Spider plant care in Dubai: light, water and brown tips

A spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) needs bright indirect light, water when the top 2 to 3 cm of soil is dry (about every 7 days in a Dubai summer, 10 to 14 in winter), and a spot where its stems can trail. Brown tips are common in air-conditioned rooms.

Key takeaways

• Bright indirect light keeps leaves striped and full. Direct sun scorches them.
• Water when the top 2 to 3 cm is dry: about weekly in summer, every 10 to 14 days in winter, under AC.
• Brown tips come from dry air, salt build-up or uneven watering. Trim them and fix the cause.
• Thick, fleshy roots store water. If they fill the pot, repot.
• Baby plants (plantlets) on long stems are easy to root.

How much light does a spider plant need?

Bright, indirect light is best, such as a spot near a window with a sheer curtain, or a shelf a metre or so away. It tolerates medium light, but the leaves become dull and the plant makes fewer plantlets. Direct Dubai sun through glass in summer can bleach or burn the leaves, leaving pale, papery patches.

How often should you water a spider plant in a Dubai summer?

Spider plants store water in fleshy roots, so they handle a missed watering better than constant wetness. In summer under AC, water about once a week, when the top 2 to 3 cm is dry. Water until it drains from the bottom, then empty the saucer.

If the leaves look limp and the soil is dry, give it a good soak. If the leaves yellow and the soil is wet, let it dry out more.

And in winter, from November to March?

Every 10 to 14 days is typical indoors. A shaded, cool room needs less. Check the soil first.

What does AC do to a spider plant?

Spider plants are tougher than calatheas or ferns, but air conditioning still shows on the leaf tips. Dry air and cold airflow produce brown, crispy tips on the long leaves. Hanging the plant in front of a vent makes it worse.

To limit this:

• Hang or place it out of the direct airflow.
• Group it with other plants.
• Use a pebble tray, with water below the top of the pebbles.
• Flush the pot every few months to wash out salts.
• Trim browned tips with clean scissors, keeping the leaf's natural point.

Why do spider plant tips turn brown?

The main causes are dry air, mineral salts from tap water collecting in the soil, and swings between very dry and very wet soil. Some growers use filtered or rainwater for sensitive plants. We haven't tested water types, so treat that as general horticultural advice. Flushing the soil with plenty of water, letting it drain fully, is a simple first step.

What soil, pot and repotting does it need?

Use a regular indoor potting mix with some perlite. The pot needs holes. Spider plants grow fast, and their white, fleshy roots can fill a pot and even push it apart. Repot every year or so in spring or summer, into a pot one size bigger, or divide the clump into two plants when it gets crowded. For large or hanging baskets, our plant repotting service can help.

How big does a spider plant get indoors?

Plants usually reach about 30 to 60 cm tall and spread, with long stems carrying plantlets that hang 50 cm or more below a hanging basket. Our shop has the spider plant.

How do you propagate the baby plants?

Plantlets form on long stems once the plant is mature and has enough light. When a plantlet has small roots or nubs at its base, you can:

1. Cut it from the parent stem with clean scissors.
2. Place it in a glass of water or press it into moist potting mix.
3. Keep it in bright indirect light and keep the soil lightly moist.
4. Pot it up when roots are a few centimetres long.

You can also pin the plantlet into a small pot of soil while it's still attached, and cut it free when it's rooted.

Why are my spider plant's leaves yellow, pale or flopping?

• Brown tips: dry air, salts or uneven watering.
• Yellow leaves with wet soil: overwatering.
• Yellow older leaves: normal ageing.
• Pale, washed-out leaves: too much light, or old soil with few nutrients.
• Plain green leaves on a variegated variety: low light.
• Flopping leaves: thirst, or a pot packed with roots.
• No plantlets: too little light, or a young plant.

Which pests affect spider plants?

Spider mites, mealybugs, scale and fungus gnats are the usual ones. Despite the name, spider plants can get spider mites, especially in dry air. Look for fine speckles and webbing on leaves. Wipe leaves with a damp cloth, rinse the plant in the shower, and dab mealybugs and scale with a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol, repeating weekly. If you have many plants to look after in an office, see our plant maintenance service, quoted after a free site visit.

For another trailing plant that's easy to root from cuttings, see our golden pothos care guide. Or browse the indoor plants category.

Reviewed by Hamza, site supervisor at Green Beetle.