Q&A for How to Divide a Spider Plant

Put the babies in a glass of water to grow their own roots. When the roots are long enough (about 1" long), plant in a new pot.

I was taught that winter is not a good time to disturb them. I have followed this philosophy for over 40 years, although I have also had emergencies when I was forced to repot in the winter. I have found that they will survive in that event, but they seem happier when moved in warmer weather.

Yes. These are very hardy plants. Just transplant as you normally would. I don't like to remove the babies until I have a new home for them. They are fine to stay with the mother even during transplant. I often like to wait for them to get bigger before I move them so mom can be moved independently. Sometimes there are so many babies that I only take the big ones.

The lily family is tough. Although I have not had this happen with a spider, my guess would be that if you give it some time to recover from the trauma and keep it a little more moist than normal, it will probably come back.

Yes.

You can leave them on or remove them and place them in a glass of water to root. I like to root them together with several others, because they tend to lean on each other for strength. It makes for a hardier plant. They'll last in water for several weeks and are very pretty.

Yes. Just cover the singular tube with water and leave it alone. It may even have siblings.

If you are talking about the brown tips, yes. There is no need to trim the leaves. Just trim them at an angle so they don't look stubby.

Yes, but do it with caution. The thicker roots contain more water so it has a chance of being infected. Try not to trim away too much.

Yes, the mother plant forms baby spiders from a long, brownish stem. It flowers, and then a small plant grows from the flower, which can be harvested and grown. The mother plant can also split and form two or more separate centers, which leaves then grow from.

This is a sign that the plant needs to be repotted. Chose a pot that is about twice the size of the plant.

The babies can be put in water to root, or laid on top of soil that you keep very moist.

Yes, you will have better luck with the plant taking better when replanting if you cover at least 1/2 inch of the plant stem.

Absolutely, you can trim a plant back if it has a large root.

Just cut them with clean scissors at an angle just below the bend where you see the break.

I like to keep part of the mother's stem on both sides of the baby and place the stem piece under the soil. The roots should naturally form and the plant will grow.

This completely depends on the size of your spider plant. Spider plants enjoy being root bound, and it encourages them to propagate. If you're repotting because your plant has outgrown its current pot, then go at least 1 size up. I wouldn't go any smaller than a 4" pot if you're planting a spider plant off the vine of the mother. Remember that these plants grow quickly, so if you're doing a 4" pot, I would only put 1 or 2 babies together.