[ad_1]
Chlorophytum comosum
Should you’re curious about including loads of greenery to your property rapidly, and desire a houseplant that’s each straightforward to take care of and unhazardous, the spider plant ought to be on the prime of your checklist – I do know it’s all the time on the prime of mine.
Although they’re pretty commonplace so far as houseplants go, for me, spider crops have all the time instilled a way of awe. After I was a baby, my mother’s good friend Sue had a gorgeous mature spider plant. I’ll admit, I fell in love with it.
I bear in mind going to her residence, the place I’d gaze up at this houseplant hanging from the ceiling, bathed in afternoon mild, and admire the seemingly numerous lots of little spider infants cascading down from it.
We hyperlink to distributors that can assist you discover related merchandise. Should you purchase from one in all our hyperlinks, we could earn a fee.
In my baby’s thoughts, that houseplant appeared like some mysterious and otherworldly creature – and it all the time stands out in my reminiscences as the perfect illustration of all {that a} houseplant may very well be.
As of late, my very own spider crops aren’t fairly that awe-inspiring. Not but, a minimum of. Simply wait – they’re nonetheless younger.
I’m going to information you thru the most effective care ideas for this beautiful and easygoing foliage plant, so you’ll be able to preserve yours glad and wholesome, and assist it develop right into a houseplant worthy of admiration.
Right here’s what I’m going to cowl:
Should you’re a beginner houseplant dad or mum, you’ve made a good selection to begin with.
This is without doubt one of the best crops you’ll be able to take care of in your house – and studying learn how to give it correct care will set you on a very good path towards rising more difficult indoor vegetation.
And simply to ensure we’re all on the identical web page, this houseplant is to not be confused with cleome, the flowering annual that’s generally identified by the identical frequent title.
What Is a Spider Plant?
Chlorophytum comosum, extra generally often called “spider plant,” is an herbaceous tropical evergreen perennial loved for its plentiful foliage and talent to provide lots of plantlets.
It’s identified world wide by a number of different frequent names as nicely, together with “airplane plant,” “ribbon plant,” and “spider ivy.”
Some name it “St. Bernard’s lily” however this frequent title is used for one more member of the asparagus household, Anthericum liliago, as nicely.
This tropical species is grass-like, with slender, arching leaves that develop in a rosette kind. Its leaves are both all inexperienced, or variegated in both inexperienced and white, or generally inexperienced and yellow, relying on the cultivar.
Lengthy stalks develop within the midst of its leaves, on which it produces small, white, star-shaped flowers, in addition to tiny offsets or “spiderettes,” as its vegetative infants are referred to as.
This attribute of manufacturing infants that stay connected to the mom plant offers C. comosum one more title, “hens and chicks” or “hens and chickens” – to not be confused with the varied succulent species that go by the identical frequent title.
Spider ivy can develop and nourish multitudes of those infants with out seeming worse for put on.
Cultivation and Historical past
These productive houseplants are a well-known sight in our houses, however odds are you realize little about the place they really come from. C. comosum is native to a large swath of sub-Saharan Africa, starting from Cameroon and Ethiopia all the best way right down to South Africa.
Its huge native vary is telling – C. comosum has flexibility constructed into its genetics.
In its native habitat, it has tailored to a various vary of areas – rising on cliffs, in river valleys, and in flat thickets – in addition to in a wide range of completely different soil varieties and water circumstances. This adaptability is what makes it such a resilient houseplant.
With a look at its grass-like development behavior, you’d in all probability have a tough time guessing that C. comosum is said to a typical backyard veggie – asparagus.
C. comosum is taxonomically categorized as a member of the asparagus household, and along with asparagus, its family members embrace agave, hosta, sansevieria, yucca, and monkey grass.
The latter is also called Liriope, and members of this genus bear a powerful household resemblance to the topic of this text.
Different members of the identical genus together with C. laxum and C. viridescens are additionally generally referred to as “spider crops.”
The which means of this tropical species’ scientific title couldn’t be extra literal – “Chlorophytum” means “inexperienced plant” and comosum means “tufted” or “leafy.”
Swedish naturalist Carl Thunberg was the primary European identified to gather this species within the wild, and he gave it its scientific title in 1794.
As for its frequent title, some sources counsel that its lengthy, skinny leaves are the inspiration behind the title “spider plant,” whereas a minimum of one author claims the nickname is impressed as a substitute by the offsets, which resemble spiders rappelling down from a spiderweb.
