If you are searching for how much this plant need light then before that let me tell you these plants are great indoor and outdoor growing plants that can increase the beauty of your house.
They are easy to grow but there are many questions regarding light or whether you can grow it in grow lights or not? In this article we will discuss all the aspects and how you can successfully grow these spider looking plants.
How Much Light Does a Spider Plant Need?
Spider plant needs indirect light to grow. Spider plants light requirements are less but leaves need a few hours of sunlight to make food otherwise they may suffer from yellowing, browning of foliage. If you give it direct light for three or four hours you can see the good growth of spider plants & production of foliage much faster. In case of too much exposure to sunlight they can get leaf burns, scorch, and brown foliage.
Spider plants wants 6-7 hours of sunlight every day, but that should not be directly from sun. Spider plants exposed to natural light under trees, palms, large shrubs or using hanging pots in the balcony.
The foliage seems more bright and green in moderate light conditions where it receives a few hours of indirect sunlight.
These charming spider plants are best suited for those people who don’t have time as they require very little maintenance.
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If you are someone who doesn’t get enough sunlight in the window, these plants are best suited for you because spider plants adapt to low light conditions which is a good thing for many who are living in apartments, closed buildings and areas with less light.
I have one of my friends living in an east facing window apartment, he receives low to zero light from the sun from the window.
I suggested a spider plant to a snake plant, and both of his plants successfully grew inside his flat. I just advised him to make sure never to let the soil be too soggy, or fully dried as it creates problems for your plant.
If your spider plant gets too much water, the leaves may turn yellow to brown. If your plant gets no water for a few days then the leaves may curl up first, then look pale and dried.
Eventually it will die off but won’t drop because the leaves of spider plant are strong. In that case you need to cut off all the brown, dead leaves from the plant to avoid any pest infestation.
You can avoid all leafy problems by properly giving it water whenever the soil feels dry.
Whether you grow them indoors they can survive there in low light, but if grown outdoors it needs to be put on some area with indirect sunlight.
Your plant can thrive easily in the growing season but once winter hits you need to make sure the plant doesn’t like to die due to frost, put a frost blanket or take it indoors for ideal temperature.
They also go into dormancy, in that period your plant may stop the growth of leaves and stem it won’t react to the things.
Your watering needs to be limited and the area could be the same with bright light location as it helps the water to dry and avoid any root rot.
Giving spider plants moderate indirect light would save it from pest infestation and fungal infection. Soil health is also important so that your plant doesn’t find any diseases or spots which affect the growth of the plant in the long run.
| Scientific Name | Chlorophytum comosum |
| Other names | Ribbon plant and spider ivy |
| Family | Liliaceae |
| Soil | Well draining & moist |
| Water | once a week |
| Temperature | 55 to 85 degree F |
| Flower | white in color |
| Leaves | Spider-legs |
| Height | 1-2 feet |
| Spreads | 1-2 feet |
| Poisonous | Non-toxic to Cats, dogs As per ASPCA |
Do spider plants like grow lights?
Due to their adaptability, spider plants are ideal for grow lights. Spider plants generally Like bright, indirect sunshine, although grow lights may provide their light needs. Grow lights supplement indoor plant lighting. Aim for 12 hours of light every day when using grow lights for spider plants. This light encourages healthy growth and spiderette production.
Spider plants are simple to grow and adapt to diverse light situations. They like strong, indirect sunlight but can tolerate low light, making them excellent for low-light locations in your house. Direct sunshine damages leaves, so keep them away from windows.
Spider plants like fluorescent lights because they mimic sunshine. Indoor gardening is suitable with their energy-efficiency and low cost. Spider plants need 8–10 hours of light every day under fluorescent lamps.
Check out – the best grow lights for spider plants.
It’s crucial to make sure that spider plants get adequate light exposure when grown under artificial light. When it comes to artificial illumination of any type, spider plants should generally be exposed to light for at least four to five hours each day. But, bear in mind that artificial light intensity varies, so it’s always preferable to adhere to the manufacturer’s directions.
If you want to keep the soil around your spider plants from drying up, be sure to water them often. Before watering the plant, it’s crucial to ensure that the dirt is fully dry. Before the air bubbles reach the surface, you may submerge the whole plant in a bucket or basin of water. After the plant has soaked up enough water, you may remove it from the water, let it drain for a while, and then replant it.
Spider plant sun exposure
Spider plants need 8–10 hours of indirect sun exposure daily. They dislike direct sunshine since it bleaches and discolors their green and white foliage. Spider plants need bright, indirect sunshine inside. Place them near a window with indirect sunlight or use grow lights to accomplish this.
Outdoor spider plants like light shade. They can grow in shade, but not as well. They require 6–8 hours of sunshine daily to flourish. To avoid leaf damage, spider plants should be shaded outside.
Spider plants can tolerate low to indirect bright light. The plant’s leaf stripes get bolder with more light. Spider plants require bright, indirect light but may take low to medium light. They may slow down and become yellow if they don’t get enough light.
Can a spider plant live in low light?
Yes, spider plants can live in low light conditions. They will survive areas with less light for months even artificial lights do work for spider plants. You can easily grow them in hanging pots on the balcony. It is a perfect plant for apartments with low light.
