Help!
#SpiderPlant. I bought my spiderplant about 3 years ago. Named Robert Plant, and hasn't sprouted spiderettes yet? Can someone help?
20ft to light, indirect
8” pot with drainage
Last watered 6 hours ago
6
Best Answer
I wouldn’t worry too much about pot size. Those look reasonable. Mine tend to grow more runners in locations with more light. It’s hard to tell from a photo how much light those lamps are really giving (but they look nice 🙂). Mine also seem to respond better to a balanced fertilizer rather than a nitrogen heavy fertilizer (such as 12-4-8).
@2thasst2023 how big are your pots compared to the root balls? When I read they are more likely to make pups when they are snug in their pots I realized I sized up to soon. I sized down my pot and got babies within a month! 😄
@2thasst2023 Personally I’d keep them separate. You could pull one out of its pot to examine the roots; lots to learn that way. I don’t think I’ve seen one that age that _wasn’t_ >80% roots. Also, maybe move one to a bright window for a couple of months to see how it responds. It may not grow pups right away, but I’d expect more growth overall.
@2thasst2023 if those are regular lights and not grow lights, that’s probably your reason. Spider plants like the light of 1000 suns!
Look absolutely stunning—incredibly lush, full, and vibrant! They appear to be a curly variety (like 'Bonnie'), and they clearly love the shelf setup and the grow lights you have arranged for them.
At three years old, a spider plant is definitely mature enough to produce "spiderettes" (babies). When a spider plant is putting out gorgeous, dense foliage like this but refusing to send out runners, it usually comes down to a few specific environmental triggers.
Here is what is likely keeping them in "foliage-only" mode and how you can nudge them into parenthood:
1. The Pot is Too Spacious (Not Rootbound Enough)
Spider plants are famous for needing to feel a bit crowded before they start reproducing. When they have plenty of room in the pot, they pour all their energy into expanding their root system and pushing out new leaves.
The Fix: If you've repotted them recently or into generous pots, they might just be taking their time filling out the underground space. Letting them become slightly rootbound is the number one trigger for spiderettes.
2. Too Much Nitrogen, Not Enough Phosphorus
The beautiful, deep green and bright variegation in photo suggests they are getting excellent nutrition. However, fertilizers high in nitrogen tell the plant to keep making leaves. To get flowers and babies, the plant needs phosphorus.
The Fix: Switch to a fertilizer with a lower first number (Nitrogen) and a higher middle number (Phosphorus)—often labeled as a "bloom booster"—for a few weeks to signal that it's time to flower.
3. Light Cycles and Photoperiod
Your grow light setup in photo is fantastic for keeping the variegated leaves bright and healthy. However, spider plants often rely on natural changes in day length (photoperiod) to trigger their reproductive cycle. If their artificial light schedule is strictly identical day in and day out, they miss the seasonal cue to produce runners.
The Fix: Try slightly altering the timer on your grow lights to mimic natural seasonal shifts, or ensure they experience a period of uninterrupted darkness (about 12 hours) at night if the room stays lit by ambient household lights.
4. Consistent Perfection
Sometimes, plants only reproduce when they feel a mild stressor that signals it's time to pass on their genetics. Because your plants look so perfectly pampered and consistently watered, they have no urgent reason to propagate. Mildly stretching the time between waterings just a little bit in the spring or summer can sometimes shock them into sending out those flower stalks.
At three years old, a spider plant is definitely mature enough to produce "spiderettes" (babies). When a spider plant is putting out gorgeous, dense foliage like this but refusing to send out runners, it usually comes down to a few specific environmental triggers.
Here is what is likely keeping them in "foliage-only" mode and how you can nudge them into parenthood:
1. The Pot is Too Spacious (Not Rootbound Enough)
Spider plants are famous for needing to feel a bit crowded before they start reproducing. When they have plenty of room in the pot, they pour all their energy into expanding their root system and pushing out new leaves.
The Fix: If you've repotted them recently or into generous pots, they might just be taking their time filling out the underground space. Letting them become slightly rootbound is the number one trigger for spiderettes.
2. Too Much Nitrogen, Not Enough Phosphorus
The beautiful, deep green and bright variegation in photo suggests they are getting excellent nutrition. However, fertilizers high in nitrogen tell the plant to keep making leaves. To get flowers and babies, the plant needs phosphorus.
The Fix: Switch to a fertilizer with a lower first number (Nitrogen) and a higher middle number (Phosphorus)—often labeled as a "bloom booster"—for a few weeks to signal that it's time to flower.
3. Light Cycles and Photoperiod
Your grow light setup in photo is fantastic for keeping the variegated leaves bright and healthy. However, spider plants often rely on natural changes in day length (photoperiod) to trigger their reproductive cycle. If their artificial light schedule is strictly identical day in and day out, they miss the seasonal cue to produce runners.
The Fix: Try slightly altering the timer on your grow lights to mimic natural seasonal shifts, or ensure they experience a period of uninterrupted darkness (about 12 hours) at night if the room stays lit by ambient household lights.
4. Consistent Perfection
Sometimes, plants only reproduce when they feel a mild stressor that signals it's time to pass on their genetics. Because your plants look so perfectly pampered and consistently watered, they have no urgent reason to propagate. Mildly stretching the time between waterings just a little bit in the spring or summer can sometimes shock them into sending out those flower stalks.