Keep Your Spider Plant Healthy All Year With A Little-Known Feeding Tip This Month

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Spider plants are so easy to grow that almost every houseplant enthusiast has at least one. But just because they're fairly low-maintenance, which is one of the top reasons why a spider plant makes the perfect indoor houseplant, doesn't mean that they don't appreciate a little extra care at certain times of the year. While you may have already taken care of spring tasks to ensure a healthy spider plant, if yours is looking a little lackluster, it may well be hungry. A little-known feeding tip is that June is when you should implement a regular fertilizer schedule to follow through summer. The growing season for spider plants actually extends from spring to fall, but early summer is a perfect time to re-up on nutrients. Giving your plant a decent feed this month will ensure lots of lush new growth and possibly even a few extra spiderettes.

As spider plants can handle a little overcrowding, you probably only repot yours when absolutely necessary, and maybe only every couple of years. This means that the nutrients that were fresh in the original potting mix would have been quickly used up, so it's up to you to provide more so that your plant can grow. Although these plants aren't considered heavy feeders and overfeeding is not recommended, it is crucial to apply just the right amount of fertilizer at the ideal time so that the plants can utilize the nutrients when they need them the most.

Summer is the time when your spider plant is going to be putting on some serious new growth, so establishing a fertilizer schedule in June will carry you through the rest of the season. A balanced N-P-K ratio is best. If your preferred houseplant fertilizer is a soluble water-based one like Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food, you'll want to apply this once a month according to the instructions on the pack, but dilute it to half-strength so that it doesn't burn the leaves or roots or build up too many nutrients over the course of the summer.

On the other hand, if you're someone who finds it difficult to remember to fertilize your houseplants with a liquid feed, you might like to use a slow-release one like Organic Plant Magic Slow Release Granular Fertilizer instead. You only have to add this to the soil once in June, and it will continue to provide your spider plant with nutrients right through summer. Once again, apply it half-strength as per the instructions on the pack. 

Once your plant goes into its dormancy for winter, be sure to flush the soil with fresh, clean water to remove any built up fertilizer salts that could burn the plant roots. As a general rule, if you're planning to repot your plant at any time, make sure you wait for at least four months before you implement a fertilizer schedule. Finally, ensure your plant gets the right amount of light, another important June care task that boosts spider plant health.