Learn How to Remove Brown Tips from Spider Plants without Hurting them. As the wrong way of doing, it can cause more harm than good!
Does your spider plant have brown tips? Why do they occur? How to Remove Brown Tips From Spider Plants without Hurting them? Answer all these questions and more with this article!
Why Do Spider Plants Get Brown Tips and to Fix Them?
Brown tips on spider plants can be caused by many factors. The most common ones are mentioned below.
1. Using Harsh Water
Spider plants are very sensitive to the type of water used to meet their hydration needs. If the water contains high amounts of fluorides and chlorides (common in regular tap water), these plants will react to the chemicals by brown leaf tips.
Solution
Since harsh, chemical-filled water is the problem, using the purest form of water—distilled water—is the best idea! Distilled water has virtually no residue or chemical content and a pH level of 7, making it the safest for sensitive plants.
If you can’t get your hands on distilled water, another way to make tap water safe for use is to let it sit overnight. This will help dissipate the chlorine content due to evaporation. The next day, the lower chemical content will less likely harm your spider plant preventing it from forming brown tips.
2. Improper Watering Frequency
Did you know that both overwatering and underwatering can lead to brown tips in spider plants?!
When the roots are overwatered, they are constantly left in an oversaturated condition, which leads to root rot. This hampers their absorption ability and, therefore, reduces the amount of nutrition they consume.
Underwatering dehydrates the plant. Low water consumption makes your spider plant stiffer and less lustrous, and eventually, it develops brown tips. This is because the leaf tips are often the last places where water reaches plants, so underwatering will not allow sufficient water to reach all parts of the leaves.
Solution
The fix is simple—just tweak the watering frequency. Water the plant only when the top inch of its growing medium is dry. This is usually once a week but can vary depending on specific environmental conditions.
You must also pay attention to the time of year and alter the watering frequency accordingly. Spider plants need more water in their active growing season (spring and summer), while their requirements are usually cut down by half in their dormant period (winter).
3. Inadequate Humidity
Spider plants are tropical plants that thrive in relatively high humidity. When the air moisture level is lower than the required amount, the effects are similar to those displayed by spider plants when underwatered.
Solution
To help revive the plant, increase the room humidity. You can do so by using a humidifier, placing a water tray filled with pebbles, or consistently misting the plant.
You can also shift the plant to a room where the air moisture levels are naturally higher, such as a bathroom or kitchen.
4. Direct Sunlight
Spider plants don’t like bright, direct sunlight, especially the afternoon sun. The harsh rays dull their color, increase the plant and soil temperature, leading to excess water loss, and expose them to harmful UV rays. All these factors can lead to leaf scorch and brown tips.
Solution
You need to remember that bright but indirect sunlight is the mantra for a thriving spider plant. If the plant is placed in a location where the sunlight is unfiltered, shifting it to a north or east-facing window sill would be ideal.
If grown outdoors, using semi-transparent materials to shelter it from the afternoon sun is required. It doesn’t mind morning or evening sun; just make sure that it is protected when the sun shines brightest.
5. Root Bound Conditions
If you can’t seem to find the problem that is causing brown tips on your spider plant, the issue may lie underground! When a spider plant matures, its roots often outgrow the initial pot size. The constricted roots cannot function properly due to lack of space. This will lead to poor water absorption and, eventually, brown leaf tips.
Solution
Every couple of years, the plant will need a new and larger pot. The signs that it is time to repot your plant are densely packed roots or roots poking through drainage holes of the pot.
Get a new pot a few inches bigger in diameter and commence the repotting process. Once the plant acclimatizes to its new environment, the brown leaf tips gradually fade away.
6. Over-Fertilization
Too much of anything is harmful, and the same goes for fertilizing spider plants. Excess fertilizer usage can lead to an imbalance in nutrients or entirely change the pH level of the soil. This can lead to chemical burns or interfere with the absorption of water by the root system.
Solution
You should fertilize your spider plant only once during the active growing season and completely halt it the rest of the year. These plants only need the supplement boost to grow and hence fertilizing year-round would only be a waste of resources, energy and lead to salt buildup.
If the potting mix is already filled with salt buildup, leaching can clear the chemical compounds without getting a fresh batch of growing soil. Learn more on how to do it here.
How to Remove Brown Tips From Spider Plants without Hurting them?
Now that you know why your spider plant has brown leaf tips, you can prevent further formation. However, what should you do for the ones already on your plant? The following process should be followed.
1. Sterilize Gardening Scissors
You will need gardening scissors or snippers to cut away the brown tips of the spider plant leaves. However, using contaminated equipment can lead to further problems. Therefore, sterilize your scissors using rubbing alcohol or any other disinfectant to remove germs and residue.
2. Cut in Natural Form
Instead of cutting the leaf horizontally, snip the brown part at an angle to mimic the natural shape of the foliage. This maintains the visual appeal of the plant.
3. Do Not Cut Too Deep
Cutting far too much into the healthy tissue of your spider plant can add extra stress to it. Simply trace along the edge of the brown portion and cut only that section off. This will help in faster recovery without loss of existing healthy leaf parts.
