Houseplant enthusiasts love spider plants before of their aesthetically pleasing beauty and easy-to-care nature. But if you are a new owner, you might encounter some challenges in keeping your plant happy and healthy. One of these difficulties is when the spider plants start to lean.
Why is my spider plant leaning? Insufficient watering is the main reason why spider plants lean. Both too little and too much water will lead to bent leaves. Make sure you feel the plant’s soil and then water it only when the soil already feels dry to the touch.
Too little light can cause leaning in spider plants as well, so it is important to keep them under indirect bright light.
Continue reading below to learn more about the common causes of why your spider plant is leaning.
Why Do Spider Plants Lean?
Spider plants are known to survive and thrive even in harsh conditions. However, keeping them indoors can ensure that they look aesthetically pleasing and healthy.
Below are some of the most common causes behind the leaning of the leaves of your spider plants:
Fertilizer
Nutrient toxicity can occur as a result of applying too much fertilizer. But it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t fertilize your plant completely. It means that not using fertilizer might serve as a direct invitation to various problems such as leaning.
Under-fertilizing, on the other hand, can lead to nutrient deficiency. It might sound funny how these two situations are both unsuitable for the growth and survival of spider plants. But the main concern here is what you should do.
There are instances when even if you provide sufficient fertilizer to your spider plant, it might still feel sick because it doesn’t get adequate amounts of nitrogen.
Inadequate nitrogen may prevent the plant from producing new foliage, thus resulting in leaning.
Pests
When you have already done everything else right, but your spider plant is still leaning, it might be the result of a pest attack. Certain pests such as spider mites and aphids are the main culprits that feed on the juice of the plant that can make it lean over.
The moment they find their way into your spider plant, they will continue to suck the plant’s juice and eventually cause the leaves to lean.
These tiny pests are often not visible to the naked eye, which means that they might be sucking out the life from your spider plants without you noticing it at all.
Size of the Container or Pot
The size of the container or pot you are using also plays an important role in the growth and survival of your spider plant.
If the size of the pot is too tiny compared to the plant’s size, you might see overgrowing roots peeking out of the drainage holes.
This will not only ruin the aesthetics of your spider plant but it can also damage its foliage at the same time.
Similarly, if the size of the container is bigger than the plant’s size, it will still lead to different issues such as waterlogging that can eventually cause root rot.
Using a small pot will result in water deficiency and waterlogging can occur because of the extra-large size of the pot. It means that both situations can make your spider plants lean.
Sunlight
If you have been keeping spider plants for some time now, you might already be aware of how they can suffer from severe damage once directly exposed to sunlight. However, keeping your plant in an extremely dark spot can also have the same result.
Both too little and too much light can make your spider plant lean. During the summer months, the sunlight can become too intense for your plant, leading to leaning and leaf burn.
Winters are also not better in any way because of the relatively less availability of sunlight. It can make the plants suffer different problems, one of which is leaning.
Watering
You might have noticed how spider plants often start to lean during the summer season, and it is mainly because of the absence of water.
The months of summer come with excessive heat, resulting in the evaporation of moisture or water molecules in the soil and plant alike.
It means that if your spider plant doesn’t get sufficient water or if evaporation, its leaves will start to lean. However, most hobbyists are already aware of it, and what they do is continue watering their spider plants often.
If you happen to be one of them, you might be surprised to learn that doing so can actually make your plant lean, leading to a more serious concern, which is root rot.
It means that doing something on your own even if you are not yet aware of the two sides of the matter can make your plant suffer these health problems.
How to Prevent Spider Plants from Leaning
Now that you know the main reasons why your spider plant is leaning, it is time for you to address these concerns.
Take a look at some of the best fixes for leaning spider plants:
Fertilizer
You can minimize fertilizing during the winter months when your spider plant is growing slowly because it doesn’t need a lot of nutrients. But don’t forget to start fertilizing again once spring kicks in.
Pests
Try to follow a schedule for removing the leaves to keep your spider plant safe from pest attacks. If your plant is already infested with pests, use a pair of scissors to cut down the most affected parts.
Size of the Pot or Container
If you haven’t repotted your spider plant to a bigger pot after buying it, it might be time for you to get a new pot for your plant.
Sunlight
Make sure that your plant doesn’t get direct exposure to sunlight. Instead, always let it bask in indirect bright light.
Watering
Avoid overwatering or underwatering your spider plants because both can make your spider plants lean.
A leaning spider plant doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing so be sure to address the problem right away before it even worsens.
