What's wrong with my Spider Plant?

Argh. I've had houseplants since I can remember but NEVER have I been able to grow Spiders. Please see pic. The ends turn brown, and dark spots appear in the center of the leaf. The brownness creeps up the leaf. Sooner or later the plant will die. In fact, this happens to many other plants of mine except Pathos. So far this plant isn't that bad and I've made sure I've watered more (I've been accused of not watering enough) and also have been using Miracle Grow. Seems to help. But does anyone have any suggestions?

where do you have it standing? and how often do you water it? and how much fertilizer do you give it?

Also, when was it transplanted last?

I have it under a skylight in the kitchen. Maybe its not enough light. And I've been fairly regular with the fertilizer. I've never transplanted it - its still in the pot I bought it in. The roots aren't coming out of the bottom and that's usually a good indication of needing to transplant?

I would say to transplant it with all new soil. I bet it's root bound.
Christine

Is your plant in a coir-based soil?

Al

Some info from something I posted previously:


While necrotic leaf tips or margins can occur in this plant from over/under-watering, in fact, it's much more common for the actual cause to be a high level of soluble salts in soils. It's also commonly reported that this plant is particularly intolerant or fluoride, but it's still more common for the cause of leaf burn to be a high level of solubles, to which fluoride can be a contributor, than it is to be fluoride itself. WHEN there is a high level of salts in the soil, low humidity can be a contributor, but low humidity alone rarely presents an issue, it must be in combination with a high level of soluble salts in the soil or either over/under-watering.

Of course, you cannot correct the already burned tips (they won't 'heal'), but you can take steps to keep it from happening:

A) Most important is to use a soil that drains very freely. This allows you to water copiously, flushing the accumulating salts from the soil each time you water.

B) Fertilize frequently when the plant is growing well, but at low doses - perhaps 1/4 the recommended strength. This, in combination with the favorable watering habit described above, will keep soluble salts levels low, and keep levels from rising due to the accumulative effect we always see when we are forced to water in sips when plants are in water-retentive soils.

C) When watering, using rainwater, snow melt, water from your dehumidifiers, or distilled water also eliminates the soluble salts in your tap water and will go a long way toward eliminating or minimizing leaf burn.

D) If you make your own soils and use perlite, be sure the perlite is rinsed thoroughly, which removes most of the fluorides associated with it's use.

E) Allowing water to rest overnight doesn't do anything in the way of helping reduce the amount of fluoride (the compounds are not volatile), and it only helps with chlorine in certain cases, depending on what method of chlorination was used to treat your tap water.

Al

Thanks Al. I'll use my filtered water from now on. That should work to remove flouride, right? Our water in phoenix is very hard and that might have something to do with my plants issues. The filter won't take the minerals out. Maybe I should start using a mix of distilled and my filtered water. I think that straight distilled would burn, too. ?

Reverse osmosis filtration is commonly used in homes to purify water and remove elements like Ca, Mg, Fe, Cl, and fluoride compounds. Activated alumina defluoridation filtering also removes it, but it's not commonly used & is expensive. Filters like Brita, Pur, and others similar, do not removed dissolved solids, including compounds of fluorine.

The hard water would undoubtedly contribute to problems with the appearance of foliage, but rain water, condensate from dehumidifiers, snowmelt, and distilled water will be (practically speaking) free from solutes and a good choice for helping to keep your plants attractive.

