Spiders in the kitchen!

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Spiders in the kitchen!

As this is a gardening blog what other spiders could I be talking about other than Chlorophytum comosum?

What, you don’t know what Chlorophytum comosum is? Shame on you, you’ve probably had it growing in your house for years or in your office or in your parents’/grandparents’ house.

It’s probably one of the easiest of indoor (outdoor during the summer months) to grow & is almost impossible to kill!

Have you guessed it by now? Yeah, it was easy wasn’t it? No? Well perhaps the following photos will jog your memory!

Before repotting:

This plant has lived in this corner of the kitchen for around 10 years now. You may be able to see in the photo just how much it had grown over the side of the pot, the side facing the window naturally.

In the process of repotting:

I had to throw away 3/4 of the plant material, however much it pained me, what was left I put in the same pot with fresh compost. They are also planted a bit lower in the pot as well though I think the original plant was set at least an inch or so below the rim of the pot. The roots must have pushed it up over the years.

Finished repotting:

In this last photo you can see how I also cut the leaves back at least 50%. Rather drastic measures but the only way to insure it/they recover & root quickly without being top heavy & to give them the chance to form a new root system.

I’ve never treated a Spider plant like this before but I’m confident it will recover & look like this other one in a year or two:

You can see in this photo why I had to repot it, it had fallen off the shelf in the kitchen at least 3 times during the previous fortnight. It was just crying out for some TLC!

Now it/they will be much happier!

22 Aug, 2016
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Comments

Shirley_tulip

This topical for me Balcony as I was given two 'babies' off a mature plant yesterday ... they had rooted well in water. What compost/soil do you pot them up in?

Also, how did my coffee mugs get in your kitchen, lol!!!

23 Aug, 2016

Steragram

Those are the most disgustingly healthy ones I've ever seen...I think because they are so forgiving they tend to get neglected often.

23 Aug, 2016

Eirlys

Balcony: Your Spider Plants really are healthy. As Steragram points out they can be "forgotten" but they don't seem to mind.

I had a couple next to my PC as I had read somewhere that it is one of the most efficient plants that absorbs radiation from computers! Must work because both died!!

24 Aug, 2016

Balcony

Shirley, you can plant them in any potting compost you find in the shops/GC. They don't need anything special & will grow in anything practically - even water, for a few months!!!

That plant spent at least 10 years in the same pot without changing. I do water it with fertilizer when I water all my plants but during 6 months it gets nothing more than water. It even gets tomato fertilizer for about 3 months in the summer.

I had to do something about it as it fell off the shelf 3 times during the week.

As for the coffee mugs I just checked & ours are still here so you can't have taken them! LOL!!!

Stera: I must be doing something right with them in that case! Never heard of a plant being called "disgustingly healthy" before! LOL!

Eirlys: Shame about the death of your two plants! I have heard of plants that are good at absorbing radiation from the computers but I didn't know Spider Plants were good for that! But anyway I don't believe modern PCs give off dangerous amounts of radiation.

26 Aug, 2016

Steragram

Eirlys, you really made me chuckle there.

26 Aug, 2016

Shirley_tulip

Thanks for that info. Balcony, I shall pot them up tomorrow.

27 Aug, 2016

Balcony

I had to water the pot today as rather surprisingly it was a bit dry! Can't be because of the roots as few roots will have formed yet. Must be evaporation. Anyway I watered it but it has made me realise I must check it every few days. They may be very tolerant plants but for that they need to be established first!

29 Aug, 2016

Shirley_tulip

I'm sure it will be fine with a bit of TLC from you!

30 Aug, 2016

Balcony

Thanks for your vote of confidence in my abilities, Shirley! I hope I don't defraud you! LOL!

31 Aug, 2016

Shirley_tulip

:o)))

1 Sep, 2016

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