Spider plant advice needed

I have two Spider Plants, some call it an Airplane Plant... Over the winter, yes with a little neglect, the ends of leaves have turned brown. I have brought the plants back to what I believe is optimal surrounding conditions but I need to know, do I clip the brown tips off or should I leave them? They are unattractive and I'm hoping its ok to clip them off but I don't want to cause more harm.

Tracey

Your plant does not tolerate high levels of soluble salts in the soil, which tend to accumulate during the winter because most bagged soils will not allow us to water copiously enough to flush these salts from the soil without risking root rot. The plant is rather easy to keep attractive (w/o the burned leaf tips/margins if you use a very fast soil and water appropropriately.

Something I wrote for another forum:

I left the following on this forum recently. You may find something of value in it:

While necrotic leaf tips or margins can occur in this plant from over/under-watering, in fact, it's much more common for the actual cause to be a high level of soluble salts in soils. It's also commonly reported that this plant is particularly intolerant or fluoride, but it's still more common for the cause of leaf burn to be a high level of solubles, to which fluoride can be a contributor, than it is to be fluoride itself. WHEN there is a high level of salts in the soil, low humidity can be a contributor, but low humidity alone rarely presents an issue, it must be in combination with a high level of soluble salts in the soil or either over/under-watering.

Of course, you cannot correct the already burned tips (they won't 'heal'), but you can take steps to keep it from happening:

A) Most important is to use a soil that drains very freely. This allows you to water copiously, flushing the accumulating salts from the soil each time you water.

B) Fertilize frequently when the plant is growing well, but at low doses - perhaps 1/4 the recommended strength. This, in combination with the favorable watering habit described above, will keep soluble salts levels low, and keep levels from rising due to the accumulative effect we always see when we are forced to water in sips when plants are in water-retentive soils.

C) When watering, using rainwater, snow melt, water from your dehumidifiers, or distilled water also eliminates the soluble salts in your tap water and will go a long way toward eliminating or minimizing leaf burn.

D) If you make your own soils and use perlite, be sure the perlite is rinsed thoroughly, which removes most of the fluorides associated with it's use.

E) Allowing water to rest overnight doesn't do anything in the way of helping reduce the amount of fluoride (the compounds are not volatile), and it only helps with chlorine in certain cases, depending on what method of chlorination was used to treat your tap water.

Al

Hey Daisy, I cut the tips off my spiders all the time. I even use water that goes thru the water softner to water them and they are happy plants. I have found they do not like wet feet and are happier if not overwatered, but not allowed to completely dry out.
Tapla has given you excellant advice and believe me, I wish I could do as he suggests, but in my case, I do loose a few due to the salt. I had an anthurium growing on lava rock and it died due to the salt in the water. If you can take his advice, do it. Otherwise just keep on cutting off those brown tips. Have a great day. KJB

Thanks to both of you...
Tapla I am using a soil mixture that allows me to water copiously. The ingredients were given to me by another DG'er whom I think is pretty smart in that area. You might know him... ; ) The problem is I neglected them somewhat and now I am trying to correct the issue I have caused. I like your idea to use distilled water with these plants. I am going to give that a shot. Thank you.

KJB, I really appreciate your input as well. I'm gonna clip off the brown ends so I can get back on the right track and have them be beautiful again... I was a bad plant Mommy this winter.



This message was edited Apr 16, 2010 4:32 PM

Shame on you bad plant mommy, but it happens to all of us one time or another. Have a nice day. JB

lol JB.. You are correct, I should be ashamed of myself. Luckily they are looking much better now.

I knew you could do it. Have a great day.

Here's some of my Spider Babies..

I love the solid colors. I do not have any of those. I have all variegated. Do yours get the little white flowers also?

I hope they will. I just got them a couple of months ago. They were babies off a mother plant.

I will anxiously wait to hear.

I have a baby i a 2" clay pot. It hasn't grown any in about 3 weeks. I'm thinking I need to repot it into a bigger pot?

The rule of thumb is that if the roots are developing keep the pot size smaller until you see the roots need more space and then only put it into a one or two size larger pot to be sure the roots develope instead of getting scraggly. Gives you a healthier plant.

Can you explain why you think that rule of thumb is appropriate?

Al

How can I tell about the roots if in a clay pot? Maybe b/c it stops growing?

I grew mine in a 3 inch pot then when it just looked bigger went to a 4 inch pot once they were a decent size I put 3 or 4 spider babies in a 10 inch pot. They did nicely.

