Spider plants are some of the coolest indoor plants that you will find. So many people love keeping them in their houses and they often last for many generations.
The longevity of these plants should tell you that they’re actually fairly hardy but this doesn’t mean that they can’t die.
You might have noticed some issues with your spider plant as of late that will lead you to believe that it’s dying. If you’ve noticed that the leaves on your plant are turning black or dark brown, you might be quite worried.
Thankfully, you’re going to be able to figure out what to do so that you can fix things.
Keep reading to learn about what you can do when your spider plant is dying. You’re going to get many tips that will help you to care for spider plants the right way.
You should be able to solve any issues that you’re having so that you can enjoy your spider plants for many years to come.
1 – Too Much Moisture
One of the most common reasons why spider plants die is that they are exposed to more moisture than they need.
Spider plants are among the easiest types of houseplants to care for overall. They don’t require an abundance of water to thrive but some people make the mistake of watering them too much.
When you water your spider plant more than you need to, it’s possible that the leaves are going to start to turn dark brown or black. You’re most likely not letting it dry out enough between watering sessions.
To get better results, you should check the soil every time you go to water your spider plant to see how it is.
Ideally, your spider plant should have soil that is partially dry before you water it again. You don’t want to let it dry out completely but you also don’t want to overwater it.
It’s all about finding the right mix and paying attention to the state of the soil before watering the plant.
2 – Not Enough Moisture
Unsurprisingly, not watering your plant enough is going to cause similar issues to the one mentioned above.
If you don’t water your spider plant enough, this will cause the tips of its leaves to start turning brown or black. If the plant doesn’t get watered after this, the discoloration will continue to spread to other parts of the plant.
You should never let your spider plant completely dry out because this is going to cause problems. The soil should become partially dry between watering sessions but it should never be bone dry.
You need to pay close attention to the soil to make sure that you aren’t going too long between watering sessions.
Always pay attention to your watering schedule. Doing so is going to make it a lot easier to stay on top of problems such as this.
You should be able to get on a consistent watering schedule that will make sense for your plant and your spider plant should be able to bounce back even if it had started to change colors.
3 – Soil Drainage Issues
Soil drainage issues can cause problems for spider plants as well. If you aren’t allowing the soil to drain properly, you could be causing your plant some measure of water stress.
Basically, if moisture is sticking around and not draining properly, that’s causing similar problems to watering it too much.
To avoid problems, you’re going to want to try to do a few things. First, you should get soil that has proper drainage so that your spider plant can thrive. Second, you’re going to need to avoid letting your plant sit in a saucer full of water.
Generally, people have their spider plants draining onto a saucer or plate but some of them might let this saucer stay around for too long. Your spider plant doesn’t like this and it can even cause issues that you would be better off avoiding.
When your plant is done draining, you need to be sure to remove the saucer and discard the drainage water.
4 – Spider Plant Placement/Location
Where you’ve put your spider plant could be playing a role in the issues that you’re noticing.
If you’re worried that it’s dying even though you’re watering it properly, it’s going to be time to consider the location of the plant. Did you know that placing it too close to a furnace, heater, or vent could cause significant issues?
If your spider plant is too close to a heat source, it might start to dry out faster than it normally would. This could even cause the plant to burn a little bit if the heat is set very high.
No matter what, your plant being too close to a furnace or some other type of heat source is going to cause issues.
Simply relocating the plant to a safer spot might be all you need to do to solve your problem. You want it to be kept away from vents, furnaces, and other things of that nature.
Try to figure out a good location where you can admire your plant while also keeping it safe.
5 – You Need to Put Your Plant in a New Pot
Sometimes you will notice issues with your spider plant when it has outgrown the pot that it is currently in as well.
It could have become too big for the pot that you have it placed in right now. In this situation, all you really need to do is take the time to pot it in a larger pot.
Remember that plants that can’t utilize their roots properly will have a hard time taking in moisture. Your pot could be stifling your spider plant’s ability to survive. Having a larger pot will make it a lot easier for it to get back to being healthy again.
Your spider plant needs to have enough room for its roots to spread out. Try to find a pot that is going to give it some room to breathe without being overly big.
As long as you’re making logical choices, it shouldn’t be difficult at all to get it into a new pot that is appropriate.
