.
When the container is completely emptied and washed, more of the pollutant that caused plant harm is removed.
Refreshing the soil can be accomplished by removing the top layer of soil and replacing it with fresh potting mix for too large plants to be repotted.
Soil should be replenished yearly by two to three inches.
- Repotting and Potting Plant
If you have a considerable number of plants, you may be able to divide them into smaller ones.
You can divide the root system of a large houseplant by moving it out of its current container.
As the plant grows, it receives a new container. The plants have more room to thrive, and your container garden doubles in size.
Using repotting divisions, you can relocate a portion of the plants to an outside planting area if they are climate-appropriate.
- Enhance or Modify the Appearance
If you’re concerned about the health of your houseplants, repotting may also be an opportunity to enhance their visual appeal.
Your old pots or weathered containers will no longer be an eyesore when you repot your plants from the nursery and move them into a new container.
Hanging baskets and flower pots can be swapped out for ground-based containers. In some circumstances, repotting is necessary to remove a plant from a pot that has become damaged.
Also check out this article I wrote on should spider plants be hanging
Do Spider Plants Need Big Pots?
However, spider plants don’t want to be root-bound and don’t require much space.
It’s best to choose a container that’s a few inches larger in diameter than the original when you repot your spider plant.
You’ll have to repot your plant sooner rather than later if you use a too tiny pot. The soil will stay wet for much too long in a too-large container.
It isn’t necessary to use a specific container type. Ceramic, terra cotta, and plastic planters are suitable for growing spider plants.
To avoid overflowing, make sure your container has drainage holes.
Things To Be Aware Of While Repotting Spider Plant
- Pot
If the spider plant is currently housed in a pot, go for a larger pot 1 to 2 inches larger.
Check to see if the pot has enough drainage holes on the bottom.
Spider plants are known for shattering delicate pots with tuberous roots, making clay pots a wrong choice because they wick water from the soil.
Pots made of heavy plastic are more pliable and better able to retain moisture.
- Medium for Plants to Grow
It is possible to grow spider plants in a broad variety of well-draining media, including general-purpose potting soil, provided fluoride-containing fertilizer is avoided.
The best aeration and water retention can be found in media containing at least half peat, pine bark, perlite, and foam beads.
Do Spider Plants Like Self Watering Pots?
Some spider plants can thrive in self-watering pots.
Spring and summer are the best times to water them. When the dirt on the top of your plant feels dry, it’s time to give it a light watering.
A self-watering pot or a watering globe might also work nicely.
Watering should be restricted to just when the soil is dried in the fall and winter when this plant ceases to grow actively.
Do Spider Plants Like Shallow Pots?
Spider plants do not like shallow pots. It is best to get a slightly bigger pot than the plant’s root.
This gives them room to spread. The pot’s bottom will have several drainage holes, ensuring that it drains properly.
Plastic, fabric, metal, and wood are good choices for spider plant pots. For the spider plant to thrive, it must be able to take over the soil with its roots.
The plant is desperate for room to grow before being caged. A pot should be no more than a few inches wider in diameter than the plant it is intended to hold.
Conclusion
Spider plants thrive in slightly constricted containers. However, plants, including their roots, develop rapidly.
You should consider repotting spider plants before their containers crack.
Different types of horticultural care result in varying plant growth rates.
Simply maintain vigilance over your spider plant. When roots are visible above the earth, it is appropriate to transfer spider plants to larger containers.