C. comosum has been loved within the residence – and shared – since a minimum of the early 1800s. The German author and poet Goethe reportedly had a specimen of his personal and shared its offsets together with his mates.
However lengthy earlier than Europeans found it, native populations had been probably utilizing C. comosum in a wide range of methods. The Nguni folks, who reside primarily in South Africa, use it medicinally, administering it to new moms and younger infants specifically.
And along with its conventional medicinal use, this species can also be thought of edible and may be consumed like a vegetable.
Whereas its grass-like, extraordinarily fibrous foliage may be eaten, the actual edible curiosity of C. comosum lies underneath the soil, on this species’ fleshy, tuberous roots.
These roots retailer each vitamins and water, and are the key to this plant’s resilience. I’ll delve into how the roots assist to bolster C. comosum slightly later within the article, so preserve studying!
C. comosum has naturalized in some international locations exterior of Africa, and plenty of researchers have revealed research trying into this species as an vital potential supply of regionally obtainable meals.
One paper revealed in 2014 in “Vitamin and Meals Science Analysis” by Ali Aberoumand, Affiliate Professor within the Division of Fisheries on the College of Know-how in Behbahan, Iran, asserts that the edible elements of this species include important quantities of nutritional vitamins C and E.
One other paper by the identical researcher, revealed within the “Journal of Medicinal Meals Crops” in 2009, claims the tubers of C. comosum include “good sources of plant fibre, potassium, zinc, lipid, protein and carbohydrates.”
As a wild meals fanatic, I’m all the time curious about including new edible crops to my checklist, however I’m not fairly able to topic my spider ivy to my kitchen knife simply but.
Maybe when my house is brimming with further specimens propagated from offsets, I would sacrifice one in an effort to have a style check.
Its edible potential is definitely fascinating, however spider ivy is used primarily as a houseplant, and could also be probably the most generally cultivated houseplants on the earth.
It’s loved primarily for its foliage and in depth populations of pups, however its small delicate flowers can seem all year long and add to its total pleasant look.
Whereas most of us will take pleasure in this species from the tropics indoors, it may be grown open air as an evergreen perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones September 11.
It can be handled as a perennial in Zone 8, however its foliage might be killed again in winter, and it’ll begin producing new development within the spring.
Propagation
Whereas propagating C. comosum from offsets is essentially the most well-known methodology, it can be propagated by way of division, and by sowing seeds.
From Seed
Rising spider ivy from seeds isn’t what first involves thoughts when one thinks of propagating this species, however seeds are one of many plant’s reproductive methods, and we will benefit from this as nicely to develop new specimens.
Earlier than you launch into such a mission, although, take into account that if the specimen is a hybrid cultivar, the seedlings could find yourself trying a bit completely different from its dad or mum.
Should you don’t have a dad or mum plant to begin with, make sure that to buy seeds from a good supply.
To ensure that C. comosum to provide seed heads, it would must be pollinated. In case your ribbon plant is flowering in the course of the summer season, place it exterior the place some pleasant bees, wasps, or hoverflies can discover the monoecious flowers and do the job for you.
As soon as your spider ivy flowers are pollinated, they may produce fruit, which can include the ripening seeds you’ll be harvesting.
Look forward to the fruit to dry out to make sure that the seeds are totally matured.
As soon as the seed heads are dry, you’ll be able to harvest the seeds.
Sow the harvested seeds in a sterile potting medium, and water them gently with a mister to keep away from oversaturating the soil.
Repot the younger plant as wanted, as indicated within the repotting part of this text beneath – and remember that younger crops may have extra frequent watering than established specimens.
From Offsets
Propagating C. comosum from offsets might be the best strategy to create new spider crops.
Since this species is so giving – or from its perspective, so desirous to unfold its genes – why not benefit from the scenario?
If Mama Spider is roofed with infants, and the infants have roots rising from them, your work might be exceptionally straightforward.
All you must do is to snip off an offset from the stalk, and pot it up.
Generally, your plant might need many offsets on it that don’t but have roots of their very own. On this case, you’ll be able to assist a spiderette develop roots in a couple of alternative ways.
One possibility is to snip it off and set it in a small glass of water. With this methodology, you need the bottom of the offset to be touching the floor of the water, however don’t submerge the whole offset.
One other methodology of propagating unrooted offsets is to imitate what would occur in nature, and root the offset whereas it’s nonetheless connected to the dad or mum plant.
