This just happened to my first spider plant. got a real small one in a 4 inch pot. been growing it for a year with only a couple light fertlizings. it stood real tall and beautiful gorgeous thick leaves upright. never even touched the counter.

Would let it dry out before waterings and water till it poured out drainage holes. I think I Missed watering by a day or two because it was bone dry. I check the plants every day or two. Just gave it a watering and now mine is like yours. two out of the 3 clumps just laying down on its side and hanging over the pot. Tried to stand them back up but it just flops over. I'm devastated cause it looks like I killed it.

I'm not sure if it got shock from watering after being bone dry for two days. Or if I jerked it around too much when taking it to the sink to water because its so top heavy now. or both. It was fine before this last watering.

I don't see any roots coming out the drainage holes, but should I repot it? I tried packing dirt around it to prop it up but it just flopped right over.

@cooloutac Your Spider has wilted badly from extreme dryness. Make sure the soil is completely saturated by soaking it in the sink. If the leaves still don't perk up then those leaves are permanently wilted. However new growth should be fine. No need to repot.

Split off to its own thread since it's a different plant not related to OP 2016 thread.

WillC said:@cooloutac Your Spider has wilted badly from extreme dryness. Make sure the soil is completely saturated by soaking it in the sink. If the leaves still don't perk up then those leaves are permanently wilted. However new growth should be fine. No need to repot.

Hmm, but this happened immediately after I soaked it.

I thought it was maybe cause I shouldn't have been carrying it to the sink to water after it got so top heavy?

Because it got so dry, and your spider plant is not pot bound, it looks like a few of the stems tipped over after the soil became soft again from the watering. You can carefully prop them up again, by putting a little potting mix as a stabilizer to hold up the stems you want propped up. I wouldn't mess with it too much, only to fix it up a little bit in the pot.

Doesn't look to me like its dead- it just to be re-oriented! No worries, I agree with Will, it should be fine!

Plants do not react immediately to adverse conditions. It was the bone dry condition for 2 days that caused the wilting not the subsequent watering.

MissySue said:Because it got so dry, and your spider plant is not pot bound, it looks like a few of the stems tipped over after the soil became soft again from the watering. You can carefully prop them up again, by putting a little potting mix as a stabilizer to hold up the stems you want propped up. I wouldn't mess with it too much, only to fix it up a little bit in the pot.

Doesn't look to me like its dead- it just to be re-oriented! No worries, I agree with Will, it should be fine!

This is what I was thinking. I even saw that some roots became exposed on top of the soil so I thought maybe I should try repotting it to put it deeper. I did try to add more soil and prop the plants up but I only made it worse lol.

I have seen exact same thing happen to aloes that have been abused. When the pot gets knocked over on its side or when leaves get smacked around by pots and pans. Its as if the stem right under the soil become bent and loose and it can't be stood straight anymore, and then the leaves eventually just lay down. And while the plant will still lives fine, it just doesn't look right.

I think my next spider plant I will make sure not to move at all and water carefully in place. Seems this is a real delicate plant.

Cooloutac- Well, plants are not so delicate, that they can't survive in our normal daily lives. Stuff happens- I've forgotten to water, or I've had to pick up pieces of a plant off the floor because I knocked it over by accident, more than once. It takes practice to put things back together. Sometimes it take a few times!

A plant is just that- a plant. If you take away the human qualities that some people assign to plants, then it makes it easier to care for them. Nowadays, I think more scientifically, not so much emotional. I realize we all get attached to plants (including me) for one reason or another, but that's not always good- because of this type of situation.

The big picture is, people want to care for things and do it well. The only way to do that is to have practice over time. Don't be tough on yourself! Maybe next time set up some sort of reminder. Or move a plant to a better location so it doesn't get knocked over. Ha- I've now started preventive maintenance. if I think someone else might come along and knock over a plant while opening a window (which should be a normal function of living), I find a better solution. I have to admit, planning a new project is really fun! And so is buying a new plant......

Definitely perking up.



I realize when looking at alot of pics and videos of spider plants online. that almost all of them are limp and hanging over the side of the pot. Some actually look completely folded in the middle on the leaves that arestanding up. So I guess I shouldn't be too concerned about mine. Maybe just a natural thing that eventually happens.

When should I repot it?

Repot only after your Spider has resumed putting out lots of healthy new growth and it requires a thorough watering at least twice a week. Otherwise, don't stress it further by repotting unnecessarily.

WillC said:Repot only after your Spider has resumed putting out lots of healthy new growth and it requires a thorough watering at least twice a week. Otherwise, don't stress it further by repotting unnecessarily.

I do believe I have to water it a couple times a week now. I think thats why I missed a watering lol.
I water till it comes out bottom. But I will give it some time before repotting. I'll wait till it stops shooting new leaves and can't go 2 days before drying out. Thanks.

If it is putting out healthy new growth and requires twice weekly watering, then you could repot it any time. But only one pot size larger and with drain holes. Disturb the rootball as little as possible when repotting.

cooloutac said:Definitely perking up.



I realize when looking at alot of pics and videos of spider plants online. that almost all of them are limp and hanging over the side of the pot. Some actually look completely folded in the middle on the leaves that arestanding up. So I guess I shouldn't be too concerned about mine. Maybe just a natural thing that eventually happens.

Yes my spider plant hangs all over the pot. It looks like your plant could use some more soil on the top though.

WillC said:If it is putting out healthy new growth and requires twice weekly watering, then you could repot it any time. But only one pot size larger and with drain holes. Disturb the rootball as little as possible when repotting.

ok thanks.

svslabaugh said:

Yes my spider plant hangs all over the pot. It looks like your plant could use some more soil on the top though.

nah I already put too much after it wilted. gonna be a pain to water now lol.