Spider plant babies

I just purchased a beautiful variegated spider plant from the grocery store that has a ton of babies on it. A couple of the branches with babies need trimmed and I was wondering how long the roots on the babies need to be before I can plant them. Most of the roots are 1/4" or less. It also has a bunch of seed pods. Are these worth saving? All the spider plants I've know have been started with plantlets or division.

Audra

Those roots are long enough. Balance them in a glass of water, or stick them into damp soil. They are one of the easiest plants to root.

Thanks. What about the seeds? Do they grow well?

Sorry, I have no idea about the seeds, hopefully someone will come along that does.

Not a problem, they aren't that important, which is probably why we don't know. I think my mom was constantly begging people to take the babies. :)

I have a spider plant I use for stock plants and I have never seen a seed on it. Can you take a picture of a seed? I have always started mine from sticking them in water for a week or 10 days, keeping the water clean, and then planting them into 3 inch pots. That is one of my best sellers. They are easy to grow and hard to kill for most people.

Another easy one is Wondering Jew....that grows like a week and is a beautiful color this time of year. It starts out green and now is bright red. Start that the same way the Spider.

I'll try to get a picture of the seeds this afternoon. I've been thinking about a wandering jew. They are really pretty. I have a plant shelf in my living room that needs some plants. Eventually I want to set up a drip system for it, but for now I'm stuck climbing up a ladder, so easy, and hardy, is definitely better!

Audra

You can see some of my plants on my website www.JBsbirdsandmore.com. Click on JBs Plants. You can see the jew there. It is just green at that age and just yesterday I cut and planted about 14 new ones. The new leaves will come out greenish and have a tiny bit of burgandy in them.

Here are the pictures of the spider plant seeds. I had a bunch more when I bought this, but many have fallen off.

Here is a close up of the pods and seeds with a penny for sizing

Wow, I learn something new everyday. I have never seen a spider plant seed until now. My spider does not look exactly like that either. I will take a picture of my stock plant and show you later. Thanks for sharing the seed pics. Very interesting.

Here is my stock plant for the Spider or as some call it the Airplane Plant. This has just been trimmed of all the babies for replanting. It is about 25 inches wide and just keeps producing.
I keep it trimmed or it would take over the bird room.

That's a beautiful plant. How long does it take for it to re-grow babies?

Not very long. In a few months it will have babies again. I have some of its babies that I planted last fall that are already having their own babies. Small 3 in pots babies have their own. LOL Must be a good stock plant.

Just discovered this thread. I've grown spider plants for probably 50+ years, and have never seen a seed pod. Amazing.
Audra has the outer white and JB has the inner white. LOL. I have about 4 - 5 different varieties, which I grow in the ground here. You should be able to grow them in the ground in Queen Creek Audra if you have some part shade. Actually a friend of mine in east Phoenix has a big planter across the front of his house, full of the solid green spider plant. It is facing due West which gets full afternoon sun all year if you can imagine. They love it there.
They don't seem to get the brown tips either growing them in the ground.
Still looking for ones with yellow bands, and a true "Bonnie."

This message was edited Feb 21, 2009 9:11 PM

It's nice to know they can handle the summer sun here.

I've never seen seeds either. My mom loved spider plants and had several for my entire childhood and they never got seeds. I think I might plant them just to see what happens :)

Hi Harold, how many different types of spider do you have? I would love to get some different types. People think they are like weeds here, but I find them absolutely beautiful. I do not grow mine in the ground. Just too cold in the winter. Do you have any links I can check out for other varieties?
Can you explain why they do get the brown tips in pots and not in the ground?

Brown tips on plants usually indicate dryness from low humidity in the air. It can also be from not watering when needed.

My spider also has brown tips. I pretty much water when the soil feels like it's drying out. I've heard that a humidifier is recommended during the winter for plants that like higher humidity. Do you think it would help?

I heard that the dry tips are from the chemicals in the water. I started using the conditioner you use for fish water and it cleans all the chemicals out of the water and my plants dont get brown tips anymore.

As for the seed pots only the reverse spider plants get them as you have. I have one and mine gets them. You can grow them from seeds but they take a really really really long time to sprout.