Merely place a small pot with potting soil underneath the offset, and permit it to root whereas it’s nonetheless connected to its dad or mum.
Or, you’ll be able to snip it off from its stem and pot it up, letting it root within the soil by itself.
When utilizing any of the strategies described right here that contain soil or potting medium, I like to recommend watering with a mister or spray bottle. This may assist to maintain the medium from turning into overly moist, granting your child a better probability of survival.
As soon as your offsets are rooted nicely, start caring for them as you’d for a potted plant.
Take a look at our information for detailed step-by-step directions for rooting spiderettes.
From Division
Since propagating offsets is so darn straightforward, you is likely to be questioning – why would anybody hassle with division?
Division can turn out to be useful when your plant is outgrowing its pot, and also you wish to restrict its dimension. Reasonably than letting it proceed to develop wider, you’ll be able to divide it, creating two smaller specimens – or extra, relying in your desire.
To divide spider ivy, you’ll wish to take away your plant from its pot after which work a clump away from the principle plant, with each leaves and roots intact.
Proceed by potting up as described within the repotting part beneath.
The best way to Develop
In contrast to the high-maintenance prayer plant, spider ivy is pretty undemanding in its care.
Selecting a Plant
You’ll begin off on the most effective foot along with your spider ivy in the event you start with a wholesome specimen.
Listed here are a couple of tips about what to search for when selecting yours:
- Be certain that the foliage is freed from pests, akin to scale or mealybugs. You’ll study extra about these pests beneath.
- Search for specimens with none browning. They need to even be freed from yellowing leaves, until the cultivar is meant to have yellow variegation.
- Decide the most effective dimension to your wants, and do not forget that these houseplants develop rapidly.
Whenever you discover a healthy-looking specimen, examine the pot. Does it have drainage holes? If not, make sure that to repot your spider ivy as quickly as potential. You’ll discover repotting directions beneath.
Mild
Spider ivy can adapt to circumstances starting from half solar to full shade. However what offers you the most effective outcomes? Medium to vibrant oblique daylight.
Some direct daylight is okay, simply make sure that your spider ivy isn’t sitting in full solar all day lengthy, or its leaves will scorch or even fade and unfastened its variegation.
And whereas these houseplants can reside in shade, their leaves is not going to be as vibrant when grown in very low-light circumstances. Vivid, oblique mild offers you the most effective foliage colour.
Vivid, oblique mild can also be what you must goal for in order for you your spider ivy to provide numerous offsets.
Many individuals like to position their houseplants open air in the course of the summer season. Should you do that, make sure that to place your spider ivy in a sheltered place the place it receives dappled solar publicity, and never an excessive amount of direct daylight.
Temperature
Being from the tropics, C. comosum does greatest in a “Goldilocks” temperature vary – which means it appreciates circumstances that aren’t too sizzling and never too chilly. Temperatures between 65 and 75°F are supreme.
If you can be putting your spider ivy open air for the summer season, bear in mind to deliver it again indoors earlier than nighttime temperatures fall to 55°F. Temperatures beginning on this vary might be a bit too chilly to your houseplant.
C. comosum just isn’t chilly hardy, and may be killed when temperatures dip beneath freezing.
When deciding the place to situate your spider ivy in your house, keep away from drafty areas akin to areas subsequent to exterior doorways or drafty home windows, in addition to spots close to heating and cooling vents.
At all times attempt to preserve your ribbon plant at a temperature beneath 80°F, each indoors and out. In sizzling circumstances, spider ivy turns into extra prone to sure illnesses. (I’ll get to {that a} bit later.)
Water
Now we come to one of many secrets and techniques of the spider plant’s resilience:
C. comosum is ready to retailer water in its roots, making it extra tolerant of inconsistent watering than another sorts of houseplants.
Whereas your spider ivy might be more likely to forgive you in the event you miss a watering, normally, it ought to be watered when the highest inch of its soil dries out.
Nevertheless, slightly than digging my finger into the potting soil, I check these houseplants for dryness by lifting their pots – once they begin to really feel mild, I do know it’s time to water.
If the water you give your crops is provided out of your municipality and in any other case unfiltered, remember that spider ivy is kind of delicate to fluoride, and can exhibit browning ideas in response to it.
In actual fact, a wide range of grass-like monocots (quick for “monocotyledons,” crops with seeds that include just one embryonic cotyledon) can undergo fluoride toxicity that will result in tip burn. Others embrace dracaena, and lilies.