I think I may need to replant it. The other is growing, you can tell, but that other one is stuck and not growing anymore

Al, that is a good question. Maybe because it worked for me. I did not say it was the only way to do it. I am always open to better methods and happy to learn new things. If you have any suggestions, please come forth. I am listening. I am 81 years old and never too old to learn.

Tish, there you go.....it worked both ways for you. Great. Those baby spiders will survive almost anywhere I am convenienced. I think it depends on what you want to do with your plants. Me, I propagate to sell and seldom put more than one in a pot. I have to be sure the roots are developed before I can offer a plant for sale. Therefore, I use my old method. In fact, in dealing with tropicals, wich is mostly what I raise I always put them in one size or two size larger pots when transplanting. They just seem to do better. I think I learned that from Logee's a long time ago. I get most of my stock plants from them and I have had many conversations with them regarding how to make those babies grow into happy healthy plants.

Have a nice day everyone. Hugs. JB

eJenning, If you can see the roots in the drain hole of the pot, it is a good chance it could need to be repotted. I seldom use clay for my cuttings because they are too expensive and heavy to ship.

I agree. Everyone has their own way of doing things and what works for one, may not work for another. Everyone waters different and plants different. This is why I like the forums, everyone can give different perspectives.

I normally plant 3-4 in a 10 inch pot just because I am impatient of having a full basket. Lol. I can understand why you grow like you do and sometimes the old methods is just as good (or better) than new methods. :o)
have a nice day.

Here's a picture today of the spider baby in the clay pot. I will send a picture from over a month ago next.

This picture is from April 5th, not much growth at all huh?

tish, I did that with a Christmas Cactus one time and the darn thing is so big now it is too large to move around. No more of that. LOL I use it for a stock plant...works for me.

I have one spider that must have six plants in and I thought it was dying , it was very old. I sat the pot in the greenhouse to throw away and God forbid, it is now growing and looks great. You just never know about those spiders.

I am wondering, and this is a question that anyone may answer if they so wish.

If you cut off the little ones that sprout out of the young plants will the young plant get healthier? It would seem to me the strength would then go into the rest of the plant and not into the new sprout. Just wondering because I have several that need to be trimmed and I hesitated to do it without asking.

It certainly looks healthy but I wonder if you are giving it enough light or some sun. I gave my daughter one and she put it in her kitchen on the counter. It did not grow and did not seem happy so I told her to move it to a lighter spot. No it is taking off like crazy. She also waters it only once a week.

JBerger- It gets alot of sun. Afternoon sun in that window. I may be watering it too much. It stays wet almost all the time. I think I'll do like your daughter and start watering once a week and see how it likes that. Thanks for the advice.

The reason I asked if you could explain why you think the rule of thumb is appropriate is because it only applies to those using heavy, water-retentive soils. If you are using a soil that drains quickly and holds little or no perched water, you can pot your small plants in very large containers where roots have room to run, and not be concerned about root rot issues. The ONLY reason it is often repeated that you should only pot up 1 pot size or something similar, is because whoever is offering that advice is taking for granted that everyone grows in a heavy, water-retentive soil.

Once a plant's roots become congested to the point that the soil/root mass can be lifted from the pot intact, growth is negatively affected. As you transition beyond that point, plants have a tendency to stop extending. Older or interior growth is usually shed and you can often observe remaining growth concentrated at the ends of stems and branches. The rate of increase of bio-mass also slows. Once a plant is as root bound as described, it becomes a permanent issue that cannot be corrected by simply potting up. Potting up can temporarily allow the plant to put on what most see as a growth spurt, but in actuality it is no growth spurt at all; it is simply a temporary improvement in the plants ability to grow a little closer to its genetic potential.

We often intentionally stress plants to bend them to our will, but from a physiological perspective, growing plants tight is counterproductive. If you want to maximize growth, you'll need to use a well-aerated soil that allows you to pot any size plant in larger pots. With an appropriate soil you can take the smallest plants and pot them in huge containers (if you prefer) and not have to worry about over-potting. These plants, all else being equal, will grow much faster than their counterparts hampered by tight roots in heavy soils.

Container soils/media are not all created equal. If you're using a soil that allows your plants to grow at or very near their genetic potential, it's certain it will be well-aerated enough that the rule of thumb does not apply. This thought goes well beyond what "works for me" because it will work for anyone that cares to employ it; while if you are using materials/methods that require you to gradually move up in pot size, it's assured you're sacrificing (plant's) vitality, either on the altar of a convenient soil or a rule of thumb.

