How to Propagate Spider Plants

If you’re looking to increase your houseplant collection, this is the easiest way to do it! I’m going to show you How To Propagate Spider Plants!

Spider plants are seeing a resurgence in popularity and I’m loving it. I grew up a kid in the 70’s and 80’s when spider plants were all the rage. My mom grew them and hung them from macrame plant hangers she made…oh man, if only I’d had the foresight to keep those treasures…who knew how popular macrame would become again!

While I don’t think I’m going to be hanging plants from my ceilings any time soon, I am loving having green life in my home again. Plants make a home feel alive…and after the loooooongest winter ever, this is a really really good feeling.

An easy way to create new plants!

What I’m really enjoying right now is rooting and growing new plants from shoots. I love being able to increase my plant collection with plants that I already have at home…or with little shoots that I snip off from my family and friends plants…watch out if I come over with a pair of scissors 😉

It’s just SO EASY to grow new plants and not have to do it from seed. A while back I shared how simple it is to root plant cuttings in water, and today I’m sharing the most simple method ever, for growing spider plant babies. This is a great first plant to propagate because spider plants are among the easiest houseplants to take care of.

How to Propagate Spider Plants:

There are 3 ways to propagate spider plants:
1. You can cut the spider babies (spiderettes) off the mother plant (a mature plant) and root them in water. Refer to my blog post here for instructions on how to do that.
2. Propagating spider plants in soil is the easiest and most tolerated method for little plants. You can leave the spider babies attached to the mother plant, and simply place the plantlets in soil.
3. Or you can snip off the spider babies and place them in new pots of soil, like I have done here.

Spider Plant Propagation in Soil:

Snip off the spiderette from the mother plant. I snip the stem off as close to the spiderette as possible. Then, if you look closely at the bottom of the spiderette you will see tiny nubs or roots. Simply place the spider plant cuttings onto a pot of soil, and gently press it in so that the little roots are covered by soil, being careful not to press any leaves into the soil. Give it a little bit of water, and your’e done. That’s it. You’ve propagated a spider plant! Now all you have to do is wait and watch a new spider plant grow.

Tips for Growing New Spider Plants:

Use a pot with drainage holes.
It’s best to use potting soil with perlite.
Use a cloche to house your new plant as it roots and grows…it acts like a mini greenhouse, offering moisture and protection for the little spiderettes.
Keep the plants in indirect sunlight.
You should start to see new growth in the form of new roots within a couple of weeks. Usually 7-10 days.
Keep the dirt moist but not wet. The best way to do this is by misting them with water.

This particular planting that I created is actually 2 baby spider plants, and they’re about 1 week old and have doubled in size already! I’ll come back here in a few months time and update this post again with a new picture of my growing spider plant, so you can see how it’s grown over time!