How to Start Roots on Spider Plant Cuttings

A happy spider plant will show its health by blooming tiny little blossoms and producing baby spider plants. Once your spider plant begins to produce these spiderettes at the end of long stems, you have an ideal opportunity to propagate new spider plants. Start roots quickly and easily on these baby spider plants by placing the new spiderettes on top of the soil in smaller containers. After the spiderettes root, you can then cut them free from the parent plant and start brand new spider plants.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Parent spider plant with spiderettes
• Small container (4-inch diameter)
• Potting soil
• Scissors

1. Gather one small container for each spiderette you plan to root. Fill each to the top with potting soil, and dampen the potting soil slightly.

2. Place the small container(s) close enough to the parent plant so that you can pull the spiderette over from the host and place it on top of the soil in the container (while still attached to the parent plant). This process will enable the spiderette to root while still receiving nutrients from the parent spider plant.

3. Nestle the spiderette down into the soil so that the bottom of the spiderette is down in the dirt with the leaves of the spiderette extend up from the soil.

4. Keep the soil of the spiderette evenly moist to enable the spiderette to develop roots.

5. Use the scissors to cut the stem between the parent plant and the spiderette when the spiderette is growing in the new container. You will see that roots are growing down into the soil when you carefully prod with your finger around the base of the spiderette.

Tips & Warnings

• Spiderettes generally take between two and three weeks to root sufficiently in a new container.

References

• Rooting Spiderettes