spider (house) plant help

[janeyo]

My little boy grew one of these hideous monstrosities from tiny at school. Now the darn thing has taken over the bathroom. It has now shot up a long stem with loads of 'fluffy' bits coming at the top. Are these flowers coming? Or are they babies? Do I cut them off?

I remember my mum having one in the 70's that used to have babies!

They are not my fave plant, but my little boy obviously has green fingers and I don't have the heart *yet* to throw it out.

How big will it get? It's already about 2 feet high and about a foot and a half round.

Thanks

[Two_Sheds]

yes, they are babies. You can cut them off and root them in water if you want more plants (!) or else cut off the runners.

They are good plants: they remove bad stuff from the air (inc. formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and dust) http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=307617

[janeyo]

formaldehyde?! I don't live in an embalmers lol.

What products are giving off formaldehyde in my house? I am interested as we like to use organinc products and I kight be missing something.

It used to sit in my little boy's room, but got too big for his shelf, so we had to move it to the bathroom and it LOVES it in there lol.

[Two_Sheds]

What products are giving off formaldehyde in my house?

anything made of MDF
http://www.lhc.org.uk/members/pubs/factsht/82fact.htm

[shirlthegirl43]

They do love the conditions provided by a bathroom. I have wanted a spider plant for ages, so if you wait for the 'babies' to develop a bit, I would love to give a home to one.

[nikiwitch]

must admit, I like the spiderplants too lol

[Alice]

I quite like spider plants Janeyo. I have one in my bathroom and it shoots out babies all the time. If you don't want them just cut the stem off.

If you really want it out of your bathroom it will be fine outside in summer. You could forget to take it back it, or just take a baby to grow on as a small plant. Cut off a baby and put it in a saucer off water - it will soon have roots. The little plant could go in your sons room.

[janeyo]

They do love the conditions provided by a bathroom. I have wanted a spider plant for ages, so if you wait for the 'babies' to develop a bit, I would love to give a home to one.

I am saving one for you now - will let you know when they get bigger

[janeyo]

I quite like spider plants Janeyo. I have one in my bathroom and it shoots out babies all the time. If you don't want them just cut the stem off.

If you really want it out of your bathroom it will be fine outside in summer. You could forget to take it back it, or just take a baby to grow on as a small plant. Cut off a baby and put it in a saucer off water - it will soon have roots. The little plant could go in your sons room.

I think I will cut off the babies and then both children can have one in their rooms (and Shirl too), ans accidentally leave the mummy outside. I do feel a bit mean for not liking it as it looks so healthy! I am no usually known for my prowess with houseplants.

Thanks

2sheds - I did not know that about MDF, don't think we have much in the way of that in the house though although I was just looking at a new bed for the toddlie and that will now not be allowed in the house! He will have to have something less funky!

[BFG]

Why would you kill it? How mean!

As mentioned, they're one of the best plants for purifying the air. Nasa researched it and concluded that house plants were the best way to purify and re-use the air in space.

A surprisingly large amount of things pollute our air (including tissues!) with chemicals leaching into the air (that's what new car smell is). You're supposed to "off gas" MDF and other reconstituted materials by leaving them somewhere outside and dry for a few weeks.

We also exhale toxins too. "Sick Building Syndrome" is caused by all the chemicals and toxins in the air.

"How to grow fresh air" or "Eco friendly houseplants" (same book re-released) explains it all and lists the best plants. The BookPeople has it cheap a few weeks ago.

You can leave the babies on and they'll grow there permanently. Spiders are good hanging.

[Two_Sheds]

it will be fine outside in summer.

I put them in my hanging baskets.

[Flummery]

I've seen them used in formal bedding - I don't particularly like parks and Gardens type bedding but the spiders really did lighten it up a bit!

[janeyo]

I assume it needs hardening off like a normal plant? I can't just plonk it outside... unless I want to watch it shrivel lol.

[Alice]

Yes, harden it off now Janeyo then you can leave it out. As Two Sheds says they look good in a hanging basket with all the spiders hanging down.

[starloc]

I did some hanging bakets about the middle of march, i chucked a few spiderplants in each , they had been growing in a very warm room under the growlights, i just left them out and they went a bit brown at the tips here and there, there were still frost warnings at the time and they werent bad with it, with the weather now i wouldnt bothere hardening them, just stick them outside they will be fine