The Tape

The ribbon plant is among the most adaptable and easy-to-maintain houseplants. Native to tropical and southern Africa, it's a plant that looks great anywhere, whether in that special corner or hanging loosely near a window. The spider plant is also known for its great air-purifying qualities, making it a great choice.

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How to care for your tape

Use these instructions to care for a spider plant. This guide will tell you how to water a spider plant; its light, temperature, humidity preferences, and any additional care it may need to help it grow.

This plant tolerates low light conditions, however, it will appreciate bright indirect light where it blooms. The striping on the leaves will be more prominent in good indirect lighting. Avoid direct sunlight, as it will burn the leaves.

It likes abundant watering, but dislikes standing water, as the accumulation of water can cause its roots to rot. It is advisable to let it dry out considerably between waterings.

It's an easily adaptable plant; it thrives in low-humidity environments, but will grow optimally with a little more moisture. If you notice brown leaf tips, this may indicate that the air is too dry; a nearby humidifier can help considerably.

Its ideal temperature is between 20°C - 30°C during the day, and above 15°C at night.

It can be fertilized up to twice a month in spring and summer; however, avoid overfertilizing, which can cause the leaves to turn brown. There's no need to fertilize in fall or winter when the plant's growth naturally slows. Always make sure the soil is moist before applying any fertilizer.

The Spider Plant is non-toxic, quite safe for humans, dogs and cats.

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Common problems for your Ribbon, also called Spider

If you start to notice the green stripes on your spider plant fading, it's probably very thirsty! Let's get your spider plant on the road to recovery.

Take a sip!

Your Ribbon Plant may dry out a little between waterings; it doesn't like standing water, so be sure to drain it well. Maintain a consistent watering schedule: water when the top 50% of the soil is dry.

If you accidentally let your plant's soil dry out completely, you may see the leaves droop, lose color, and possibly start to turn brown. If the soil is extremely dry, give it a good dose of water.

Here's how to soak your tape:

• Place your plant in a sink or tub. Fill it about three-quarters full of water. Always make sure the water isn't too hot!
• Let your plant absorb water through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot for at least 45 minutes.
• Make sure the water has reached halfway up the pot.
• If not all of the soil feels wet, lightly water the plant from the top of the pot to help speed saturation.
• When the plant's soil is evenly moist, drain it in the sink or tub and let it rest while it drains well. Once it's drained, move it back to its proper location.

Increase humidity

The Ribbon Plant will always appreciate a little humidity. You can increase it around the plant by using a tray of water and stones or placing a humidifier nearby.

Your Ribbon leaves may be turning brown for a number of reasons, but don't worry! These may be the culprits:

First, wipe the plant with a damp cloth. This allows the plant to direct its energy toward healthy new growth.

• Remove any entire brown leaves (they will not turn green again) or the affected portion with a sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears.
• Clean the blades of the scissors with alcohol between each pruning/cut.
• It is advisable to trim the plant in stages if it is severely affected, since removing more than 20% of the leaves at once could cause it to become unbalanced.

Water quality

One of the reasons why your plant's leaves turn brown at the edges could be due to tap water. Tap water contains salts, chlorine, minerals, and fluoride, which accumulate in the plant's soil, causing the tips of the leaves to burn and turn brown. One way to remedy this is to use a water filtration system. If you don't have one available, leaving the water in a container overnight before using it can help alleviate the chlorine concentration.

Very dry soil

It may be fading and turning them brown, being extremely dry will harm it, try the following:

• Place your plant in a sink or tub. Fill it about three-quarters full of water. Always make sure the water isn't too hot!
• Let your plant absorb water through the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot for at least 45 minutes.
• Make sure the water has reached halfway up the pot.
• If not all of the soil feels wet, lightly water the plant from the top of the pot to help speed saturation.
• When the plant's soil is evenly moist, drain it in the sink or tub and let the plant rest while it drains well. Once it's drained, return it to its proper location.

Increase humidity

The spider plant will always appreciate a little humidity. You can increase it around the plant by using a tray of water and stones or placing a humidifier nearby.