6 – Too Much Fertilizer
Fertilizer is something that quite a few spider plant owners use from time to time.
You might even choose to give your plant fertilizer multiple times per year to encourage growth. It’s just not going to be good when you use too much because it can harm the plant.
Some spider plant owners have noted that too much fertilizer can cause discoloration and other issues. For example, you might notice the tips changing color if you use more than you should.
When this fertilizer doesn’t drain properly, it’s going to be bad for your plant.
Whenever you make use of fertilizer, you need to try to only use the amount that is recommended for your spider plant. Also, you want to make sure that your plant drains properly so that nothing gets left behind and harms your plant.
Be more vigilant when using fertilizer to avoid any complications.
7 – Water Chemicals
One weird problem that some people have to deal with is water chemicals. Some cities add a lot of chemicals to their water and certain chemicals could be harmful to your spider plant.
If you see your spider plant develop reddish-brown tips, that’s a sign that your water has too much fluoride in it.
Some have even noted spotting tan or gray tips on their spider plants. This is a sign that your water contains an abundance of boron. It’s problematic when things such as this happen but you can just stop using tap water to water your plants.
You should consider making use of distilled water from the store to water your plants from now on. If this isn’t ideal in your situation, you could also try to gather water when it rains that you can use for your plant.
Just avoid using tap water if you’ve noticed that it has too many harmful chemicals in it.
8 – Pest Issues
Pests can sometimes cause problems for your spider plants too. This could be the cause of your discoloration issues and you’ll likely notice pests bothering any other houseplants that you have as well.
Luckily, it isn’t too hard to get rid of pests if you buy the right stuff at the store.
You might need to get rid of pests such as spider mites. Get the right pesticide to treat your plant to alleviate this issue.
It can be annoying to have harmful bugs in your home but it’s something that can be dealt with promptly so long as you don’t ignore things for too long.
It’s smart to look up specific information about whatever pest you are dealing with. If you can observe your plants and notice a specific type of insect, it’ll be easier to get the right stuff to deal with the problem.
Try to be as proactive as you can so that your little pest problem won’t become a huge deal.
9 – Plant Disease
Plant disease is the final potential cause of your spider plant showing signs of dying. Some spider plants can come down with a disease that will turn leaf tips black.
Many refer to this as bacterial leaf blight and you’ll likely first notice it when lesions appear on the leaf tips of your plant.
This problem most often occurs in very hot or humid conditions. You could also notice some yellowing of the leaves when this is happening.
The best way to solve this problem is to give your plant better circulation while also removing damaged sections of the plant.
When you’re cutting away leaves and sections of your plant, just try to be mindful of how you’re doing it. Cutting the leaves with edges that reflect the natural edges that the plant would have will make sense.
In many cases, spider plants can bounce back nicely after being trimmed and taken care of properly.
You might need to baby the plant a bit to get it back to a healthy state. This means being very attentive to the plant and what it needs for the next several months.
If all goes well, you should be able to have a healthy spider plant once more.
If you notice that the disease has spread to the stems of your spider plant, it won’t be able to be saved. You’ll have to discard it and buy a new one.
Just try to notice these problems as early as you can so that you can take action to save your plants.
Take Care of Your Spider Plant
Now you know a lot more about spider plants and you also know what can cause them to die.
Spider plants are pretty resilient but they aren’t invincible. You’re going to need to take the right precautions to protect your plant from the problems mentioned above.
As long as you know what to avoid, it’s going to be a lot easier to get good results when taking care of these plants.
Overall, this is an easy plant to care for and it is good for beginners. It’s not something that should intimidate you and most of these issues can be solved quite easily.
Paying attention to how you’re watering your spider plant will likely solve most of your issues. The only truly worrying problem occurs when your plant is diseased and needs to be saved.
Otherwise, you shouldn’t have many problems getting it to bounce back to normal.
Hopefully, this little guide gave you all of the information that you needed. You can come back to get information about spider plant care whenever you’re unsure of what to do.
Black or brown tips don’t have to be seen as a death knell for your spider plant when you know what actions to take.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.
Ron
Wednesday 9th of December 2020
Thanks for sharing these tips! I found it very helpful