If you're talking about the plantlets that form at the end of stolons, they have what are called 'preformed root initials'. If the roots aren't yet visible, they soon will be after you change the cultural conditions surrounding the root area to something moist and dark (just the root area - by putting them in soil - the plant wants bright light). Roots will form in water, but reasons are several why it's best to root in a free-draining soil kept damp and not wet. They're among the easiest of all plants to root, so success is virtually assured if you think 'damp, not wet'.

Al

Can't add anything to what Al said but just wanted to say I think it's great that you are asking questions when you have them.

I agree. You can bet you're not the only one wondering about the questions you ask, and every question asked and answered offers a learning opportunity for anyone that happens to have even a passing interest in the thread. Almost everyone is infinitely patient with anyone truly wanting to learn & improve their growing experience or skills - so don't worry about 'the questions'. ;-)

Al

Thank you all so much!! cuz I have questions...and so far this is the best place I have found for what I need to know. ;) I am almost 52 yrs old, and never had a real chance to do anything like this. I did research it b4 getting it, but it all seemed so incomplete. Spider sounded easy enough to start with.

So,, this is what I am understanding. Those big beautiful spider plants that others have pics on here, with all the babies growing down, They dont have roots yet? It is hard for me to see them.

And.. I need to find a way to put them in soil, while still attached to the mother plant, moist but not soppy.Is this correct? What kind of soil is best for that? I have MG right now... is there something else I should be using? And what about the ones in the center of the shoot, will thay work the same way? Is there a certin size the leaves need to be b4 doing all this?

I also use distilled water. Seems to be working much better for the mother plant than tap.

Yes~~ questions! lol~ but it is the only way I am going to learn. And me? I TRY to learn at least ONE THING A DAY! no matter how small it is. :D

Thanks again. :)

Why do you want to put them in soil while still attached to the mother plant? They're very easy to root when detached.

For spiders, a fast draining soil that allows you to water copiously so you flush accumulating salts from the soil is a decided advantage. Even if you're using distilled water, you'll still be fertilizing, and it's important to be able to flush fertilizer salts from the soil. Spider plants are particularly intolerant of a high level of dissolved solids in the soil (spoils foliage), so your distilled water, since it's deionized (no dissolved solids) is also a plus in your favor.

From another post:

General care:

A) Most important is to use a soil that drains very freely. This allows you to water copiously, flushing the accumulating salts from the soil each time you water.

B) Fertilize frequently when the plant is growing well, but at low doses - perhaps 1/4 the recommended strength. This, in combination with the favorable watering habit described above, will keep soluble salts levels low, and keep levels from rising due to the accumulative effect we always see when we are forced to water in sips when plants are in water-retentive soils.

C) When watering, using rainwater, snow melt, water from your dehumidifiers, or distilled water, also eliminates the issue of soluble salts in your tap water and will go a long way toward eliminating or minimizing leaf burn.

D) If you make your own soils and use perlite, be sure the perlite is rinsed thoroughly, which removes most of the fluorides associated with it's use.

E) Allowing irrigation water to rest overnight doesn't do anything in the way of helping reduce the amount of fluoride (the compounds are not volatile), and it only helps with chlorine in certain few cases, depending on what method of chlorination was used to treat your tap water.

Al

umm ok, thats new to me, I thought they were still attached to the mommy plant untill the roots were formed. I guess I have a lot to learn. Trial and error. hope not many errors.

I have more flowers on it today! so pretty, so dainty! ;)

Thanks a lot for the info. Will need to get some more soil, my daughter used the last of mine. will ask about draining soil when we go.

I really want to try this, hope it works! Wish me luck? ;)

We all do ...... good luck.

Take care.

Al

I think we have confused you with the roots thing. If you look at the 3rd pic I posted in this discussion you will see how the roots form on the babies in the air, without any dirt, while still attached to mama. Once you see those roots at the bottom of the babies, the babies can be removed and placed in their own pots if you want to do that. When one does that, the roots grow through the dirt like the roots of any plant. HTH!

yea~~ was thinking the same thing. I will wait till they mature a bit more. Till I actually see roots forming.

Purple, yours is sooo pretty! Im going to have to find a way to hang mine. Just not sure where at this point. :/

thanks for all the advice. I think i was getting confused. (easy for me) I will wait a while longer :)

HI Lamora,

Questions are fine, good even, but it's a lot of material to learn all this stuff, & can't all be learned right away. Some of it is just time & observation, which of course, requires some patience. For me it was also discipline, I was an overwaterer -- hard to train myself to unlearn that. I tell folks I literally made myself walk around the house looking at the plants holding my hands clasped behind me -- forcing me to just look. I'm bad, I have to touch too, especially is there's pattern or texture involved.

But it takes time & some patience w/ oneself. Also, over time I think one builds confidence in the plants knowing what to do & the grower getting better at interpreting the plants' behaviors.