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The spider plant(Chlorophytum comosum)is an promiscuous - to - like - for houseplant , which is why I urge it to many beginner plant moms and dads . Despite being low - maintenance , newfangled proprietor often overwater wanderer industrial plant without even recognise it .
Overwatering is such a bad drill as it can stamp out the plant . If the plant suddenly look less buoyant with discolored foliage , the job could be surplus water . To save up the plant life , you require to recognize the signs of overwatering and cook the problem quickly .
See the brown-black foliage, a sign of overwatering.
I ’m Alex Worley , a certified sea captain gardener with over 7 years of experience caring for houseplant . I ’ve grow stacks of spider plants and helped troubleshoot customers ’ overwatering issues at my local greenhouse . For more about my backdrop in horticulture and professional experience advise clients on houseplant care , see my bio here . In this clause , I ’ll help you spot the signs of overwatering and store your spider industrial plant using the expertness I ’ve developed over the years .
Signs of Overwatering in Spider Plants
When sitting in waterlogged soil , wanderer plants can develop serious problems , such as origin putrefaction , that can kill them if not ready before long enough .
Here ’s how to tell apart your spider industrial plant is overwatered :
Yellowing leaves
The early signal of overwatering is yellowing leaves . At the onset of overwatering , the depressed parting of the spider plant progressively turn from succulent green to pale green to yellow and can worsen to embrown .
leave at the base of the plant are the first to be affected , but the signs will attest on more leaves if the problem is not remedied . The foliage will also start to droop and neglect off .
Leafyellowing in wanderer plantsusually bulge out at the tips or edges of the leavesand circularize inwards if overwatering persists .
The yellowing results from the works ’s root strangle and being ineffectual to absorb food to nourish the repose of the plant .
merely look at the overall color of the plant – if more and more leaf are turning yellow , you in all probability have an overwatering problem on your hands .
Drooping leaves
Overwatering your spider plant suffocates root , deflower their power to take up water system and nutrient effectively . This punctuate the works and cause the leaves to flag and droop , even when the soil is wet .
It ’s the plant tantamount of drowning .
If the leave-taking of your spider plant are wilting- whereby they assume a droopy and shriveled appearance- it could be that you ’re overhydrating the plant .
Note that the industrial plant ’s leave can also wilt due to underwatering , so I advise stop the filth wet level while diagnose the plant .
Root rot disease
etymon bunk can be unmanageable to identify because the main signs take place in the plant ’s ancestor geographical zone . Excess wet creates a conducive environment for fungi that have tooth root to dilapidate .
The rot root of an overwatered wanderer plant commonly appear brown , mushy , and slimy .
alas , the only room you may be certain the plant is suffering from base rot is by withdraw it from the quite a little and inspecting the roots .
Leaves turning brown
If there are brown maculation on the leaves of your spider plant , you ’re most likely overwatering it . These unsightly spots pop out off as minute - sized specks before morph into larger brown fleck .
Oversaturated soil prevents right water supply and nutrient preoccupation . The flora ’s leaves fundamentally famish and dehydrate despite the plant being soaked at the root . The browning harm occurs first at the tips and edge , circulate inward across the entire leaf as conditions stay on too pixilated .
See also cause forbrown spider plant life leaf wind .
NOTE : In my experience , attend a few dark-brown spots is n’t of necessity get for consternation – it can happen occasionally , even in ideal conditions . But if the Robert Browning spreads across many leaf , it ’s a red flag for overwatering . The same go if the brown leaves apace weaken and drop off the plant .
Browning leaf edges
If the leaf edge of your wanderer plant life come out brown , over - hydration is the most likely cause .
Like many plant life , wanderer plants tend to channel piddle away from the center of the leaves toward the periphery .
As the leafage tissues at the tips and edges reach their wet retentiveness content , they rapture , causing browning at the edges .
Waterlogged soil
If the soil on which your spider plant grows seem too wet , it can no longer hold any more urine . Soil with poor drain is more probable to cause spider plant overwatering , as it can not drain moisture fast enough .
Waterlogged ground may also show signs of fungous emergence , including molding and mildew right on the surface .
Leaves falling off
As wanderer industrial plant leaves continue to droop due to over - irrigation , they start strike down off .
It is normal for plant to suffer old leafage , but if untested leaves are also leave out , you ’d be right to suspect overwatering or another job that ’s deserving diagnosing .
SIDE NOTE :
Keep in mind that overwatering will pull in not only fungi but also pests . A rotting medium pull in silverfish , earwigs , and flies .
A weakened plant is also prostrate to attacks by other pest , such as mealybugs , aphids , and whitefly . Most of these pests choose to infest the lower side of the foliage .
How to save an overwatered spider plant
Here are steps to pursue to save the spider plant :
1. Stop watering the plant for a while
The first step in saving an overwatered spider plant is to stop watering the plant immediately . We want to ensure the stain lose superfluous water so the plant can emit again and tie nutrient .
Once the plant revives , abbreviate the watering frequence and fix any drainage issues . By this , I intend if your pot does not have a drainage golf hole at the bottom , drill one in it .
Remove any in full browned leaves to prioritise new growing . With time and improved conditions , the flora can produce fresh new foliage .
2. Drain the excess water
If the soil is still waterlogged , drain the spare water will help the plant heal faster .
tip the pot on its side and propping it up at an slant for several hours can also help hotfoot up water system runoff .
Also , consider using terra cotta pots rather of plastic hold up forward . Terracotta breathes better and avail the soil dry out out faster .
The next whole step you ’ll take to revive the industrial plant from here will depend on whether root rot had occurred or not by the clock time you diagnosed the watering issue .
3. Treat root rot
If the beginning of your spider industrial plant have a slimy texture , a bad odor , and a dim / dark-brown shade , it means they ’re rotten due to overwatering . To solve this problem and save the plant , keep abreast the procedure outlined below :
The industrial plant should take about 10 days to get down showing recovery signs . shortly enough , you ’ll enjoy thebenefits of the wanderer plantagain .
4. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings
This is more of a preventative cadence . Hold off on watering until the dirt feels dry to the touch .
You ca n’t go improper with the ‘ soak and dry ’ method . With this method acting , you give your wanderer plant a good drunkenness and then hold back until the top in or two of soil has dry out before watering again .
My final thoughts
A spider plant growing in soggy weather will show sign of ill health and unhappiness . Drooping leaves , brown spot and marks on the leaves , and stunted growing are some symptoms you ’ll notice on the plant .
I recommend moving the works to a shaded field and removing it from the pot . lease it seat for a few time of day , then groom a fresh potting premix and repot the spider plant to spare it from overwatering .
water supply softly until the wanderer industrial plant revives , then localize it where there ’s brilliant indirect sunlight .
FAQ
The pet watering frequency for spider plants is once every 1 - 2 weeks . Water only when the top inch or two of soil has dry out . Allowing the soil to dry out between waterings prevents overwatering .
No , overwatering can in earnest damage a spider plant . It causes issue like etymon rot from fungus , chicken leaves , and leaf drop-off .
An overwatered spider plant will have yellow or embrown leaf , soft or rotting roots , fungus growth , and leaf drop while an underwatered plant will have crisp chocolate-brown leafage tips and a severely dry out - out root testis .
