How Often to Water Spider Plants? (Tips for New Plant Parents)
How often should you water your spider plants?
It’s a question that many new plant parents are asking themselves.
A lack of knowledge about how to care for their plants leads some people to over-water or under-water them, which can ultimately lead to them dying.
There is no set watering schedule for spider plants. However, there is a general guideline: you should water your spider plants at least once a week, depending on the season, plant size, temperature, and humidity.
This article will teach you everything you need to know about how to water your spider plants so that you can enjoy their beautiful blooms without stress.
Let’s dive right in!
How often do you water a spider plant?
A common question asked by people who have just bought a spider plant is how often they should water it.
Spider plants need regular watering, but not as much as other houseplants. You should water a spider plant at least once a week.
Spider plants are easy to care for, but because they’re popular houseplants, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about how often these plants need water.
The truth is that spider plant care is low maintenance, and the bottom line is: Spider plants require different amounts of water depending on their stage of development.
A good rule of thumb is to wait until the top two inches of your soil have dried out, but not completely dry through, before giving your spider plant some moisture.
Based on my experience, you should water your spider plants at least once a week for the first month to learn more about how fast moisture evaporates from the soil.
Like I have mentioned previously, how often you should water your spider plant will also depend on the weather in your area.
You’ll need to pay more attention to the water in the spring and summer because it will likely evaporate more quickly due to the sun and temperatures.
Watering your spider plant is essential because it helps the soil retain moisture and nutrients.
The watering frequency will depend on how long you’ve had your spider plant, but generally, most people water their plants at least once a week.
Also read: 8 Different Types of Spider Plants You Should Know (With Pictures)
Should you water your spider plant every day?
On the contrary, you shouldn’t water your spider plant every day.
Spider plants are very sensitive to overwatering, so make sure to check the soil’s moisture level before you water.
It’s recommended that you only water your spider plant once a week, especially if you’ve just purchased one.
It takes a while for spider plants to get accustomed to your home’s humidity.
If you water your spider plant every day, you’ll be stressing them out, and eventually, they’ll die.
When you first start to care for your spider plant, you should only water it once every 4 to 5 days.
What you need to know is that a spider plant doesn’t need a lot of water. If you water your spider plant every day, you may be overwatering it.
We’ll look at how to water your spider plant correctly, so keep on reading.
Further reading: Houseplant Care Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Take Care of A Houseplant
How to water your spider plant correctly?
The best approach to watering your spider plants is to wet the potting soil thoroughly before watering again.
You want to slightly moisten the soil but not drown it by flooding the pot with water.
You should choose a pot with drainage holes and use well-draining potting soil to prevent the soil from becoming soggy.
Next, whenever possible, use distilled water or rainwater to get the best growth and blooms.
To prevent overwatering your spider plant, make sure the soil is dry before watering again.
If the soil is still wet, wait another day and continue the process until it is completely dry.
It’s not a big deal the first time; the spider plant bounces back quickly. But if you do it regularly, your spider plant will eventually die.
By keeping an eye on the soil’s moisture levels, you may allow the spider plant to absorb food and water at its own speed.
When it comes to watering your spider plant, one simple rule applies: wait until the soil is almost completely dry before providing generous amounts of water.
Learn how to take care of your spider plant correctly by reading our spider plant care guide!
Factors Influencing Your Watering Frequency
Various factors can impact the frequency in which a spider plant needs to be watered. These factors include the season, the size of your plant, humidity, and the plant’s location.
Season
In warmer months, your spider plant will grow and bloom faster. As a result, you should adjust your watering schedule according to the season.
It’s no secret that spring and summer are the times when your spider plant experiences a rapid growth spurt.
In the warmer season, you’ll see your spider plant grow additional fresh leaves, new plantlets, or even bloom some flowers.
This means you’ll have to give your plant extra water to keep it alive and growing well.
During the chilly winter months, however, your spider plants will grow at a slower rate.
The slowdown in growth might be drastic in some situations.
As a result, you should reduce your watering to avoid overwatering and root damage.
The size of the plant
Generally speaking, bigger spider plants consume more water than smaller ones.
Larger plants absorb more water because their root systems are more developed.
Meanwhile, it also loses more moisture due to photosynthesis and transpiration.
Despite this, younger spider plants develop quickly in their first year.
This indicates that they will need more water. During this high growth phase, you should water plants at least once a week.
