There ’s a fine bloodline between choosing a houseplant that flourish on negligence and not establish that plant any support at all .
wanderer plant , aka wanderer ivy , Chlorophytum comosum , are particularly tardily - care , from their light and temperature needs to their ability to get by without much water on occasion .
But you do n’t require to force their patient of nature to the point where they struggle to grow , take care tattered , or stop bring forth those appeal plantlets .
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If you are new togrowing spider plants , mark out our guideto learn more . FeedingC. comosumis one of the ways you could boost their wellness .
But it ’s important to choose a right fertilizer and also to only apply it when it will facilitate , not trauma , the houseplant .
In this usher , I ’ll share why you might want to proffer your wanderer plants special food , and also give you fair warning about the ways improper fertilizing can do more harm than full .
Here are the topics I ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
Do Spider Plants Need Fertilizer?
head - up , houseplant lovers who tend to overwater and then bewail the death of your plants .
wanderer plants not respond well to excessive fertilizer any more than they do to oversaturated soil .
They can certainly benefit from a modest amount of food during the grow season , but they ’ll yearn quickly if you feed them too much or too often .
The macronutrients nitrogen , phosphorus , and atomic number 19 in fertilizer cater the necessary nutrients for the industrial plant to bring on sizable parting and strong theme .
The drawback is that a build up of fertilizer in the potting stain can cause salt deposits that will fire roots and twist leaves brownish . If a specimen is already languishing , applying plant food can hasten its death .
Now allow ’s seem at the timing that will spell success or failure .
When to Fertilize
First , get ’s discuss what you should n’t do !
Do n’t feed yourC. comosumfor the first four months after you adopt it from a nursery , storage , or online seller .
TheC. comosumhas most in all probability already receive a dose of fertilizer from the cultivator , perhaps in the form of a prison term - release capitulum or an program of slow - release granules .
Also , and I realize this is counterintuitive , never course a houseplant that is already languish and looking sickly . It ’s too hard on the roots .
Nor should you apply plant food once aC. comosumstops actively growing leaves . The parent industrial plant commonly start up institutionalise out offshoots that bloom and then constitute baby spiderettes in autumn , even when they are grown indoors .
At that time , extra nutrition will promote the growth of more foliage , not babe plantlet .
When your wanderer Hedera helix is thriving , lend oneself a balanced , all - purpose indoor flora food once a month during the growing season .
If you experience in an area with fluoridated water faucet water , consider conflate the fertilizer with distil or rainwater alternatively .
You ’ll ordinarily get the best results without risking root burn or dark-brown leaf tips by unify water supply - soluble food at half the durability commend by the manufacturer .
If you live in a strong area and the spider plants are outside where they require supplemental pee in summertime , only add water - soluble food once every few times you water .
instead , you’re able to apply a slow - release fertilizer in the frame of granule or plant food spike .
Schedule your program of slow - release products so they ’ll be done releasing fertilizer into the potting mixing before tardy autumn or former winter at the modish .
How to Fertilize
gratefully , it ’s simple to apply fertilizer by rights once you ’ve bring the schedule down .
You will need to utilise the product at the surface of the soil without spraying it on to the leaves .
If you consistently wet the foliage , the fertilizer can combust it and the wet may also promote fungal disease likepowdery mildew .
let time for the weewee to soak all the way through the grime and drain out of the hollow at the bottom of the pot . Discard any excess from the saucer beneath .
Remember , spider plants do n’t like wet feet , and radical rot could result from pooled water in the pot or saucer beneath it .
If you are using slow - liberation granules or plant spike , follow the manufacturer ’s recommendation for coating .
But if the counseling on the parcel recommend class - round applications of slow - release product , tweak the operation so you ’re only feed when the specimen is actively maturate leave-taking .
Suggested Products
In years past , there was not a fertilizer specifically formulated for wanderer industrial plant .
Now there is , and I like its results , but there are also hearty option among non - specific all - purpose houseplant foods as well .
Here are three reliable option :
Gardenera Liquid Fertilizer
This is a rarity , a fertilizer formulated specifically for wanderer plants . Made by Gardenera , this product has an NPK proportion of 3 - 2 - 1 NPK and is organic .
It ’s mean to promote foliage and strengthen the beginning organisation , and can it be used onrecently settle down spiderettesas well as fledged , full - sized specimen .
The manufacturer recommends mixing it with the water every 2d time you offer supplementary water during the combat-ready increase seasons .
Find Gardenera Liquid Fertilizer in eight- or 32 - oz. bottlesfrom Amazon .
The Grow Co Indoor Plant Food
The Grow Co 18 - 6 - 8 ( NPK ) prison term - liberation granules are one of the most affordable selection .
granule like these work easily for containers that spend the summertime or all year out of doors .
If you employ them , you wo n’t have to irrigate to add fertilizer when it has already rained . With the wayC. comosumreacts to overwatering , that ’s an important feature article .
Because you apply this intersection once and they can last for six to nine month , only use it start in early spring , so the granules wo n’t continue to release nutrients during the inactive wintertime month .
Grow Co Indoor Plant Food
The Grow Co Indoor Plant Food is available in five - ounce bagsvia Amazon .
Houseplant Resource Center All-Purpose Plant Food
One option I rely on is Houseplant Resource Center water - soluble , organic , all purpose indoor plant food .
It ’s organic , with a NPK proportion of 3 - 1 - 2 and also include slow - release calcium .
This product is a blue choice for species that are prostrate to steady down burn since it contains no carbamide .
The manufacturing business recommends it as a class - round additive each time you water , but it does n’t specifically listC. comosumamong the houseplants on the recording label , so I would only use it during their natural spring and summer active growth season – not during the dip or winter calendar month .
Houseplant Resource Center All - Purpose Food
you’re able to discover Houseplant Resource Center Indoor Plant Food in eight - ounce bottlesvia Amazon .
Overfertilizing
I hate to nag , but seriously , if you ’re the type to over - foster your houseplants to their ultimate demise , you must be extra careful when feed yourC. comosum .
A few symptom of the wanderer plant receiving too much fertilizer include browned leaf tips and areluctance to give rise spideretteseven though the foliage may bet healthy .
A buildup of salts from fertilizing , even when done properly , can also make root tan that can kill the roots andinvite disease .
If you see a white salty coating on the outside of terra cotta pots , or a slight film in a closed chain around the inner rim of the pot , you may be overfertilizing .
While the film does n’t necessarily intend you ’re allow too much fertiliser , it does indicate that you should n’t carry on without some variety .
You may be able-bodied to remove the issue by flushing the buildup of salts from the grease with several inscrutable waterings , allowing each to drain all the room through and discarding the extra .
Or you may need to put back the dirt or at least add new , unfertilized potting mix to the top span of inches in the mass .
Then keep your pet leafy arachnid healthy and vivacious with just the right amount of food .
A Spidey Sense for Houseplant Food
All houseplants will do well if you keep a watchful eye on them – as long as your observation do n’t chair to you overdo water or fertilizer .
If you supervise your wanderer plant for signs they ’re getting enough or too much food for thought , you ’ll soon get a good sense of what they need and what they can do without .
It ’s all part of the houseplant parent routine .
Do you have experience with , or questions about , inseminate ? Feel gratis to degenerate down and add a comment in the section below .
And if this coverage suits your taste , twist tothese spider plant guidesnext :
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About
Rose Kennedy
