Houseplant experts say you can grow spider plants without soil – but offer a word of warning about this water culture method

I'm always looking for new ways to grow houseplants in my home that will switch up my indoor garden display. Whether it's using plant stands to create a feature wall or dabbling in hydroponics. Not all houseplants are suited to water culture, which is why you may be wondering if you can grow spider plants in water.

When it comes to hydroponic gardening, there are actually quite a few houseplants to experiment with. These are the houseplants that can thrive long-term in just water, no soil. While propagating spider plants in water is a popular way to multiply them, they usually reach a point in which they need to be potted up.

But, houseplant experts have told me it's actually possible to grow spider plants in water permanently. Though, it does come with a word of warning that they won't reach their full potential in this set-up. Here's everything you need to know.

Can you grow spider plants in water?

In short, yes you can grow spider plants in water long-term. But, it isn't necessarily the best option for these popular indoor plants.

'They can survive for quite some time in water, but they won’t necessarily grow well and full in water,' explains houseplant expert, Julie Bawden-Davis.

'Spider plants require regular nutrients. In order to make your spider plant bushier and full, they really need to be in soil.

'It’s best to remove them from the water and plant in soil when the roots are two or three inches long,' Julie adds.

This is a common method of propagating spider plants that Julie describes, where you root 'spiderettes' (those offshoots from the main plant) in water before planting them up to establish as new plants in soil.

However, if you wish to experiment with growing houseplants without soil, it is possible to keep your spider plant in water full-time. Just make sure to approach this method with the knowledge your plant is unlikely to become as luscious as those grown in soil.

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden author and University of California Certified Master Gardener, who has written several gardening books, including Indoor Gardening The Organic Way. In addition to running HealthyHouseplants.com, she shares indoor gardening advice on her YouTube channel @HealthyHouseplants.

How to grow a spider plant in water

To grow a spider plant in water, the experts recommend starting off with propagation, rather than transferring your current soil-grown spider plant into a water culture set-up.

'Instead of trying to move a large plant to water care, I would start with a 'baby' spider plant that is coming from the mother plant,' says Lisa Eldred Steinkopf from the Houseplant Guru.

'You can leave it attached to the mother plant (by a long stem) and place the baby in a container of water. When it has grown roots, you can cut it off,' she describes.

Use a clear vessel to do this, like this stylish shallow vase from Amazon, so you can observe root development. Once the plant has roots of around two inches long, use these pruning snips from Amazon to detach it from the mother plant, cutting at the base of the stem it is growing from.

'Alternatively, you can also cut the plantlet off and place the bottom of it in water. You can usually see the roots (they look like little nubs on the bottom of the leaves) beginning to grow. Only place that part in the water, not the leaves,' Lisa advises.

Essentially, you are following water propagation techniques when starting off with growing a spider plant in water, so it's important to keep it in a warm and bright spot to aid root development in those early stages.

Make sure to also avoid hydroponic gardening mistakes to increase chances of success with growing a spider plant in water.

'You should change the water weekly and add a diluted fertilizer (like this liquid spider plant fertilizer from Amazon) if you plan to keep the plant in the water indefinitely,' horticulture expert, Gail Pabst, says.

'Make sure to stop fertilizing in the late fall to early spring,' Lisa adds.

Once established in this water culture set-up, continue caring for your hydroponic spider plant as you would with one grown in soil. This includes providing sufficient bright light and pruning any damaged foliage.

Be aware this plant may not survive forever and if your water spider plant is turning yellow, it can suggest an urgent need of essential plant nutrients which are much more accessible in potting soil, so consider potting it up at this stage.

Lisa Eldred Steinkopf

Lisa is a houseplant expert who runs her blog The Houseplant Guru with over a decade of professional experience at Steinkopf Nursery and Garden Center in Michigan. As a child, Lisa helped her grandma tend to African violets and other houseplants. Since then, Lisa has forged a career providing houseplant advice, holding lectures and writing for publications across the US. 

Gail Pabst

Gail is a passionate horticulturist with over 25 years' experience in the industry. She is an avid home gardener too and loves to try out the newest varieties and techniques. Gail is the Marketing Director for the National Garden Bureau and her work has helped her to continue their mission of inspiring, teaching and growing in gardening with others.

FAQs

How big will a water spider plant grow?

When grown in soil, spider plants can each an ultimate height and spread of 12-24 inches. However, in water, less nutrients are available which can limit its overall size potentially to just half the height and spread. To give your water culture spider plant the best chance, make sure to provide a hydroponic fertilizer (from Amazon) or transfer to potting soil once its growth slows down significantly.

While it may not be the most sustainable, long-lasting method to grow a spider plant, there's no doubt growing a spider plant in water will create an interesting spectacle for your home. There are other unique ways to grow a spider plant that are likely to last for much longer, however, for example you can try growing a hanging spider plant.

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