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Why Is My Spider Plant Dying? 4 Causes and Solutions!

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Spider plants are pretty common; you can always get one in a plant store. They are supposed to be easy to care for, so one might wonder why they are dying. Some people might think that it is because of their black thumb, but that’s not the case most times.

If you’re asking yourself, ‘why is my spider plant dying?’ You’re not alone. Many factors could affect your plant’s health, and we’ll be discussing them in this article.

Why is my spider plant dying? One of the common reasons this could be happening is root rot due to overwatering. This would cause the spider plant to drop and turn yellow, giving off a dying appearance.

Read on to discover why spider plants don’t always thrive in homes and the best solution to your problem.

Why Is My Spider Plant Dying
Why Is My Spider Plant Dying – via Reddit

Why Is My Spider Plant Dying?

Although you’ve been told spider plants are easy to care for, you’re finding out this isn’t the case. If you think your spider plant is dying, it must be one of the reasons below. In this section, we’ll explore the top reasons why your spider plant might be dying and what to do about it.

1. Overwatering and Stagnant Plants

If you’re looking for the answer to the question ‘Why is my spider plant dying?’ your answer might be overwatering. It has caused many plants to die, and spider plants are no different.

Anybody can make the mistake of overwatering their plant. However, the price you pay for that is usually high. Plants hate being waterlogged, and spider plants are not different. If you’re new to plants, it’s an easy mistake to make.

Sometimes, overwatering has nothing to do with the quantity of water you use. The number of times you water your spider plants might be the reason why you’re overwatering the plant.

There are times when you get too much water caught in the soil or pot. Stagnant water will cause different bacteria to grow, leading to root rot. That’s why you should always ensure that excess water drip out from drainage holes when you’re watering.

Symptoms of Overwatering in Spider Plants

  • The soil is wet to the touch days after watering
  • Leaves are drooping, and the plant looks poor
  • The leaf tips are turning brown or pale yellow
  • A rotting stench if you smell the soil

How to Fix Overwatering Your Spider Plant

Sometimes, the key to fixing overwatering is figuring out a good watering routine. If your plants are already effective, you should dry out the soil, cut out the damaged leaves and adjust your water routines.

You should also ensure that the pot where the spider plant grows has drainage holes. Ensure that the plant is well ventilated if you want to avoid root rot.

However, in cases where it is more serious, inspect the root for root rot symptoms. If there’s a foul stench, then it is present. Sometimes, there’s no off smell as it is still progressing.

To inspect, pull the plants out and inspect. Check to see if the roots are strong rather than mushy. They should also be light brown as dark or black roots signify root rots.

Now, trim the dead root again. Gently work your way up to your spider plant with your fingers. Get rid of the soil and dead root, then rinse the salvaged root with lukewarm water.

Next, repot in fresh soil and make sure you sterilize the pot you’re moving your spider plant to and cut off all the damaged leaves. Finally, adopt a better watering schedule, and your plants should be healthy in no time at all.

2. Underwatering Your Spider Plant

Just like overwatering your spider plant can be a problem, underwatering could also cause your spider plant to die. Spider plants can survive in dry soil conditions for an extended period.

However, they prefer moist soil and will suffer if there’s a lack. Therefore, if you don’t water your spider plant enough, it could be why it is dying.

Symptoms of Underwatered Spider Plant

  • Dry soil for a long time
  • You can’t recall the last day you watered the plant
  • The leaves and fronds are dying
  • Many of the leaves are falling off the plant

How to Save Your Spider Plant From Underwatering

If you find out the answer to your question ‘why is my spider plant dying?’ is underwatering, there’s still hope. First, prune the dead and dry foliages. Also, prune the severely damaged foliages so your plants can focus their energy on new leaves.

More importantly, ensure you water your spider plant frequently. Don’t go overboard with the watering, so you don’t overwater the plant.

 If it is severely dried out, simply watering from the top won’t be enough. You have to pour water into a container and let the pot sit in the container.

Allow your plant to soak up this water for at least an hour, then check to see if the soil loosened up. If it is still too compact, you should poke it with a fork and then soak it again.

Why Is My Spider Plant Dying 2
The leaves on half of my spider plant are dying off – via Reddit

3. Insufficient or Too Much Lighting

Exposing your spider plant to direct sunlight might not kill it, but it will burn the leaves or make them turn brown. Sometimes, it would make your plant look like it’s wilting. However, only direct sunlight in the morning will benefit your plant.

While spider plants love bright indirect plants and will still thrive in low light areas, there’s such a thing as too little light. Too little light can kill your spider plant, although slowly.

It might be a while before your plant dies, but it will gradually lose its leaves and not grow new ones over time. If this happens, you can be sure insufficient light is the cause.

How to Fix Insufficient or Too Much Lighting

While you can expose your spider plant to direct sunlight in the morning, ensure you move it to a shade as the day passes by. This move would keep your spider plant in healthy condition as they love indirect lights.

However, if there is insufficient lighting, move your plant to a brighter area. If this was the problem, you should see the plant improving quickly. However, you should note that moving your plant away or towards more light might also require adjusting your watering routine.

4. Excess Fertilizer

Another thing that could be killing your spider plant is excess fertilizers. Spider plants are not heavy feeders but sometimes benefit from the feeding in the summer months.

If you apply fertilizer too often or in high concentration during the winter month when your spider plant grows slowly, it could cause the plant to be dying. Too much fertilizer could lead to a buildup of salts, making it difficult for the roots to draw moisture.

How to Fix Excess Fertilizer in Spider Plant

If your spider plant is dying from excess fertilizer, you can revive it by taking it out of its pot and getting rid of all the surrounding soil from the pot. You should replace the soil with new potting soil to repot your spider plant.

Ensure you water your plant repeatedly and let the water run through the plant. This way, it will wash out some of the salt and minerals present around the root of your plant.

Additionally, you should prune your leaf tips if they don’t recover in appearance. Doing this will help stimulate new growth in your spider plant.


Conclusion

If your spider plant is dying, it is likely due to excess fertilizer, too much or insufficient lighting, overwatering, or underwatering. Either way, this article covers all the causes and their symptoms.

We also cover the best solution to each cause of your spider plant dying to help you save your plant. If you adopt the simple steps in this article, you’ll never ask, ‘why is my spider plant dying?’ again.