After that, water smaller plants twice in three weeks or wait until your plant’s soil has dried out a bit.
The temperature
Temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) have been shown to stimulate more respiration.
As a result, the soil will dry up faster since the spider plant is absorbing more water.
For example, you’ll want to increase the frequency with which you water your plants in the summer.
This is because you need to replace the moisture that has been lost via respiration that occurs more when the temperature is hot.
The reverse is true in colder weather, such as winter. Your spider plant will need less water as it gets less active.
Also read: Can Spider Plants Survive a Freeze? (Answered)
Relative humidity
Your spider plants will thrive in a humid environment. However, when the humidity increases, the plant’s transpiration, and water use decrease.
As a result, when humidity levels are high, you can cut back on the number of times you water your spider plants.
Low humidity, on the other hand, causes your plants to lose more water faster. This will cause the soil to dry up more quickly as a result.
Therefore, to keep your spider plant healthy, you’ll need to water it more frequently.
Also read: Do Spider Plants Like Humidity? (Answered)
The location
If you have a spider plant near a south-facing window, you’ll have to water it more frequently. Why? This is due to the fact that it gets more sunlight coming from the window.
Spider plants that you place near heaters, grow lights, radiators, and other heat sources are similarly affected.
On the other hand, if your spider plant doesn’t get much sun, you’ll have to water it less frequently.
This is because the lack of sunlight reduces the plant’s ability to transpire moisture.
As a result, the soil will stay wet longer.
So it would be best if you watered your spider plant less often to avoid overwatering it.
If you want to make sure that you’re watering your spider plant properly, you can use a soil moisture meter.
You can use this tool to check the soil moisture of your plants.
Also read: Can A Spider Plant Live Outside? (Explained for Beginners!)
How do you know if your spider plant needs watering?
Spider plants are easy to identify because they have long, hairy leaves.
If you find that your spider plant is drooping or the soil around it has dried out completely, then it’s time to water it.
Whenever your spider plant isn’t getting enough water, you’ll notice that the leaves are turning a bit paler than usual.
The leaves are usually dark green in color, but they will become paler if your plant isn’t getting enough water.
This makes it extremely clear whether your spider plant needs some water.
However, if the soil around your plant is still damp, then you don’t need to worry about watering it for a few days.
You can also do the finger test to know whether your spider plant needs watering or not.
Test the soil’s moisture level by sticking your finger an inch or two down into it.
If the soil is a little moist, wait a couple of extra days before doing the finger test once again.
Your spider plant may need some watering if the soil is almost totally dry to the touch.
How can you tell if a spider plant is overwatered?
It is essential to know how often you should water the plant and what signs to watch for that tell if it’s time to give them a drink.
Inspect your spider plant every 4-5 days and look for tips like wilting leaves or drooping stems, which generally mean it needs some moisture added.
If you overwater your spider plant, it will let you know right away.
There are a few signs that you’ve overwatered your spider plant:
- The tips of the leaves will begin to turn brown and eventually drop off altogether.
- The leaves will turn yellow and shrivel up.
If you notice these obvious signs, stop watering and let the soil dry up before giving more moisture to your spider plants.
You can then cut the brown tips or the yellow leaves off your spider plant just fine when this sign happens.
As I have said before, do not cut off the entire leaf, as this may shock your plant.
Also read: How to Revive an Overwatered Spider Plant? (Easy Fix)
Does spider plant like rainwater?
Yes, in most cases, your spider plant will prefer rainwater to your regular tap water.
For spider plants, chlorine and fluoride (both of which can be present in tap water) can cause browning of the leaf tips.
While watering with tap water occasionally isn’t harmful, using rainwater or distilled water is the best way to keep your spider plant healthy.
Conclusion
The truth is that spider plants are pretty easy to grow and require very little care. Plus, there are a lot of benefits that come with growing your own spider plant.
It’s important to remember that spider plants don’t require a lot of water.
They need to be watered just enough to keep the soil slightly moist.
Generally, you want to water your spider plants every week or two. Remember to check the soil’s moisture level before watering your spider plant again.
If the soil is still wet, wait another day and continue the process until it is completely dry.
And there you have it. I hope you know how often you should water your spider plant to keep it happy and healthy.
Now I’d like to hear from you:
How long have you had your spider plant? Did you water it every day?
Please leave your comments below and let me know.
I’ll see you next time.
Until then, happy gardening!
