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getgoing100_7b_nj

Does anyone else stake their spider plant?

Mine was planted in a shallow pot for some time and became flat and lopsided, probably for not being planted deep enough. The base of some of these were pushing above the media. I took to tying them (gingeely) in a fountain ponytail sorta arrangement. The leaves are fragile and break at the slightest touch. Eventually I potted it somewhat deeper in a bigger pot, put the floppy side away from light (window) so it would rise up to reach for the light but it continues to be floppy and lopsided. Now it is back in a custom made stake.

Comments (18)

  • 3 years ago

    Corset look. 🤣🤣 I find they look better this way when on the floor and the stake "ring" isn't visible at all. The problem with putting it high is the size and weight of the pot and lack of suitable high perches...

  • 3 years ago

    Yours looks great with the cascading babies. My robovac ate up all the ones at floor level before I realized what was happening..

  • 3 years ago

    Spider plant leaves are described as ”gently arching”. My experience with them has been that the newer leafs coming out of center are more upright than the older ones. I’ve never seen it as a floor plant - always hanging or sitting on higher shelf so the spider baby shoots can trail down. The leaf color on yours looks good & very few brown tips so it must be receiving good light & correct amount of water. The pony tail wrap isn’t helping your plant. Maybe trim off some of the underside leaves that seem most droopy & any broken leafs & that will generate more new growth. I’d set the pot up on something to raise it off the floor - see if that improves your opinion of its appearance.

  • 3 years ago

    @getgoing100_7b_nj My post crossed with yours . Understand size & weight an issue with raising plant up. My thought was to place the pot on a small sturdy stool - lower than a table. Just that bit of height should improve the look of the strappy leaves not being so upright. Hilarious about your robovac - I’ve often wondered how effective those things are at keeping dust & dog hair picked up but didn’t think about larger items!

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    I'm not sure I've ever seen a spider plant treated like that before. How long have you been growing them like that?

  • 3 years ago

    Ok, the crutches are gone, it's sitting as high as I can give it, looking ghastly where it is bald. At least some angles are good?

  • 3 years ago

    Or, perhaps here (it will always be lopsided given the further away from window location.

  • 3 years ago

    Beesbeeds, several months. I initially used a piece of panty hose considering how delicate those leaves are but then fashioned this bamboo ring for a more presentable and stable solution. 

    KW PNW, the robovac is usually well behaved and I put away things it likes to eat before I let it loose but accidentally dents happen occasionally. I don't have any pets so can't vouch for how effective it is with dog hair but works well for human hair for sure. It really is a great help. I don't remember when I used the other vacuum except for spot cleaning when a windowsill plant falls on a carpet or such.

  • 3 years ago

    @getgoing100_7b_nj Looks sooo much better! Really! Is that wire stand stable - not tippy? And what about watering - a tray to catch overflow & not ruin carpet? Looks nice on the end of dresser too. You can quarter turn it every so often for light. Or, get a sturdy short stool to set it on with a plant saucer & keep by the window. Really, this is what spider plants should look like. Just give it a couple of months to settle in new pot & it should fill out nicely.

  • 3 years ago

    Oh, come on @KW PNW Z8, doesn't the fountain look so much better, if a tad artificial. I have seen other species/hybrids of spider plants that have much sturdier stuff leaves and they are naturally proper fountain shaped.

  • 3 years ago

    Stuff*

  • 3 years ago

    Well, okay, the ’fountain’ look does have some appeal. But, the means to create that look doesn’t bode well for the plant IMO. I do think it’ll improve its look once it recovers from the transplant trauma and is allowed to fluff out its leaves with new growth. 👩🏻‍🌾

  • 3 years ago

    It was translated several weeks back, almost two months back. I have been waiting for it to start looking presentable. 😊

  • 3 years ago

    Your plant looks pretty much how spider plants look. If you want it to look different perhaps you need a different plant. Maybe a Beaucarnea recurvata or Dracaena marginata.

  • 3 years ago

    I do have a dracaena marginata and a dracaena fragrans

  • 3 years ago

    Here is a well behaved kind of spider plant

  • 3 years ago

    Stronger light will yield more upright leaves. Spider plants can grow in full sun outside. A weed here if it gets loose in the ground.


    Putting one where it doesn't get some sun shining right on it yields longer, weaker leaves that can be unable to hold themselves and they bend, causing a brown spot at the bend.


    Use water w/o flouride as often as possible, spiders can become ill over time from too much fluoride.