Spider Plant Babies With No Roots: 6-Step Propagation Guide

Spider plant babies without roots can be successfully propagated using the water and soil propagation method.

However, if the spiderettes are still attached to the mother plant’s stem, avoid removing them. Instead, put the stem in a glass of water and wait for root formation.

Once the roots are formed and spiderettes have grown in size, cut them from the main stem and put them in the soil.

In this guide, I will provide more insights and step-by-step instructions on propagating rootless Spider plant pups. Let’s delve into the details below.

Spider Plant Baby Not Growing Roots (Causes)

There are many reasons why the Spider plant babies won’t grow roots at the base, which include –

• Immature baby plants
• Cold weather
• Hot weather
• Underwatering
• Fungus infestation
• Root rot in the main plant

Small pups may not grow roots due to various causes. However, an underdeveloped stage is likely the reason for your plant.

As you can see below, the pups on my Spider plant are still underdeveloped and don’t have roots at the bottom.

In this stage, the pups solely rely on the mother plant for their food and water requirements. The long stem connected to each plant works as a medium to supply everything to the baby plants.

When the Spider plants produce pups, they don’t grow roots immediately. The pups take several days or weeks to grow roots at the base. So, you just need to be patient for a while.

How To Propagate Spider Plant Babies With No Roots 

There are two ways through which you can propagate rootless pups of your Spider plant – 

1. Soil Propagation
2. Water Propagation

Water propagation is more beneficial in this case, though. Since there are no roots under your Spider plant babies, water will allow seamless root formation for them.

If you put them directly in the soil, they might catch fungus or bacterial infection. Ultimately, it will hinder root formation, and the pups won’t survive for long. 

That said, if you want to try the soil propagation method, you can go ahead with it. 

Let’s look at the step-by-step guide to root Spider plant babies.

1. Cut The Stolon And Separate The Spider Plant Babies

Firstly, cut the stolon from the mother plant and separate the Spirederettes from it. 

For this purpose, use sharp scissors. It will help you make a precise cut.

The stem should look like this after cutting – 

Once the entire stolon is separated, remove the small plants carefully. Do not damage the leaves or any other parts of the plant. 

2. Clean Them With Water

Cleaning baby Spider plants not only removes dirt but also alleviates the stress of separating them from the main stem.

So, clean them properly with tap water. Make sure you remove any dead and damaged leaves at this stage. 

3. Put Them In A Glass Of Water

Once you have cleaned the baby plants, place them in a glass of water. 

You can use tap water for this purpose. Do not use contaminated water, though. It will cause harm to the small plants, and they may not develop new roots. 

Important: The plants need to float on water. Don’t submerge the leaves in water, as it will hamper the growth. 

4. Wait For Root Formation

It will take 2-3 weeks to see new roots at the bottom of the Spiderettes. So, you will have to wait for some time to see actual growth in your plants.

Moreover, you should use any fertilizers at this stage. Simply change the water every 5-7 days, and that’s more than enough for root formation. 

Even if you see some growth initially, don’t rush into transplanting them into new pots. Wait for them to attain at least 1-2 inch root growth. 

5. Transplant The Grown-Up Plants Into The Soil

The last step of the process is transplanting the grown-up plants into the soil. 

In this step, you just have to remove the baby plants from the glass and put them in small containers. At this stage, you won’t need bigger pots. So, go for relatively smaller pots. 

For the soil, use general-purpose gardening soil. You can add some coconut coir for better water retention. 

Once placed in new pots, keep them in a shaded place for a few days. 

You can move them to bright light when they are acclimatized to the new environment. 

Soil Propagation

The second method is the soil propagation method.

For this method, you should take the plantlets and gently place them in small pots.

The pots should have well-draining soil.

You can also use a combination of peat moss and regular garden soil for this purpose.

Note: Your plants don’t need fertilizers at this stage, so it’s better to avoid them entirely. In fact, they might burn the tiny roots and hinder the root formation process.

Guidelines for Soil Propagation

1. Don’t overwater the pot.
2. Don’t remove the plant from the pot to confirm the root formation.
3. Keep the pot away from direct sunlight.
4. Don’t mist the plant.

Do follow these suggestions. I’m sure you will see the Spider plant babies thriving in a few weeks.

How To Propagate Spider Plant Using Babies

Watch the following video to learn more about the entire propagation process –

Use Rooting Hormone Powder

The rooting hormone powder can be a great option to see some quick growth in your baby Spider plant. It helps promote root growth in young plants.

It is specifically used in nurseries where they need to grow plants quickly.

How to use –

1. Dip the bottom part of the Spider plant baby in the powder.
2. Dust off the excess powder on the plant.
3. Place it in a pot.

That’s how easy it is to use rooting hormone powder on your plants.

You can also propagate the plants without using this powder. It’s not too essential.

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