Watering with rainwater as a substitute, or filtered or distilled water, will help to forestall this. In case you are utilizing filtered water, double examine to ensure your filter is ready to take away fluoride – not all water filters do.
Should you’ve been watering with faucet water containing fluoride and your houseplant’s foliage has numerous brown ideas, go forward and swap your water provide.
You may also assist the plant get better by eradicating the potting soil round its roots, soaking them in recent filtered or non-fluoridated water, after which repotting with recent soil.
Humidity
Spider ivy isn’t as choosy as orchids are in terms of humidity. It should thrive in environments the place the relative humidity is between 25 and 49 p.c.
Until you reside in an especially dry local weather, or your plant is in a heat, dry room, you in all probability gained’t have to take any extra steps to offer it with further humidity.
Then again, in the event you do reside in an arid local weather or your indoor air is extraordinarily dry in the course of the winter, go forward and provides your spider ivy a morning mist from a twig bottle.
Simply make sure that to do that within the morning whereas temperatures are warming up, as a substitute of at night time when they’re cooling.
Fertilizer
With spider ivy, you’ll wish to restrict your purposes of fertilizer. There are a few causes for this.
The primary is to keep away from undesirable negative effects. This plant is delicate to the buildup of salts and different minerals that may happen whether it is fertilized closely, and it will probably exhibit brown leaf ideas consequently. Overfertilizing may also stop C. comosum from producing offsets.
Secondly, this houseplant has a built-in methodology for storing vitamins in its tubers. In contrast to different crops which may be heavier feeders, these actually don’t want a lot!
To guard my spider ivies from undesirable tip burn, I take advantage of worm compost tea to fertilize them, which is a extra light, natural method to fertilizing in distinction to chemical-based merchandise.
Should you don’t have a worm compost system of your individual but, you should buy readymade worm compost and make your individual “tea.”
For this function, I really like TeaDrops, that are “tea” luggage that include worm compost. To make use of them, you soak a bag in room temperature water, and use the ensuing worm compost tea to each water and fertilize your houseplants.
TeaDrops Organic Houseplant Fertilizer
You should buy a pack of sixteen luggage of TeaDrops at Amazon.
Rising Ideas
- Present medium or vibrant oblique mild.
- Enable the highest inch of soil to dry between waterings.
- Preserve at 65-75°F and away from chilly drafts.
Upkeep
Being the low upkeep houseplants that they’re, spider ivy actually solely requires occasional repotting, and a little bit of trimming if leaf ideas flip brown.
Should you’re aiming to domesticate a lush plant with trailing infants, you’ll additionally wish to know what to do to encourage offset manufacturing. Let’s have a look, beginning with this fascinating characteristic.
Encouraging Offsets
If, like me, your plans to your spider ivy embrace encouraging it to provide cascades of spiderettes that path down from the dad or mum plant, there are some things you are able to do to encourage offset manufacturing.
First, these houseplants reply to altering day size, very like poinsettia and Christmas cactus.
When C. comosum is uncovered to quick days and lengthy, darkish nights for a minimum of three weeks, it takes these lengthy nights as a cue to breed. These circumstances will set off your plant to ship out a protracted stalk, on which it might produce each flowers and offsets.
To duplicate these pure circumstances, attempt to preserve your spider ivy in a location the place it isn’t uncovered to synthetic mild within the night and all through the night time.
The following factor you are able to do to encourage offset manufacturing is to chorus from repotting ceaselessly. Specimens which are barely pot certain usually tend to produce offsets.
Why?
From the plant’s perspective, if it’s unable to proceed to stretch its roots by way of the soil, then it had higher get busy making certain one other approach of spreading its genes. And that approach is thru producing offsets.
Repotting
There’ll come a time, nevertheless, once you’ll have to repot your plant.
If it has change into so pot-bound that its roots are bursting by way of the drainage gap within the backside, or rising above the floor of the soil, these are clear indicators that it’s time to repot!
Generally, you must plan to repot younger crops yearly and extra mature specimens each two years, however alter this schedule to your plant’s environment – these positioned in decrease mild circumstances gained’t develop fairly as quick.
Earlier than you start your repotting mission, ensure you have a brand new pot that is just one or two inches bigger than the present pot.
In case you are considering of shifting your plant as much as a a lot greater pot to keep away from having to repot so ceaselessly, I invite you to rethink. An outsized pot may be too sluggish to empty, and this may increasingly trigger root rot.
Follow a pot that has simply sufficient room to your spider ivy to develop over the subsequent 12 months or two.
Additionally, make sure that the pot you select has sufficient drainage holes, additionally to keep away from moist ft, aka soggy roots.
After you have selected a pot, select a potting soil. You’ll need one thing that has a pH of round 6.0-6.5, and can drain nicely, however that additionally has some water-holding capability, to forestall your spider ivy from drying out too rapidly.
Whereas it does have these fascinating water-storing roots, it’s not a cactus, in any case. Commonplace industrial houseplant potting soil will work tremendous.
I like De La Tank’s Houseplant Combine. It accommodates pumice for drainage, coconut coir for water retention, and it’s peat-free. You possibly can buy it at Arbico Organics.
De La Tank’s Houseplant Combine
After you have your soil and pot on the prepared, it’s time to get right down to the enterprise of repotting.
First, place slightly potting soil within the backside of your new pot.
Subsequent, take away your plant from its outdated pot. Loosen up the outdated potting soil and attempt to gently loosen the plant’s roots.
Set your plant into the brand new pot. Is it sitting low sufficient within the new pot that you just’ll have a half an inch to an inch of headspace on the prime, beneath the rim? If not, alter the potting soil in order that the plant is sitting on the proper stage.
When the extent appears good, fill in with potting soil across the edges of the plant.
When filling in with recent potting soil, ensure you don’t bury the crown of the plant – preserve the soil floor on the identical stage.
Water the soil, and return your houseplant to its earlier location.
Pruning
Your spider ivy gained’t must be pruned, per se, however you’ll want to trim any brown ideas that seem.
For the reason that leaves of those houseplants are very tremendous and skinny, a pair of backyard pruners will probably be overkill for this activity. As an alternative, use a pair of sharp, sterilized scissors.
In case you are seeing loads of brown ideas in your plant, make sure that to overview the sections on watering, temperature, and fertilizer above – the almost certainly causes of this browning are underwatering, fluoridated water, publicity to chilly drafts, or an excessive amount of fertilizer.
Cultivars to Choose
First, the fundamentals:
To start with, there was inexperienced – simply inexperienced. C. comosum is the uncultivated species plant, and it sports activities no variegation. Its lengthy leaves are medium to darkish inexperienced, and it readily produces plantlets.
Should you’re curating a spider plant assortment of your individual, you’ll wish to make sure that to incorporate a specimen of the fundamental species, whose inexperienced leaves will distinction properly in opposition to the variegated foliage of your different cultivars.
Surprisingly, the pure inexperienced species is now among the many extra uncommon and tougher to seek out sorts of spider crops – so in the event you come throughout one, you would possibly simply wish to snatch it up.
Many of the variations between the obtainable C. comosum cultivars are pretty delicate – however they do supply options which are distinctive, and a few are extra shocking than you would possibly count on.
Bonnie
‘Bonnie’ is a cultivated selection that comes with a shocking twist – it has curled leaves! No less than to this author, ‘Bonnie’ appears like a spider plant that went out and received a perm.
The curled leaves of this selection are variegated as nicely, with inexperienced on the margins, and white working down the facilities.
Whereas I’ve all the time wished I had curly hair myself, I’m not solely positive how I really feel about this selection… I suppose I just like the lengthy, skinny, wispy leaves of the species plant and different obtainable cultivars, and I don’t actually see a necessity to enhance upon its development behavior.
Or perhaps I’m simply too caught on that exact incarnation of houseplant magnificence, the spider plant of my childhood.
However I’ll definitely admit that novelty may be attractive!
‘Bonnie’ Reside Plant in 6” Pot
So in the event you immediately end up obsessed with the curly “locks” of ‘Bonnie,’ you will discover this cultivated selection obtainable for buy in a six-inch pot from California Tropicals, by way of Amazon.
Ocean
‘Ocean’ is a more recent cultivated selection that has streaky inexperienced leaf margins, and a white stripe down the middle of its leaves.
A extra compact selection, ‘Ocean’ foliage reaches simply eight to 12 inches in size at maturity. Due to its shorter, broader leaves, it has a considerably spiky look.
‘Ocean’ Reside Plant in 4” Pot
You’ll find ‘Ocean’ in a four-inch pot from Hirt’s Backyard Retailer, obtainable by way of Amazon.