So, is this a true bonnie then? The tag that was sent said dwarf bonnie spider plant. it has some sprigs of wandering jew in it.

I have a solid green spider, the only one I have right now. Last time I checked, Home Depot had a few different types of spiders, from the Exotic Angel plant company.

JBerger, we are sort of neighbors, I also have birds. I love your felted animals, the birds are beautiful!

well i found this site that sells alot of different spiders...http://www.glasshouseworks.com/trop-c.html

you will have to scroll down to the CHLOROPHYTUM ones.

Great thread! I learned something new about the pods and the browning of the leaves!...Time to water my spiders!

I just brought them in a couple weeks ago and now they are houseplants!

They are lovely Blossom, hope you have places to hang those babies. The way they grow you will need alot of room. They look happy. Good job. Hugs. JB

Hi JB! They are on a plant stand...under lights... hoping I will get them through winter with some new starts and oh yes, I have places to hang them. Those were on my porch. There are 3 varieties,
1) is a white and green varigated
2) is a green and varigated
3) plain green

I have heard there are curlies...have not seen them!

I am trying the water method of starting the babies while they are in the house....so far.., one baby is rooting! There will be more and probably some to offer out.

So how are yours? Which ones do you have?

I just have the white and green varigated and reverse white and green varigated and that is all so far. No room just now for more but I would love the green.

I always start mine in water. They do well that way and seldom do I loose any. Just stick them in keep the water clean and let them go. Mine get morning sun when I root them.
I use my kitchen window for rooting cuttings. I have it full just now. LOL

Have a good day. JB

Very nice collection BlossomBuddy. Spider plants sure are a popular plant to grow aren't they? There are quite a few different ones listed in Plant Files: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=chlorophytum&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

I have the ole' generic one growing in some beds in the backyard. It seems like if I hang baskets in the trees, little bits always end up falling onto the ground and taking root. I've had it happen with the Chlorophytum (spider plants), as well as Tradescantia (wandering jew) and a few others plants. This is under a large Schefflera tree in my backyard where a couple fell and have taken root and spread. Something has been eating them all summer.

Another one that has taken root under a Camphor tree with the Tradescantia that got away too!

Do show us your wandering jew!

I hope I will be able to get the spider curlies later. They will not survive the winter here.. so ergo, in the house!

I usally will dip in root hormone and pluck in a pot and no problem, off they grow! I will hit the point of too many though eventually and will have some to trade or give away later.

They seem to like my western porch. I watered them about evey 10 days out there and they did great!

That last photo I posted above shows the Tradescantia zebrina (wandering jew). It's the purple variegated plant along the ground with the spider plant.

Here's the listing in Plant Files for that one: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/596/ It gets darker in color if in a shadier spot.

That is what I thought but was not sure! Man thats a must have for a basket grower here! Does it get the pink flowers?

Love your "fungi!"

Blossom, I was selling Wondering Jew for months and all of a sudden all the babies and the stock plants became infested with mealy bug. I tried everything to rid them of it because people like the plants and they were good sellers, but I could not and I ended up throwing them all out so they would not infest the rest of the greenhouse. I was heartbroken because they grow like weeds and they sell good. There is a difference with growing them outside I would guess. My luck Mealy Bugs would find them if the frost and snow didn't kill them.
I would love to have a garden like plantlady has but in NJ that is just a dream. LOL Hugs. JB

Thanks JB.

I will have to keep a look out for them. We have a nursery here that has tremendous houseplants.

I thought the "jews" would be a great combo with the spiders in baskets! The purple and stripes! YE-aaah! Tuck a little allysum in there, a pink petunia and margarie daisy and that would make for a nice summer outdoor combo!

The Jew is an old fashion plant that has been around for many many years and the burgandy color it becomes as it matures is beautiful. If not kept trimmed it gets straggly in hanging baskets, but a snip here and there eliminates any of that. I think your idea sounds great. Their new growth is green. They also root in water very quickly. Have a good day.

JB, if you like combos, c'mon over!....just started this thread! Its whats floral planted in a pot or container of some discription!

Be sure to show yours!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1048933/#new

KMiragliotta,

What a fabulous idea, using the conditioner for fish tanks.