okay so, my spider plant is my baby, i got him last summer and named him miles after my favorite spider-man. for about 5 months he did fantastic and thrived!! he got pretty big for only 5 months, and was doing fantastic. but at about the 5 month line, my cat started showing interest in him. i went to bed one night with him perfectly fine, and woke up the next day with almost ALL of his leaves chewed off. (ofc i made sure the cat was okay immediately, spoiler alert she’s just fine)
any ways i sent the miles to my grandmas to get better. and about 2 months later i got him back and he was thriving again! i put him in a hanging plant this time so my cat couldn’t get to him, but unfortunately the pot FELL. i had to rehome him and get more soil, and eventually ended up temporarily putting him at my girlfriends apartment. unfortunately he didn’t get watered or any sun while he was there for 3 weeks!!!!!
no hard feelings, she’s not a plant person so i’m not mad at her, but now i need help saving my poor boy.
i put him in a new jar, got him new soil, sprayed the inside of the jar before and after putting soil in, and sprayed him after he was placed inside. i also used some of his old soil that wasn’t too dry and gross so he wasn’t getting a whole new environment.
i googled it and i was told to use sharp/clean scissors to cut the fully dead leaves off at the base (which i did)
i rehab succulents that belong to friends of mine all the time, and to hold them up i use paper straws, so ive got him support with some straws at the moment.
what do i do now? is he a lost cause?
photo descriptions:
photo 1: miles now
photo 2: close up of where miles’ roots touch the soil
photo 3: his most alive leaf :/
photo 4: the dead guys i cut off
by Additional_Sand9725
12 Comments
Waaayyy too wet. Needs a chunky medium, let dry between watering.
What do the roots look like?
I wouldn’t plant in a jar; drainage is important and I’m not sure the exposure to light is great for the roots. The soil looks wet and muddy. That’s why it’s important to see the roots and see if they’re healthy.
These guys are pretty hardy, so my other advice is to just give it time. It’s been through several traumas, so (assuming roots are healthy) just repot, make sure the soil isn’t too dense (mix in some perlite), and try not to touch it too much for a month or so.
You’re growing straws lol.
Jokes aside, it’s likely too far rotted. Glass jars aren’t good plant pots. You need something with drainage. Glass jars are okay if you use a clear plastic nursery pot inside of it, and you pull it out to water, then let it fully drain before putting back in the jar.
You’ve done more harm to spider plant than the person not watering it or for 3 weeks. Spider plants can survive for long periods with no water or light, but will rot very quickly when overwatered, which is what happens when roots sit in wet soil that doesn’t drain.
What are you doing with it in a jar!?! Doomed from the start.
Take it out and see if there is any solid base still on the plant, if not it’s too late, but if there is even one root that isn’t rotting you could save it
It seems far too wet. Despite the appearance of the thin leaves, this plant thrives on neglect. It has thick succulent roots that will let it survive onsiderable drought. If you water it once every two to three weeks, or when the soil feels really dry, with a good splash but take care that it can drain well, it should flourish. This one may already be a goner though.
Take it out of the jar and put it in a rather small plastic nursery pot that has drainage holes. Small like maybe a 3″ or 4″ for now. If you don’t have a container just poke some holes in a yogurt container or solo cup.
The reason not to use jars for plants is because you can’t water or properly and the soil can’t drain. You want to fully saturate the soil when you water it, let the excess drain away. In a jar, you are likely to overwater it resulting in water pooling at the bottom of you will try to prevent water pooling and then you will underwater it. Drainage solves these issues.
Spider plants have tuber roots, they hold water very well. You don’t need to water very often because of that. My spiders only show signs of being thirsty after about 2 weeks.
this is gonna go quadruple diamond on the cj sub
Miles has gone into the spider-verse now.
Oh friend. Friend please, the straws.
That’s not a plant, that’s a jar of straws and one leaf!
Why is your plant in a JAR ???? Get it out of the jar and put it in a proper pot with drainage holes. You’ve had it healthy before, you can do it again. But in a glass jar it’s just going to rot and die.
If the roots aren’t doing well I would put it in cotton balls and water or leca and water instead. That’s what I do when I notice a potted baby struggling on soil. I usually let root in cotton balls/leca cuz it gives them a “medium” for the roots to grow to and hold. Usually have pretty good luck with it