Variegatum
‘Variegatum’ is a cultivated selection that has inexperienced leaves with skinny white margins. Its lengthy, sleek leaves can attain ten to sixteen inches lengthy.
This cultivar can also be referred to as “reverse variegated” as a result of its markings are the reverse of the most typical selection, ‘Vittatum,’ which is developing subsequent on this cultivar checklist.
Whereas this sort can deal with extra direct solar than most others, it doesn’t produce a load of offsets that’s as heavy as what you’d sometimes discover with different varieties.
‘Variegatum’ gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious Award for Backyard Benefit in 1993.
‘Variegatum’ Reside Plant in 4” Pot
You’ll find ‘Variegatum’ for buy in a four-inch pot from Hirt’s Backyard Retailer, obtainable by way of Amazon.
Vittatum
‘Vittatum’ is the most typical cultivar of C. comosum present in backyard nurseries at present. It has foliage with pale inexperienced margins and a white stripe down the middle.
Some growers name this selection “variegated spider plant,” with out point out of the species or cultivar title.
Like ‘Variegatum,’ talked about above, ‘Vittatum’ additionally gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award for Backyard Benefit in 1993.
‘Vittatum’ Reside Plant
You’ll find ‘Vittatum’ crops obtainable for buy at Nature Hills Nursery.
Managing Pests and Illness
These easy-care houseplants aren’t terribly vulnerable to pests or illness. Nevertheless, it’s vital to know what to be looking out for.
Pests
Listed here are among the commonest pest issues for C. comosum:
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are probably the most frequent houseplant insect pests, and so they generally assault spider ivy too.
Fortunately, they’re straightforward to acknowledge and stand out like a sore thumb, so that you’ll be more likely to catch them earlier than they trigger a lot harm.
Have you ever ever seen a white fluffy residue on the stems of a houseplant? That was truly an insect: the notorious mealybug.
Members of the size household, mealybugs could make foliage appear like it has little items of cotton caught to it.
Mealybugs will latch onto and feed in your houseplant, stealing invaluable vitamins. This may weaken the plant in flip, and might finally kill it if the issue goes on too lengthy.
Making issues worse, mealybugs secrete honeydew, which may give a foothold to fungi, inflicting additional threat to your plant’s well being.
You possibly can management these cottony-looking pests by wiping them away with a paper towel moistened with rubbing alcohol. Remember to examine the bottom of the leaves in addition to the leaves themselves.
If rubbing alcohol isn’t sufficient to wipe out an infestation, your subsequent mode of recourse is an software of neem oil, an natural therapy that may wipe out each pests and fungi.
Be certain that to comply with the producer’s directions for making use of this product.
Learn extra tips about controlling mealybugs.
Scale
Scale is an insect masquerading as slightly brown bump. Associated to mealybugs, they’ve onerous brown shells. As soon as they get settled in in your C. comosum, you would possibly assume it has some grime on it, or maybe that it has some form of illness.
Similar to mealybugs, scale bugs will suck vitamins out of foliage, weakening your plant. Yellow leaves are one of many telltale indicators of their presence.
Monterey Neem Oil
These pests may be handled in the identical approach as mealybugs, with rubbing alcohol or neem oil, akin to this product from Monterey, obtainable at Arbico Organics.
Discover extra tips about figuring out and controlling scale bugs.
Spider Mites
It might appear becoming, wouldn’t it, if the spider mites discovered your spider ivies?
Becoming, maybe, but additionally irritating.
Should you discover yellow spots on the foliage – or worse, webs – examine it nicely, as a result of you could have mites. You may additionally be capable to see tiny colonies of pink or brown mites shifting in regards to the webs and the undersides of the foliage.
These pests additionally suck vitamins from the leaves, and might go away your plant sick and malnourished.
To deal with an infestation of those pests, first wipe them off of the foliage with a moist paper towel, then deal with with rubbing alcohol or neem oil.
Learn extra about combating spider mites.
Different Bugs and Pests
Aphids, root knot nematodes, whiteflies, and fungus gnats can all infest spider crops (in addition to different houseplants).
Illness
C. comosum isn’t very vulnerable to illness, nevertheless it does generally exhibit indicators of sickness. Listed here are a few issues to look out for:
Root Rot
If the foliage in your specimen begins to show yellow or wilt, and its soil appears slightly moist, root rot could also be the issue.