For any plant it is challenging to grow in low light situations, even some plants die because they didn’t make sufficient food in indirect light conditions or shade.
In terms of spider plant you can grow them in shade with minimum light. They can survive in rooms with east or west facing windows which receive zero to no direct sunlight.
Growing a spider plant is easy because they require less light, weekly watering, and ounces in a year you need to change the soil. Use any slow release fertilizer to make sure the leaves stay green and healthy.
They have self propagating shoots that can be plant in new pot and it will grow. Even if your plant is having a hard time because of root rot, the outside offshoots can be propagated to create a new spider plant.
Other Plants that can grow in Low light conditions are Lucky Bamboo, English ivy, Snake Plant, Staghorn ferns, Cast Iron Plant, Peace Lily, Philodendrons, Chinese evergreen, prayer plant, Swiss cheese plant , Corn plant, Zz plant, Polka dot plant, peace lily.
My favorite one is the snake plant. It is one of the most popular plants nowadays that is hard to kill and can grow in closed apartments with low light conditions.
Best Grow Lights For Spider Plants (Works for All Indoor and Outdoor plants)-
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Where should I put a spider plant in my house?
I put a spider plant in a room with indirect light source with moderate humidity. My house has 2 spider plant which i put one near the window that has low light, while the other plant is hanging in balcony with partial light.
It is recommended that your spider plant can grow in low light that doesn’t mean it should be put in shade, you can always change the location to check if your plant is feeling healthy or not.
If your plant pot is not properly drying soil because of low light then put it outside under the canopy, under large shrubs or trees. For people living in an apartment it is necessary.
If you have an east or west facing window with no good light source then use artificial grow lights to fulfill your spider plant requirement.
But spider plant can thrive in low plant and it should be watered less in those locations. In winters you should only water plant if it feels dry. For summers you need to water your plant once or twice a week based on how much partial sunlight it is receiving on hot days.
In summers, you need to often water your plant, as it keeps the soil moist which makes the plant healthy.
Do spider plants like lots of light?
No, spider plants don’t like a lot of light, but they can thrive better in partial light than indirect light.
Spider plants require less light to grow, and if provided 6-8 hours of indirect sunlight your plant would definitely prosper and flourish. Leaves may become brighter and greener.
In locations with low light, spider plants surely require a lot of light to grow, as they don’t regularly get sufficient light they may curl and become leggy as well.
There you can use 12-14 hours of GROW lights to make sure your plant can survive in that environment.
Ideally, these plants are low maintainable plants, but if you want them to grow better, place them in sunlight for every 4-5 days and after they feel 4-5 hours of sunlight from 8 – 11:30am, take them back to the same location. This will surely provide the requirement of light to your spider plant.
Wants to know the benefits of spider plants? Check.
Can spider plants grow under LED lights?
No, spider plants cannot be grown in normal LED lights because they are not made to produce the same wavelength as Grow Lights Produces.
Generally the white light is made from the combination of 3 colors of light that are red, green, blue and the ratio used in Normal LED’s is unknown & you don’t know whether they have exactly the amount of these 3 lights needed to grow the indoor plants.
LED’s lights are not supported to provide the same ratio, spectrum of light that is needed to grow spider plants. That is why you can’t grow indoor plants using LED lights.
Grow lights are designed to follow the desired wavelength so that the plant feels like they are getting light from sun. They used a mechanism to build grow lights and it mimic same as natural lights.
When red,blue, green colors are combined to make the white light and that is pointed to plants. Only the green light reflected and blue and red reached the plant. That’s why we see plants mostly green.
This is the green in leaves used to prepare food for plants by using photosynthesis. According to Michigan State University, the red light is one that can boost plant growth and it could make your plant grow taller and faster.
Combination of Blue and Red will give slow growth while the mix of red and green would definitely bring good growth in plants but as you know green is reflected easily by the plants so majority growth of plants will take place in red lights.
If you buy a good full spectrum grow light, they have already created a particular ratio of red, green, blue light which can help the plant to grow healthier and same as how they get sunlight from the sun.
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Spider Plant Care
Spider plants are easy to grow houseplant that can thrive in low light & minimal care requirements.
They generally grow in a fertile soil with good draining and pots need to have a bottom hole which drains out excess water for the plant.
They can easily be damaged if they find extreme direct sunlight which causes browning of leaves. You should only grow spider plants in partial to indirect light areas.
The propagation of spider plant is also an easy task as offshoots are growing with the long leaves, you just need to cut off using a sterilized pruner and plant it into a potting mix.
They can be multiplied many times because spider babies keep growing if the plant keeps itself healthy.
You only need to take care of water, because it can be a problem if you overwater it or under-water it. Excess watering leads to root rot and harms the plant life.
Spider plants need water whenever the soil feels dry, always check 2 inch topsoil so if it seems dry then pour water fully and let it drain out so you know water has reached the roots successfully.
Know more about spider plant care. Check.
Wrap Up
I hope you get the answer on “spider plant light requirements” and this solves your problem whether it can grow in low light or not. Thank you for reading.