skycat 0 #1 July 6, 2004 My poor Spider Plant is having to live with my black thumb of death. I bought it to put it's babies in the bearded dragon's cage since it's non toxic well the 1st set of babies lived about 4 months before Pipper killed them from laying on top of them, no big deal I was expecting them to die due to the heat of the cage and such. Momma plant on the other hand is looking really rough, half of the plant has turned black with the other half starting to turn brown. I only water it, when the dirt has dried out and I keep it out of direct sunlight like the label said. So what else do I need to do for it, cause my beardy needs new baby plants in it's cage and it can't have them till momma plant gets healthy and makes some more.Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyangel2 2 #2 July 6, 2004 Are you hanging the plant? That would keep the cat off the plant. I have found that most plants do better if you water them from below. Meaning, set them in water. Then the roots get the water they need.May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skycat 0 #3 July 6, 2004 Luckly Mem the high class feline that he is prefers to play in the toilet rather then in the plant. I'll try putting water in the drainage tray next time it needs water.Fly it like you stole it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lummy 4 #4 July 6, 2004 dang.... spider plants are almost impossible to kill I bought one almost 2 years ago and now I have 12 or so. spiders love sunlight, I keep them in the window sills and outside so I wouldn't be too worried about that. I've seen them used as groundcover where the get a lot of direct sunlight. The leaves turning black could be from overwatering or no drainage in the pot. Typically, when mine start looking dull and getting a little limp, then I know it's time to water. Lastly, spiders produce babies more often when they are root bound. Something to keep in mind if you're trying to make lil ones. http://www.bachmans.com/retail/tipsheets/indoor_plants/SpiderPlants.cfmI promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbird 0 #5 July 6, 2004 Weird. Spider plants are usually tough to kill. The only time I managed to kill one, it was poisoned. Spider plants are highly efficient air purifiers. If they are near a source of nastiness they will filter all the bad stuff from the air, store it in their roots, and eventually die. (Mine was in my art studio where I used paint thinners and the like) It could also be root-bound. They grow roots like mad, and will fill their pot with them. You could probably remove it from it's pot, cut off 1/4 of the bottom roots, and replant it. Or just put it in a bigger pot. You may also find some other problem if you look at the roots - bugs, mold, rot... Good luck! Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowwhite 0 #6 July 7, 2004 Black and Brown, too much water = rot light green to yellow, not enough fertilizer, especially nitrogen. If the plant has already produced babies in this pot, you have some serious deficiencies going on I would take the plant out of the pot, cut off some of the bottom roots, loosen up the side roots and trim some of them. Throw away all of the soil that you can scrape off it and the pot and replant in a GOOD soil mix. I make my own, but you could use Miracle Grow planting mix. Be sure to add a few pot chips or a couple of rocks in the bottom 1 inch of the pot. Trim the thing down to 2 to 3 inches tall TOTAL, it will look like you scalped it, but it will love you for it Water it 1 or 2 times a week, letting the water run completely through the plant. Do not allow it to dry out completely, just water it when dry to the touch. Give it lots of sunny space, and yep, they really do like to hang. In the 3rd week, start fertilizing it every other time that you water it, with a HALF solution of whatever fertilizer you use. In 3 months you will have babies.skydiveTaylorville.org freefallbeth@yahoo.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #7 July 7, 2004 Thanks!!! Those are some valuable tips for someone as plant-murderous as me. Peace~ Lindsey-- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MissMae 0 #8 July 7, 2004 Wow, the spider plants I have are in AZ and outside no less and they are totally thriving. But the ground that they are in stays pretty moist. My mom used to re-root them in water just like the other plants you can do that with that I can't remember the name of right now... Maybe I'll just send you some of mine since they seem to just take off, they must have gotten acclimated to the weather outside, and they even handled a transplant from shade all day long to sun until around 1pm. Sorry, I guess I didn't give you any really good advice.. take the time to appreciate the people around you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
