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INDOORPLANTCARE
Repotting · Spider Plant

How to Repot a Spider Plant

Every 1–2 years — spider plants outgrow pots fast. Best time: Spring or early summer. New pot size: 1–2 inches — spider plants bloom and produce more babies when slightly root-bound.

Frequency
Every 1–2 years — spider plants outgrow pots fast
Best season
Spring or early summer
Pot size
1–2 inches — spider plants bloom and produce more babies when slightly root-bound
Soil mix
Standard houseplant potting mix amended with 20% perlite

Signs your Spider Plant needs repotting

Pot cracking from root pressure (spider plant roots are tuberous and aggressive); soil mounded above the rim; very few baby plantlets being produced; soil dries within 1–2 days.

Step-by-step

  1. 1
    Water thoroughly 24 hours before.
  2. 2
    Slide out the rootball — expect a dense tangle of fleshy white tuberous roots.
  3. 3
    Trim back the longest roots by 25% if severely root-bound. This is unusual for most plants but spider plants tolerate it.
  4. 4
    This is the best time to remove a baby plantlet for propagation or trim damaged leaves.
  5. 5
    Pot in fresh mix at the same depth.
  6. 6
    Water thoroughly. Resume normal care immediately — spider plants recover from repotting fast.

What kills Spider Plant after repotting

  • Burying the crown — causes basal rot in the central growth point
  • Over-trimming roots (more than 25%) — stalls baby plantlet production
  • Using fluoridated tap water immediately after repotting — causes brown leaf tips on the freshly stressed plant

Botanical reference: NC State Extension — Chlorophytum comosum

For full Spider Plant care, see the Spider Plant care guide. For the basics that apply to any plant, see how to repot a plant (general).