Last updated on September 26th, 2022 at 12:27 pm
When I started growing spider plants, I was particularly concerned about the pH concentration of the soil I was to grow it in.
This concern arose because I had unpleasant experiences with delicate plants that required a certain pH level.
So, if you have the same concern, you may wonder whether spider plants like acidic soil.
Spider plants love acidic soil. They grow and do perfectly in them. They grow in soils with a pH balance of around 6.0 to 6.5.
They may also grow on soils ranging from slightly acidic or alkaline, a 6.5 to 7.2 pH range. However, the over-acidity of soils can also be detrimental to the growth of your spider plants.
What Kind of Soil is Best for Spider Plants?
From my experience as a horticulturist, spider plants would grow in any rich, moist, well-drained soil. The soil type is one of the determining factors of whether or not a plant will grow and thrive. The need for choosing the right kind of soil is not to be contemplated as it is the bedrock for your plant survival.
Aeration, drainage, and soil fertility should be your yardstick for choosing the suitable soil for your spider plant. Without further ado, let’s go through the type of soil that spider plants grow best in.
Spider plants do not like overly dried soil, which is why cactus soils are not good for them. The growth and survival of your plant are greatly dependent on the type of soil you choose.
Furthermore, some factors are to be considered before choosing a good soil mix. The following are factors you should consider as a guide:
1. Soil Nutritional Content
Spider plants are plants with heavy roots and feed through their roots. That is why, they need soils that are very rich in nutrients. A deficiency in nutrients makes it more likely to die off.
2. Water Retention Capacity
The second factor to consider is its water holding capacity. Even though spider plants do not like very wet soils, they must be grown in soils that can hold water for a little while after being watered.
3. Soil Drainage
Soil drainage is also a factor to consider. Spider plants prefer soils that are well-drained and don’t remain wet all the time. Soils that are always wet are not the best type of soil for your spider plants because they may be detrimental to their health.
4. Soil Aeration
Soil aeration helps in providing oxygen for your plant’s roots. Good aeration is often a result of microbial action. Choosing soil that has good aeration helps to curb death in plants and infection. Tightly packed soils cause fungal infection and root rot.
So, you can easily make good soil mixes at home. Besides, there is no special mix for spider plants. They would grow well in just any mix you make for it. All you need is organic potting soil, perlite or pumice, compost, and a handful of coco chips.
On the other hand, you may require one-quarter of succulent soil, coco peat/peat moss, compost, and a handful of worms to be sprinkled on the topsoil.
Do Spider Plants Like Coffee Grounds?
Spider plants like coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are essential to spider plants and can do wonders for them. They are used to enhance growth. They also contain nitrogen which is the primary compound of fertilizers. Coffee grounds are often used as mulch, compost, and liquid fertilizers for spider plants.
One time my spider plants were dying, it had dried leaves too, and all I needed was a way to make it grow back. Coffee grounds came in handy.
One wonderful thing about it is that it is quite effective and easily accessible. It is readily available too. Isn’t it amazing that I can now recommend it to you?
Coffee grounds are not effective for most plants because of their high acidic content, but it is good for flower plants because they grow in acidic soils.
However, please do not attempt to overuse it in your plants because you want a quicker result. You may end up destroying your plants or even stunting their growth.
Extreme care should be taken when applying coffee grounds to your plants. Other than spraying your spider plants with coffee grounds, carefully apply in or around your plant or even try mixing it in your watering water before watering plants.
Because coffee grounds can be used as fertilizers, mulch and compost, that’s the major reason why it is added to plants.
They are also repellents, they keep pests and bugs away, and it’s also used to culture and grow essential bacteria to enhance the nutrients in the soil. These bacterias break down soils and help soil aeration.
So, how do you apply coffee grounds to your plants? Here’s how:
- Wash your coffee grounds before use. Using fresh coffee grounds that have not been used is often not advised because of their high acidity content. Rinsing coffee grounds, therefore, lowers the pH to a safe-to-use level.
- Spread coffee grounds around the soil and not directly on the plants. This works for when you’re not sure of the acidity of your coffee ground. Rather than spreading it all over your plant and risk losing it, you can carefully pour it around the soil in your plant.
- Always check the acidity level of your garden before applying coffee grounds to it.
- Mulching coffee grounds to soils is another way to effectively use coffee grounds on your farm. It is used to enhance the health of your plants.
Conclusion
Spider plants are resilient plants that grow and thrive in unusual conditions like soils with very high acidic contents. Their growth is often enhanced with the use of coffee grounds which has proved effective over time.
References