Al

BTW - to me, it looks like the plant is suffering from over-watering and/or a high level of soluble salts in the soil.

Al

I was just reading an article about them. It said they need well drained, rich potting soil. I think I may be keeping it too wet.
I have 3 milk jugs that I keep filled with water. I keep the tops off of them and don't use the water right away ( about a day or two later ) to let the whatever it is to evaporate. How do I get the soluble salts out of the water?

Al, thank you so much. I will print that reply and file it. I am happy to learn the reasons why I do things. I am not a professional. This is my hobby and I want to keep enjoying it. When it gets too complicated I will quit. You are correct about the soil. I only use the heavy water retentative soils.
Your other information about root bound is excellent information for many of us. Good things come out of these forums.
Thank you again . I only hope I can remember not to use the old saying "rule of the thumb" again. JB

Al, I do have a question that if you prefer not to answer it maybe you can direct me to another forum.
I have a small greenhouse where I grow mostly tropicals and tender perrenials. I love gardenias, camellias, etc. but lately I have been playing with begonias. I have noticed over the winter, we have had alot of snow, little sunlight and it has been difficult to keep the temp and humidity steady in the greenhouse.
I do know that lack of microelements, root weakness, overwatering, root-bound or tight pot, even excess light and sunburn are some of the reasons for yellowing of tropicals. I spray with an iron solution when this happens to them.
Having said that, I have noticed some of my begonia and peace lily babies were beginning to show a yellowing of the leaves as the winter came to a close. I would like to hear your thoughts regarding yellowing of these type houseplants if you have time. Thank you. JB

EJ - Virtually all water that comes out of the tap has dissolved solids in it. These are calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, ...... and others. Whenever water evaporates, the dissolved solids are left behind. This is what makes water spots on your crystal or those white crumbly-looking things on top of your plant's soil. When you water in little sips (because you're afraid of root rot), ALL the dissolved solids from tapwater and fertilizer solutions are left behind in the soil. Eventually, these salts do the same thing to your plants as curing salt does to ham or bacon. They can get soo concentrated that they actually PULL water from plant cells. This is technically called plasmolysis because it causes plasma membranes to be pulled from cell walls when it occurs; we commonly call it fertilizer burn.

Using a porous, well-aerated soil that you can water copiously allows these accumulating salts to go back into solution and be flushed from the soil via the drain hole when the water drains from the pot. Heavy, water-retentive soils than make it necessary to pot up in little jumps leave you on the horns of a dilemma --- Do I water copiously to flush out the salts and risk root rot - or do I water in small sips and allow the salt to build in the soil?

Unfortunately, your spider plant is one that tolerates high levels of solubles in the soil solution very poorly; so with this plant you need to use extra care.

JB - It's just me musing, but I think when people understand how plants work and the principles behind manipulating cultural conditions, the potential for an increase in the effort:reward ratio, if you will - the satisfaction they get from growing plants - the fun, increases dramatically. Plants grow best when their requirements are met, and the hobby is what it is - it doesn't grow more or less complicated based on our level of knowledge or because someone puts information in front of us to consider. In the end, I think it's easier to make a case for the observation that the more we know the less complicated we're able to make things; so hopefully, you'll be growing things and having fun for a good long while. ;o)

You might be interested in reading this: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg0214172424521.html

Take care.

Al

I hope Daisylovin will license us to get a little off topic here. ;o)

There are a large number of cultural issues that can cause yellowing. If you're using a soluble fertilizer, like MG or Peter's, it's almost certainly not an actual deficiency of Fe. If it does end up being a shortage of Fe, it's likely a pH induced deficiency or an antagonistic deficiency caused by an excess of another element in the soil solution. I'd need to ask a bunch of questions to try to narrow it down, but I should ask first if you're using a high-P fertilizer?

I don't mean this in a critical way, but the primary and most effective pathway into plants for nutrients from the soil is through roots. Usually, foliar applications of nutrients are limited to ionic forms of N, Fe, Cu, or sometimes Z and Mn, and are only applied during short periods when of rapid growth outpaces the plants ability to absorb nutrients already in the soil. This virtually never occurs in conventional container culture. If you actually NEED to supply nutrients to containerized plants via a foliar pathway, you probably need to examine the nutritional supplementation program you're currently using.

If you're not using a high-P fertilizer and want to try to chase it down, you can contact me off forum and I'll see what we can figure out.

Al

Daisylovn, please forgive me for getting off topic,It was not very considerate of me.
JB

Tapla- Thanks again. That was a sweet story.