User ReviewedHow to Care for a Spider Plant Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are sometimes also called Airplane plants. Spider plants form arching clumps of grass-like leaves and they get their common names from the baby plantlets that form on dangling stems. Spider plants also have tiny white flowers on long arching stems. Spider plants are one of the most adaptable and easy to grow houseplants that there is. Here is how to care for a spider plant. Pot your spider plant correctly. Use a good houseplant potting medium, not garden soil. Repot it in a larger pot each spring or divide the old plant into several smaller ones and repot them in a fresh potting medium. Place your spider plant in the right light. Put your spider plant in an east, west or north windowsill any time of the year. Put the spider plant in a south window during the winter months or 12” (30.5 cm) away from a south window in late spring and summer. Provide bright fluorescent or other lighting and spider plants will do fine.

Provide light shade to deep shade for spider plants that are used outside. Water the spider plant correctly. Use room temperature water. Use distilled or purified water, if possible. Let the pot surface feel dry to the touch before watering. Water until water drains from the bottom and empty drained water from trays promptly. Fertilize spider plants once a month in the spring and summer with houseplant fertilizer mixed according to label directions. Keep spider plants between 40º and 85ºF (4.5º to 29.5ºC). Groom spider plants by trimming off dead leaf tips or leaves with scissors. Spider plants are excellent for cleaning the air of tiny air pollutant particles. They were even grown in space capsules for air cleaning. You can divide spider plants that are too large by pulling or cutting the root ball into several sections, each with some leaves, and repotting the sections. Spider plants can be used outside in the summer or in frost-free climates as “spikes” in containers, as groundcover in partial shade, or as hanging baskets.

Spider plants have white tuberous looking roots that store water and food for the plant. Share your spider plants with friends by plucking off plantlets and rooting them in a cup of water or pushing the bottom of plantlets into moist soil and keeping the soil moist until they root. There are several cultivated color variations of spider plants. There is the plain green type and various forms of white or cream markings, such as stripe in the middle of the leaves or at the edge. When propagating the baby plants, it can help to place a cotton ball or wad of napkin in the glass of water to keep the roots from being immersed. Leaving the baby attached to the mother to begin with will ensure the baby can use the mother plant's resources to fuel root growth. Spider plants are poisonous to cats although other animals seem to have no problems if they eat them. It would be wise however, to prevent all pets, including birds, from eating them.Eclectic Dining Room by Logan Killen Interiors

Most of us have flowers or plants of some sort inside but we don’t always realise their excellent health benefits. Did you know that the air in your home could be harbouring unhealthy invisible toxins that can be eliminated by plants? air gun drain cleanerAnd that strategically placing a plant or two in your teenager’s bedroom can help them to concentrate better when they study? best air purifier commercialSee how you could take advantage of potted plants and flowers:mini auto car fresh air purifier Indoor plants: Yay or nay? The aloe vera plant (Aloe barberae) is also known as ‘lily of the desert,’ the ‘plant of immortality’ and the medicine plant. The aloe vera plant has many healing benefits, including its ability to clean air.

The gel inside an aloe plant can help heal cuts and is also very effective at soothing burns, including sunburn. Ancient Egyptians recorded use of this herbal plant in treating burns, infections and parasites. The leaves of this super plant can also help to alleviate asthma symptoms by boiling the leaves in water and breathing in the vapour. [caption id="attachment_275680" align="alignnone" width="600"] Scandinavian Living Room by Holly Marder[/caption] NASA carried out a study called the Clean Air Study to determine which plants help to clean the air we breathe by eliminating harmful toxins. The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is one of the plants on the list. It is one of the most popular and easiest to grow of house plants. The spider plant will clean the air in your house of benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene. These are all common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are emitted into the air in our homes by everyday items such as furniture, carpets and common household appliances.

[caption id="attachment_275683" align="alignnone" width="500"] Contemporary Living Room by Sisalla Interior Design[/caption] The rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is another plant featured in NASA’s Clean Air Study. They are popular ornamental plants with leathery, glossy oval shaped leaves. Rubber plants rank high on the list of house plants that eliminate toxins such as formaldehyde from the air in your home. As time goes on, the rubber plant becomes even more efficient at eliminating toxic compounds from the air. Formaldehyde can be released into the air from furniture and flooring, as well as common household items that you might not think of, such as air fresheners, hair products and nail polish. Shop furniture on Houzz [caption id="attachment_275682" align="alignnone" width="500"] Transitional Bathroom by Beth Kooby Design[/caption] Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’), also known as Mother In Law’s Tongue, is low maintenance and is one of the toughest of all house plants.

It has stiff upright leaves and makes a great statement in any room. As we all know, plants do the opposite of what we do when we breathe – they take in carbon dioxide and convert it to oxygen. Most plants do this during the day, but the snake plant is one of only a few plants that release oxygen into the air at night, making it the perfect plant to have in your bedroom as you sleep. Browse thousands of bedroom designs Place plants within your breathing zone, which is about two square metres around where you normally sit or sleep, to get the full benefits. [caption id="attachment_275684" align="alignnone" width="500"] Contemporary Living Room by Incorporated[/caption] About 10 per cent of the moisture in the air we breathe is released by plants. Areca palm(Chrysalidocarpus lutescens), also known as the butterfly or golden cane palm, is a very popular household palm. This luscious palm releases moisture into a room, making it particularly welcome in dry winter months.

Plants such as cacti and succulents, on the other hand, retain water and therefore release very little water into the air. Use fragrant plants such as dwarf kaffir lime trees (Citrus hystrix) to fill your home with a wonderful fresh smell instead of using artificial air fresheners. It’s a natural and chemical-free way to freshen your home, not to mention being handy for cooking. [caption id="attachment_275681" align="alignnone" width="600"] Modern Hallway by CCS Architecture[/caption] 6. Less stress, more success Studies have shown that having plants in your home, or even in your workplace, have a positive effect on the occupants, helping to reduce stress and fatigue and enhance productivity. Place some house plants, particularly those with broad leaves, on your desk at work, in your home office and in any area of your home where children study or do their homework. Any palm, such as bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii) or a weeping fig(Ficus benjamina), will regulate humidity and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in your home or office.

Find inspiration for your home office design Getting the recommended seven to eight hours’ sleep per night can be difficult, especially when our minds are busy thinking about what happened during the day and everything we need to do tomorrow. Studies have shown that the vapour from some plants, specifically lavender (Lavandula) and jasmine (Jasminum) can lead to a more restful sleep. Keep a lavender or jasmine plant by your bed. The smell from these plants induces a state of tranquility that will help you prepare for a good night’s sleep. 8. Improve your mental health When you are feeling under the weather, nothing perks you up like the gift of a plant or colourful flowers. Studies have shown that hospital patients who have flowers or plants in their room, or who look out onto a garden from their room, often recover more quickly than those who have no plants around them. Plants help to increase our levels of positivity and make us feel more secure and relaxed.