How to Propagate Spider Plants from Babies

Do you love getting new plants for free? This project is for you! It is super easy to propagate spider plants from the babies that the mother plant sends out on the ends of its long, arching stems.

The offsets of Chlorophytum comosum – AKA spider plant, airplane plant, ribbon plant, and St. Bernard’s lily, can be rooted in either water or soil. The young plantlets quickly develop roots and establish themselves as independent plants.

Learning how to propagate these baby plants will ensure that you always have a fresh supply to enjoy or give to friends.

Keep reading to find out how to propagate spider plants and get new plants from their babies.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you purchase through an affiliate link.

How to propagate spider plants

Mature spider plants send out delicate white flowers in the summer. The flowers are quite small, about 1″ in size, and look a bit like a miniature lily.

These flowers grow into small baby plantlets. Once these babies are large enough to handle, they can be removed and propagated.

Supplies needed for spider plant propagation

You only need a few items to grow the babies into full-sized plants:

• Spider plant babies
• Garden shears
• Seed starting soil
• 8-inch plant pot

Instructions for propagating spider plant babies

Mature spider plants that are potbound send out the most babies. When the roots don’t have much room to grow, the plant sends its energy towards producing offsets.

Some babies may even have their own babies growing from a small stem.

Choose a mature mother plant that has babies growing on long stems. Larger babies will root and grow more quickly.

This mother plant had lots of babies to choose from!

Select large, well-developed spider plant offsets. If any have small roots starting to grow on the bottom, these are the ideal babies to choose.

These offsets are the easiest to grow for one simple reason – they have a tuberous root system right on the plant, much like an air plant. 

Those roots are just waiting to be planted in soil!

Use clean, sharp scissors and cut the babies off from the long stem.

Fill a large 8-inch plant pot with seed starting soil.

Place the spider plant babies in the potting mix with the bottom of the offset, where the roots form in the soil. They will start growing and develop their own root system.

Tamp down the soil around the babies and water the soil well.

Place the pot where it will get indirect light. Strong sunlight can scorch baby spiders. I placed my planter in the shade of my crepe myrtle tree. It will get overhead watering until the roots have taken well.

Young spider plants take 2-4 weeks to develop roots in soil. 

Instead of planting the babies all in one pot, you can grow them in their own individual pots. This is a good way to propagate the spider plant babies if you plan to give them to friends.

Can you root spider plants in water?

Spider plant babies root easily in water, particularly if they have the bulbous roots starting to form on them. 

Place the babies in a jar of clean water. Change the water every 2-3 days. The babies will root in 1-2 weeks.

They can then be planted in soil.

Growing spider plant babies

Once the babies have developed their own root system, they are easy to care for.

• Place them in indirect sunlight.
• Keep the soil evenly moist.
• When the babies are established, repot with potting soil.
• Keeping them pot-bound encourages more babies.

To show how quickly spider plants will grow, check out this plant. It started from a single baby that was grown as an indoor plant over the winter in a six-inch pot. 

When spring arrived, it had produced dozens of small babies. When I say plants for free, I really do mean it!

Share these tips for growing spider plants from babies on X

If you enjoyed learning how to propagate spider plants, be sure to share these tips with a friend. Here is a post to get you started:

Pin this post about propagating spider plants

Would you like a reminder of this post for growing spider plants from their offsets? Pin this image to one of your gardening boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Admin note: This article for propagating spider plants first appeared on the blog in June 2014. This post has been updated with new photos, a printable project card with instructions for spider plant propagation, and a slideshow video.

Continue to Content

Yield: 6 spider plants for free

How to Propagate Spider Plants from Babies

Print

Propagating spider plants from babies is very easy. All you need are a few basic supplies and a few weeks.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Active Time 28 days

Total Time 28 days 20 minutes

Difficulty easy

Estimated Cost $1

Materials

• 6 large spider plant babies
• Seed starting soil
• 8-inch container
• Potting soil

Tools

• Clean garden shears
• Watering can

Instructions

1. Use clean garden shears to cut off large, well-developed offsets from a mature spider plant. Those with small bulbous roots propagate the fastest.
2. Fill an 8-inch pot with seed starting soil.
3. Place the babies, root side down, into the potting mix.
4. Water well.
5. Place in indirect sunlight.
6. Roots will form in 2-4 weeks.
7. When the plants are established, repot in normal potting soil.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  8 Inch Plastic-Flower Pot-for-Indoor Plants, 4 Pack Large Outdoor Planter Pot with Drainage Holes & Saucers
• 
  Spider Plant Variety Pack - 4 Spider Plants Live House Plants - Ocean, Hawaiian, Green, Bonnie Curly
• 
  2-Pack Stainless Steel Gardening Scissors, Pruning Shears and Clippers for Gardening

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook