Can You Overwater Your Spider Plant? (Explained)

Is it possible to overwater a spider plant?

Spider plants do look like little spiders hanging on leaves.

They are easy to care for.

But can you overwater them?

Yes, you can overwater your spider plants sometimes.

Like most other plants, spider plants do not do well with overwatering.

But you may have read that they can take abuse once in a while.

If so, how much abuse can they take before it becomes too much?

How can you know if you have overwatered your spider plant?

Let’s dive right in!!

Is my spider plant getting too much water?

The first step to finding out if your spider plant is overwatered is to look at the soil.

If your soil looks wet and has a muddy look, then you have overwatered it.

Even worse, if you see water forming a “pool” around your spider plant, it means it is waterlogged.

Soil becomes waterlogged when water cannot pass through it.

When water cannot pass through the soil, it pools up around the base of your spider plant.

Several factors can cause waterlogging.

Your pot may not be draining the water properly.

Or, your soil may be so hard and compact that water does not flow through it.

To solve the first issue, you can do a few things to get water flowing again.

If the bottom of your spider plant’s pot lacks holes, you can simply drill more holes to get water flowing.

However, if your pot has enough holes, try putting your pot on a stand with holes in it.

But what about compact soil?

You can quickly solve that by mixing leaf molds into your spider plant’s soil.

Leafmolds are piles of decomposed leaves that you often find on the forest floor.

These leafmolds are porous enough that they easily let water through the soil.

But say you do not have leafmolds. What else can you use?

It turns out that manure compost is also great at preventing waterlogged soil.

You can mix manure into the soil of your spider plant, and it will have the same effect as leaf mold.

But what if it’s too late?

How can you tell if your spider plant is already damaged by overwatering?

Well, here are some of the things to look out for on a damaged spider plant.

What does an overwatered spider plant look like?

find out why your spider plant turning yellow

Discolored leaves are the first sign to look out for to spot overwatered spider plants.

Healthy spider plants will have a lush, green color.

Overwatered spider plants, however, will have a pale green color.

Another sign to look out for is browning leaves on your spider plant.

Initially, they will start as brown spots scattered throughout the leaves.

These brown spots then get more significant and spread all over the leaf.

Another, more obvious sign is wilting leaves.

When you overwater your spider plant, it limits your plant’s ability to take in moisture through the soil.

Lack of moisture then makes the leaves wilt.

If left wilting for too long, the leaves will fall off.

Another serious sign that your spider plant is overwatered is root rot.

When the soil is waterlogged, fungi can grow in the soil and damage roots.

Fungi or mold growing on the wet soil surfaces is a root rot sign.

Finally, if you see pests on your spider plant, it is also a sign of overwatering.

Wet soil attracts pests such as aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies.

Now that you’ve found the culprit, how should you remove them?

Keep reading to find out!

Also read: Why is My Spider Plant Turning Brown? Find Out Why!

Can a spider plant recover from overwatering?

Thankfully, you can help your spider plant recover from overwatering.

If the soil is waterlogged or looks soggy, start draining all excess water from the soil.

Then, place your spider plant in an area with warmer temps, around 21–32°C.

Also, try placing your spider plant in an area with bright, indirect light.

This will help evaporate all the excess water and dry the soil.

Now for root rot, start by inspecting the roots of your spider plant.

If the roots look black or brown and feel squishy or mushy, then your spider plant suffers from root rot.

To remove root rot, prune the damaged roots with disinfected pruning shears.

Then, rinse all the soil off with clean water.

After this, replace the pot’s soil with fresh soil.

If you find your spider plants infected with pests, do the following to get rid of them.

First, spray your plant with a strong stream of water.

This will knock off most of the pests on your spider plant.

Spray the plant with soapy water to eliminate the rest of the pests.

Soap water will suffocate the pests and leave your spider plant pest-free.

Congratulations! You have successfully saved your spider plant!

But now you may be wondering, how often should I water my spider plant?

Also read: Can You Bring Back a Dead Spider Plant? (Yes, You Can!)

How often should you water a spider plant?

Surprisingly, you don’t need to water your spider plant that frequently.

Ideally, you should water your spider plant once a week.

Also, always make sure the soil is dry before you water them.

If it’s wet, do not water them.

Always wait until the soil is dry before watering them, or you may overwater them again.

Read our guide about how often should a spider plant be watered?

Conclusion

Spider plants are common houseplants throughout the world.

They are known for being easy to grow and forgiving of occasional mistreatment.

However, like all other plants, spider plants cannot withstand long periods of abuse.

One such abuse is overwatering.

Spider plants can withstand accidental overwatering.

But too much overwatering can lead to problems.

Such problems are root rot, falling leaves, and pest infestation, to name a few.

Root rot can be solved by pruning all the rotten roots and replacing the soil.

Falling leaves can be solved by draining all the excess water from the soil.

And pest infestation can be solved by spraying your plant with soap water.

Regardless of these solutions, spider plants are not meant to take constant abuse.

Properly caring for your plant by not overwatering it is one of the most important steps for having a healthy spider plant.

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