Root rot is commonly attributable to overwatering, inadequate drainage, poorly draining soil, a pot that’s too massive – or all the above.
When your houseplant’s roots sit in soggy soil, they will’t get the oxygen they want. This causes them to fail to move water to the foliage, and they’re going to finally die off.
Mockingly, crops with oversaturated roots that succumb to root rot will finally begin to undergo from dehydration. And in the meantime, fungi and micro organism can simply proliferate in that soggy soil, simply making issues worse.
If root rot appears to be an issue to your plant, attempt to decide what the trigger is:
Are you overwatering? Is the soil holding an excessive amount of water? Is the pot outsized? Does the pot – heaven forbid – lack drainage holes? (Gasp!)
In case your plastic grower pot lacks holes, or appears to have in any other case inadequate drainage, drill extra holes into the underside of the pot. (Do take away the plant from the pot first, please.)
If root rot is an issue, it’s a good suggestion to modify out the potting soil to take away any fungi or micro organism which were given a foothold. Should you’re reusing the identical pot, go forward and clear it, then sterilize it with some hydrogen peroxide whilst you’re at it.
Examine the roots of your plant, and trim any which are rotten with a pair of sterilized backyard pruners or scissors.
Repot the plant in the identical sized – or smaller – pot as indicated within the repotting part above.
Southern Blight
Southern blight is a illness attributable to a fungus, Sclerotium rolfsii, which may have an effect on many backyard species, akin to apples and tomatoes. Spider ivy is vulnerable to this fungus too, which can also be known as Athelia rolfsii.
Signs of Southern blight embrace wilting or collapse of the foliage. The fungus is extra lively in sizzling climate, so protecting your houseplant indoors in its most well-liked temperature vary is an effective safety measure.
In case your specimen appears to be contaminated with Southern blight, take away all contaminated plant materials, and swap out the soil.
Reasonably than putting contaminated supplies in your compost bin, get rid of them within the trash to keep away from inadvertently spreading this illness all through your backyard.
And in case your spider ivy is wilting and also you’re unsure why, make sure you take a look at our article on why spider crops wilt!
Greatest Makes use of
So far as houseplants go, this species appears stunning in a dangling basket.
And it additionally works splendidly on a stand, the place its offsets can spill down.
However that’s not all you are able to do with it. It additionally appears nice in ornamental pots, grouped along with different houseplants.
Outdoor, in USDA Hardiness Zones September 11 C. comosum makes a pleasant floor cowl, or it may be used to cascade over a low stone wall. It can be grown open air as an annual in zones with chilly winters.
Fast Reference Rising Information
Plant Kind: | Evergreen perennial | Foliage Coloration: | Inexperienced, white and inexperienced, yellow and inexperienced |
Native to: | Africa | Soil Kind: | Potting soil |
Hardiness (USDA Zone): | September 11 | Soil pH: | 6.0-6.5 |
Publicity: | Medium to vibrant oblique mild | Soil Drainage: | Effectively-draining |
Time to Maturity: | 5-10 years | Companion Planting: | Asparagus fern, Christmas cactus, inch plant, philodendron, pothos, prayer plant, rubber plant, snake plant |
Top: | 1-2 ft | Makes use of: | Decorative houseplant, evergreen floor cowl (in USDA Zones September 11) |
Unfold: | 2-4 ft | Order: | Asparagales |
Tolerance: | Drought, humidity, low mild | Household: | Araceae |
Water Wants: | Medium | Genus: | Chlorophytum |
Upkeep: | Low | Species: | comosum |
Frequent Pests: | Aphids, mealybugs, root knot nematodes, scale, spider mites, white flies | Frequent Ailments: | Root rot, southern blight |
A Houseplant of Unusual Resilience
I hope you’re respiratory a sigh of aid proper about now. Caring to your spider ivy doesn’t must be a difficult activity – simply make sure that to offer it with medium or vibrant oblique mild, make sure that its soil is rarely soggy, and let the highest inch of soil dry out between waterings.
And above all, benefit from the bountiful spider infants which are certain to return!
Have you ever ever fallen in love with a spider plant earlier than, like I did as a baby? How do you are feeling in regards to the curly cultivar, ‘Bonnie’ – yay or nay? Tell us within the feedback part beneath.
And in the event you’re curious about studying about different low upkeep houseplants, listed below are some extra articles that you just would possibly take pleasure in:
[ad_2]
Source link