Al

Oh the beloved Spiderplant--nice to hear so many love this plant--the individual who cares for our spiderplants is at present in the other room and you guessed it with one of many other indoor and outdoor plants. Years of experience have taught us much--one must never feel guilty when trying to grow something and it simply dies. We once had a large (giant) jade and among the family (yes other gardeners lurked including children) each took special care of this particular jade--I guess because it was so huge--unfortunately one too many hands and oops it was over watered--and gone in a short time--manage to save some leaves and start up more but it will take my lifetime and beyond before we see that size again--so here goes. Yes, agree can be any of the factors mentioned by other houseplant lovers but you mentioned Arizona! Skylight--tell me it is cover filter light--in other words if you stand under the skylight your head does not turn red--feel hot--if that's the case you may have found your only error--too much direct light (when plant books mention direct light they fail to mention all the parts of the world--if we removed our curtains--the same marks would appear (and have)--as member of household often bend the curtains and then again winter sun is extremely bright here and can go beyond even the filter--so begin by filtering this spiderplant, and by all means give it some fresh soil yearly (even if it is not pot bound--have done so each year with all houseplants-always have-except the last two years due to --well a whole other story-but the results will show; yes use less fertilizer then the bottle recommends like Tide soap--never the full cup-My God talk about Suds! Chemicals are present in everything including the soils and can make matters worse if out of sink. The spiderplant likes cool dryer winters but mist when late spring summer comes in--but mind the mist--we rotate the plant into the shower area--makes it so much easier--especially when it comes to Boston Ferns, then talk to your plant, touch the plant-seriously we have seen results, play it happy music, not rock--they shiver--tried it and killed more then one once--unreal-so find the string music like what one might think is in heaven. --All our houseplants including the African Violets, Asparagus Ferns, Prayer Plants love it; like to believe they too feel the change of a new beginning the spring but I will not tell a lie often change the soil in fall, in winter--perhaps they simply love being pampered. This plant originates from South Africa and produces more as the baby spiderplants reach the ground--now you have some idea how they may be hanging and where --among other plants--not out in the open with direct sunshine. So begin there; also these grow great in all parts of our house--but then again plants are constantly rotated to provide views for each member of household--example a spiderplant was just being taken into a northwest location--we all know the impossibility of growing in such area--yet it will do fine--again avoiding bright direct light; this area also has the lowest levels considered to dangerous for anything green 25% humidity (get a humidity reader from you hardware store--we constantly monitor each room to much bad news for some plants (simply do not leave them there forever) and not enough like 25% bad news even at times for humans (so I place a holder of water which gives light humidity into the air)--so odd as it may seem low humidity is ok as this plant will even tolerate and actually enjoys 50 degree nights with low humidity; and can be left in the cold as low as 0 so I have read-although I personally never had the heart to throw it outdoors here in an artic Wisconsin spring. Believe me plants when loved and handled with love often but not always, hence do not allow yourself to feel guilty. Truly believe its all a mystery as two such spiderplants are located right in the kitchen in full humidity area when cooking potatoes, canning fruit, etc..--steam galore-in the bathroom, etc.. bright full light, the others in darker roomed areas--you figure. Cannot comment on the water thing yet but have for years used hydrogen peroxide--would need to find my notes as to what this does--but leaving water stand 24 hours before use does increase the quality of the water and the hydrogen peroxide (again need to find the notes)--but true never all--nothing will-feeding plants distilled water is simply attempting to remove all mineral contents--plants need minerals so--here we go again. Your picture shows what is exactly appearing on two of the larger older leaves--meaning they have been exposed a long time to the sun (direct light will spoil the foliage--extensive collection of books--that all it says so), water (regularly in summer, lighter in winter -however-checked we are constantly watering--again watch the humidity levels how they fluctuate in household-and air conditioning--burr a whole other problem--remove our plants from area when running--a little to much for them--but then again I have seen miracles, and soils--perhaps simply a way for the plant to rejuvenate- so send it love, simply love your plant. When the babies fall to the ground is when we plant them--unlike books, which say spring-again living in Wisconsin. 2gonefishing "God's Garden" National Wildlife Federation Habitat Garden
Question do you have indoor spiders? Keep them inside till spring (did they grow, good they did there job now set them free--think twice if you do not have spiders--you have an unhappy environment. (truth is we always keep two or so-the friendly kind--long legs, green not big main bodies)

2gonefishing, the skylight is a diffuse lighted - soft light without all the heat. I've recently put it on a south facing window that is covered by a porch so it doesn't get direct light either. Funny, even though I'm in Phoenix I have a hard time getting direct light to my plants. I DO need to repot it, tho, and will start to do that with all of my houseplants. Our water is just nasty here with the chemicals. I'm sure if I still lived in Mississippi with all the humidity it wouldn't be an issue. The dryness coupled with yucky hard water just doesn't make for beautiful plants all the time