Spider Plants Benefits Everyone Should Know

1. Spider Plants Benefits

Do you know that there are many spider plants benefits? This plant not only looks amazing as decoration, but they are practical for the surroundings too! Below are the top three benefits:

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Table of Content

1. Spider Plants Benefits

i) Natural Air Purifier

ii) Indoor Houseplant

iii) Safe for Pets

2. Types of Spider Plants

i) Variegatum (Variegated Spider Plant)

ii) Bonnie

iii) Zebra Grass Spider Plant

iv) Hawaiian Spider Plant

v) Solid Green Spider Plant

3. Caring for Spider Plants

4. Frequently Asked Questions

i) Why do Spider Plants Turn Yellow?

ii) Why do Spider Plants Get Brown Tips?

iii) Why is My Spider Plant Pale and Limp?

iv) Why is My Spider Plant Not Growing Babies?

i.) Natural Air Purifier

Spider plants are proven as natural air purifiers. This Nasa Clean Air Study shows that indoor plants (including Pothos) do remove chemical constituents in the air. The write-up is part of their research in outer-space travel and hence the use of plants as a natural air purifier. As we are aware of air pollution happening outside, we should also consider air pollution happening inside in an enclosed space like our house. Furthermore with poor ventilation, with perhaps crowded living space, and the presence of household cleaning chemicals, hence this collectively contributes to a phenomenon called sick building syndrome. It can lead to throat irritation, breathing difficulty, and even a runny nose. Below are three common chemicals present around us and can be eliminated by spider plants.

a) Benzene

Benzene will irritate skin and eyes and furthermore from research, it shows to be one of the factors for leukemia in humans. Furthermore, it can cause skin drying and blistering and if inhaled, a high level of benzene can cause dizziness, headache, nausea, and blurred vision. To be exposed at a low level for a certain period of time may cause anemia and bone marrow disease.

b) Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is present in almost all indoor environments. In addition, paper products such as grocery bags, waxed paper, facial tissues, and paper towels are treated with urea-formaldehyde (UF). Furthermore, household cleaning agents, cigarette smoke, natural gas, and kerosene also contain this chemical. High levels of Formaldehyde can cause respiratory irritation and asthma.

c) Trichloroethylene (TCE)

TCE has wide industrial uses mostly in the metal degreasing and dry-cleaning industry. Furthermore, it is used in printing inks, paints, varnishes, and adhesives. National Cancer Institute considers TCE as a potent liver carcinogen.

ii.) Indoor Houseplant

Spider plants benefit house owners since they can be part of your indoor houseplant due to their ease of care. Not being toxic is one of the spider plants benefits. Furthermore, they are beautiful when hanged and may produce small white flowers too! It is a very good idea to put this plant in the bedroom and bathroom given its air-purifying properties. In addition, you will have houseplants that produce oxygen in the comfort of your own home. Having a houseplant is what turns a house into a home since you make the space more natural by introducing outside elements in your living space.

iii.) Safe for Pets

It is important for pet owners to consider the toxicity of an indoor plant in making decisions. For example, Pothos will spice up your indoor garden but it is not safe to be ingested. Pets with their own way of doing things might chew on it without you noticing. Therefore spider plant is a perfect indoor plant collection for those with pets.

2. Types of Spider Plants

As a general rule of thumb, there are 3 common terms to help identify varieties and properties of spider plants. Furthermore, spider plants may exhibit more than one property like variegated bonnie.

a.) Variegatum: White stripe along the outside of the foliage.

b.) Vittatum: White stripe along the middle of the foliage.

c.) Bonnie: Curling of the leaves.

i) Variegatum ( Variegated Spider Plant )

This is a great plant for beginners and as well as plant enthusiasts. It is easily identifiable by the white stripe at the outer part of the leaf. This is a lovely houseplant as it is easy to care for and prefers bright indirect sunlight. In addition, it is a great idea to be part of your natural air purifying system.

