Leggy Spider Plant
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Spider plants were super popular during the 70s and now they seem to be making a come back. The great thing about them is how quickly they grow and put out little pups for propagating, which means they work their way into more and more people’s homes and they never seem to stop! They’re relatively easy to take care of and they look great when they’re growing properly but what happens when you get a leggy spider plant. There are three main causes of a leggy spider plant; either too little light, too little fertiliser or you haven’t been trimming the pups. Let’s have a look at each of these.
Trimming The Pups
One of the great things about spider plants is how quickly they put out new growth. You’ll notice what looks like tiny spider plants growing from the ends of some of your stems, if left they will continue to grow and tiny pups might start coming out of those pups. Now on the one hand this is great because you can cut them off and make a new plant straight away but this can also be a pain because you have to stay on top of them otherwise you risk an elongated leggy plant. Use a sharp pair of scissors to trim away these little shoots. Then what you do with them is up to you; you can make new plants, gift them to friends or family, sell them on etsy or (god forbid) put them in the compost bin. Either way you’ll be left with a bushy, healthy looking spider plant.
Too Little Light
Like many houseplants, spider plants do well under bright, indirect light. They can tolerate lower light they may start becoming lank, lifeless and leggy which isn’t a look you want for your plant. If you notice this and you’re watering your plant correctly and feeding it through the growing season then it’s probably time to move it to a brighter spot. As they don’t like to sit in bright sunlight a north or east facing windowsill would be a good spot. That way they’re getting bright light but are protected from the harsher rays of the afternoon sun.
Fertiliser For Your Leggy Spider Plant
Another cause of a leggy spider plant is a lack of fertiliser. If you’re not feeding your plant you may notice it starting to go lank and lifeless giving it an unattractive leggy appearance. The best way to overcome this is to fertilise your plant during the growing season. Use a half strength fertiliser approximately once every two weeks and you should notice a difference in your plant. You don’t need to use fertiliser during the growing season, in fact this can have adverse affects on your plant.
So there you have what causes a leggy spider plant and what you can do about it. General care and tending to your plant should keep it nice and healthy. If you’re still having problems with your plant then tell us about it in the comments below. Try to describe the conditions it’s kept in, give us as much information as possible and we’ll do our best to help you. And remember, as long as the plant is still alive you have it in your power to correct pretty much anything. It might look leggy now but there’s no reason it can’t be the beautiful bushy plant it once was.
Article: Leggy Spider Plant
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