How to Water Spider Plant
Chlorophytum comosum
Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.
Quick Answer
Water your Spider plant every 7–10 days in spring and summer when the top inch of soil feels dry. Stretch to every 12–16 days in cooler months.
Spider plants are sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in tap water, which shows up as brown leaf tips. Switch to filtered or rainwater for a few weeks if yours keeps tipping.
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How Often and How Much to Water
Adjust the sliders below for your pot size, light, and setting. The numbers assume a rich moisture-retaining mix and a pot with drainage.
Setting
Every
9days
Use
1cup
Your Watering Rhythm Across the Year
Soil dries faster in the growing season, which varies by region. Slow down watering in the off-season to avoid overwatering.
Pacific
Mountain
Midwest
Northeast
Southeast
JFMAMJJASOND
Growing season
Growing season
9days
Resting season
3–4weeks
How to Water Your Spider Plant
Soak deeply, drain fully. Spider plants store water in their fat tuberous roots, which both buffers them through dry stretches and rots quickly in soggy soil.
1
Pour room-temperature water at the soil line. Avoid splashing the tightly packed leaf bases since water that sits there can rot the crown.
2
Keep pouring slowly until water runs from the drainage holes. That confirms the rootball is fully soaked.
3
Empty the saucer after 10 minutes so the fat roots near the bottom aren’t sitting in water.
4
Lift the pot a week later. As it feels light, you’re close to the next watering.
Should You Water Your Spider Plant Today?
Always check before you pour. The fat roots make Spider plants forgiving of dry soil but very intolerant of soggy.
Hold off
Leaves feel firm and look bright
Outer leaves arching outward
Top inch of soil still feels damp
Soil sits tight against the pot wall
Pot feels heavy when lifted
Ready for water
Top inch of soil dry to the touch
Outer leaves looking pale or curling along the length
Tip browning advancing down the leaves
Visible gap between soil and pot wall
Pot feels noticeably light
If Something Looks Off
Brown tips on a Spider plant are usually water quality, not over or underwater. Use the soil and the leaf base together to tell underwater and overwater apart.
Underwatered
Soil
Bone-dry and pulled away from the pot wall
Leaves
Curled lengthwise and pale at the base
Pace
Slow decline that bounces back within a day of a deep soak
Next steps
Set the pot in a basin of room-temperature water for 20 minutes so the rootball rehydrates from below
Drain fully and return to its usual bright indirect spot
Expect leaves to firm up within 24 hours
Wait for new growth before fertilizing
Overwatered
Soil
Stays dark and damp for over a week with a sour smell
Stem
Crown soft mushy or blackening where leaves meet roots
Leaves
Whole leaves yellow from the base outward and pull free easily
Pace
Sudden collapse that worsens even after you stop watering
Next steps
Stop watering and move to a bright airy spot
If you see fungus gnats hovering around the soil, the mix has stayed too wet
Slide the plant out of the pot and trim any dark mushy roots back to firm white tissue
Repot in fresh moisture-retaining mix in a clean pot with drainage holes
Wait until the top inch of soil is dry before the next watering
Got More Questions?
Why are the tips of my Spider plant always brown?
Brown tips on a Spider plant are almost always fluoride and chlorine buildup from tap water. Spider plants are more sensitive to these than most houseplants.
Switch to filtered, rainwater, or distilled water for a month and watch the next round of leaves. Improvement takes 4 to 6 weeks since existing tips won’t reverse.
Can I use tap water on a Spider plant?
It depends on your tap. Lightly treated tap water is fine. Heavily chlorinated, fluoridated, or hard water causes chronic tip burn over months.
If you keep getting brown tips, switch to filtered or rainwater. You can also leave a watering can out overnight before using it to let some chlorine evaporate.
Why are the babies on my Spider plant wilting?
Plantlets dangling on long runners take their water from the parent until they’re rooted. If the parent is dry, the babies wilt first.
Keep the parent’s soil on its normal cadence. Once a baby has 3 to 4 inches of root, you can pot it up directly or pin it down on a small pot of soil while still attached to root in place.
How long can I leave a Spider plant while I’m on vacation?
About 2 weeks easily. Spider plants store water in their fat underground roots and tolerate dry stretches well.
Deep-water the morning you leave and move slightly out of bright light to slow evaporation.
Are self-watering pots a good idea for Spider plants?
Mixed bag. Spider plants like consistent moisture but the fat roots rot fast in saturated soil.
If you use one, let the reservoir run empty for several days between fills and use a chunky moisture-retaining mix to give the roots oxygen.
Why does my Spider plant suddenly have firm bumps in the soil?
Those are the plant’s thick water-storing roots, sometimes called fat underground roots. They’re a normal feature, not a problem, and they’re part of why Spider plants tolerate missed waterings.
If they’re pushing the plant out of the pot, that’s a sign it’s ready for repotting in a slightly larger container with fresh mix.
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About This Article
Kiersten Rankel M.S.
Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist
Editorial Process
Watering guidance verified against Chlorophytum comosum growth data from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with USDA hardiness zone data and published horticultural research.
72,420+ Greg users growing this plant
USDA hardiness zones 9a–11b