ii) Bonnie

Bonnie spider plant has beautiful curled foliage. In addition, the Bonnie spider plant may interestingly appear vittatum (white stripe along the middle of the leaf) or just solid green.

iii) Zebra Grass Spider Plant

The foliage is soft just like the foliage of grass. The stripe is along with the outside leaf just like variegated with a mix of pale yellow and white. In addition, Zebra Grass tends to clump together in comparison with other spider plants so it may appear to be bushy. Furthermore, Zebra Grass is not as common as variegated and bonnie, therefore, if you see one in the nursery, just grab it and don’t think twice.

iv) Hawaiian Spider Plant

Hawaiian spider plants will have wider leaves in comparison to other spider plants. It is identifiable but it’s deep green foliage with golden stripes in the middle. In addition, it belongs to the chlorophytum family. Furthermore, what makes this plant interesting is that it will start with variegation and become solid green when mature. Then, the babies as well will starts with variegation and it will disappear as it grows.

v) Solid Green Spider Plant

Spider plant in its true nature is solid green. The variegation that occurs is due to plant mutation. Furthermore, breeders will breed this mutated plant in desiring the variegation pattern. The white stripe on the foliage is lacking chlorophyll and photosynthesis will not occur in that area.

3. Caring for spider plants

Spider plant is a forgiving plant and being easy to care is one of the spider plants benefits.

i.) Water

Spider plants do not require a lot of water. I live in the equator with generous sunlight almost every day with the temperature averaging at 30deg and I water my spider plant once a day in the morning. However, I will try to stick to a watering schedule in order not to have the soil goes from extremely damp to extremely dry. This will cause stress to the plant as a result the leaf will turn yellow.

ii.) Fertilizer

You can use all-purpose fertilizer like this one here. In general, you can fertilize it once in 2 weeks away from the roots and next water it right away.

iii.) Lighting

As a rule of thumb, spider plants prefer bright indirect light. I was clueless about this when first taking care of plants and I left my spider plants under direct bright sunlight and as a result, the leaves turn brown as if it is burnt.

iv.) Repotting

You may want to repot when the soil is enveloped and held by the roots. Moving it to a bigger pot will allow more growth.

v.) Propagation

You will have to wait for the parent plant to produce baby spider plants. It will grow a thin soft green branch and in addition, will produce tiny white flowers before producing baby spider plants. The babies will also have their roots develop and all you have to do is cut the branch where the baby plant grows and pot it. Once it branches out, as a result, it will produce many baby plants so be prepared to pot it, or you can just leave it hanging.

4. Why do Spider Plants Turn Yellow?

As a general rule of thumb for plants, the yellow leaf might be because of stress. For example, if the soil is alternating frequently from extremely dry to soaking wet. Another factor to consider especially for spider plants is perhaps because of the low lighting.

5. Why do Spider Plants Get Brown Tips?

The leaf might appear brown and burnt due to excess lighting. In addition, there is also a possibility that the tap water is bad hence as a suggestion, leave the collected tap water overnight before using it to water the plant the next day.

6. Why is My Spider Plant Pale and Limp?

It could be due to nitrogen deficiency. Other than that, it could also be due to excess watering and lighting. On the other hand, if it is pale and limp with dry soil, that means it needs more water. As a result of watering, you will see it goes back to its natural color within a short time.

7. Why Is My Spider Plant Not Growing Babies?

First I would look at how the care of the plant whether it is provided with enough lighting, water, or even food(fertilizer). Furthermore, there is no definitive time for it to mature and grow babies. My first time having a spider plant, it didn’t grow babies at all. As I learn to care for this plant, with proper watering and lighting, it grows a lot of babies. I then planted the babies and now with an understanding of proper care, the baby plant has good growth and produces its offspring even faster. Therefore there is no exact time of when it will grow. Indoor plants not only look beautiful but have many uses as well and being a natural air purifier is one of the spider plants benefits. Therefore, why not pay a visit to your nearest nursery today?

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