Growing spider plant seeds is easy, and you can harvest new ones ever year. In this post I’ll show you how to collect them and give you the step-by-step planting instructions, as well as seedling care tips.
You might be surprised to learn that spider plants can be grown from seed, and you can easily collect them yourself.
It’s a fun way to multiply your Chlorophytum comosum (aka airplane plants), and it’s also pretty simple to do once you know how to properly gather and sow them.
Below I’ll tell you everything you need to know about spider plant seeds, including where they come from, how to find them, and step by step instructions for how to plant them.
Do Spider Plants Have Seeds?
Yes, spider plants have seeds which you can easily collect and grow yourself. But before you get too excited, there are a few important things to understand.
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Below I’ll discuss all you need to know about how they produce pods and seeds and where to find them.
How Do Spider Plants Produce Seeds?
In order for an airplane plant to produce seeds, the flowers must be pollinated. You can do this yourself, or put your plant outside during the summer and let the bees do the work for you.
Once pollinated, the flowers will dry up and fall off leaving behind the seed pods. Woohoo!
What Do Spider Plant Seed Pods Look Like?
Spider plant seed pods look like small green heart-shaped balls when they first appear.
There may be only a few or several, and they can form anywhere along the arching stems.
Once they are mature, the pods will turn brown and eventually open up to reveal the seeds inside.
What Do Spider Plant Seeds Look Like?
Spider plant seeds look kind of like the ones you’d find inside of a bell pepper. They are about the same size and shape, but black in color.
Each pod contains 3-4 seeds. In optimal conditions, a mature plant can produce several seeds every year.
How To Harvest Spider Plant Seeds
Before harvesting the seeds, you need to allow the pods to dry out on your Chlorophytum comosum, otherwise they may not be viable. Wait until they turn brown and start to split open.
Once that happens, simply clip or pinch them off and drop them into a paper bag or container. Then gently shake the container or break open the pods to collect the seeds.
If you don’t get to them before they open, the seeds may fall out on their own. So to make it easier, put your plant in a place where the seeds won’t get lost if the pods open.
What To Do With Spider Plant Seeds
Once you collect the seeds they are ready to plant right away, or you can store them for later.
But spider plant seeds don’t store well, and will start to lose their viability in as short as 6 months. So it’s best to sow them as soon as you can.
How To Grow Spider Plant Seeds
Though it may sound like it would be difficult, spider plant seeds are surprisingly easy to grow.
While you could certainly try direct sowing them, the method I recommend using for the best chance of success is to start them indoors.
When To Plant Chlorophytum comosum Seeds
The best time of the year to plant your Chlorophytum comosum seeds is in the later winter or early spring.
The reason for this is that the seedlings are much easier to care for during the warmer months. But as long as you have the right equipment, you can start them anytime.
Related Post: How To Propagate Spider Plants (In 5 Easy Steps)
Spider Plant Germination Time
On average, spider plant seeds typically germinate somewhere between 12-16 days after sowing them.
However, it can take as long as month or more before they start to sprout, so don’t give up on them too early.
To speed things up, keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, and place them on a heat mat to add extra warmth.
What Do Airplane Plant Seedlings Look Like?
When they first pop up, spider plant seedlings look like tiny versions of their normal leaves.
There will only be one leaf at first, but more will soon follow. As they get larger, they’ll look like the babies you’re probably already familiar with.
Related Post: Why Do Spider Plant Tips Turn Brown & How To Fix It
How To Care For Spider Plant Seedlings
Once you see the tiny airplane plant seedlings popping up, it’s important to give them the proper care in order for them to survive. You can read my basic seedling care guide, but here are some quick tips…
Light
Once thing that makes growing spider plants from seeds easier than most is the fact that they don’t need a ton of light.
Most of the time, a sunny window is all you’ll need. However, if your home is fairly dark, then I recommend hanging a grow light a few inches above them.
Water
For the best results, keep the soil evenly moist at all times. Never allow it to dry out completely, or become soggy or overly saturated.
Use a moisture meter to help you get it just right, the gauge should read somewhere in the middle.
Fertilizer
Once your spider plant seedlings have 4-5 leaves, you can begin to fertilize them. Start by giving them a weak ½ dose, then slowly increase it to full strength as they get larger.
I use (and highly recommend) organic indoor plant food, or a compost tea on my seedlings. Fish emulsion also works great, but it can get a little stinky when used indoors.
Potting Up
Spider plant seedlings are very delicate, so it’s extremely important to wait until they are mature enough before potting them up, or they may not survive.
It takes several weeks for them to get large enough to repot (the seedlings in my pictures are way too small).
Once they’re 3-4″ tall and have several leaves, pot them up into 4″ containers. You can just use general purpose soil for them.
Learn all you need to know about growing them in my detailed spider plant care guide!
In this section, I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions I get about growing spider plant seeds. If you can’t find yours here, ask it in the comments below.
Can spider plants grow from seeds?
Yes, spider plants can grow from seeds. For the best results you should plant them right after collecting them, because they don’t store very well.
Are spider plants easy to grow from seed?
Spider plants are easy to grow from seed as long as you follow the proper steps and don’t wait too long before sowing them.
How long do spider plant seeds take to grow?
Spider plant seeds can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to as long as a month or more to grow, so be patient. Keeping the soil evenly moist and providing plenty of warmth will help them germinate faster.
How long do spider plant seeds last?
Spider plant seeds don’t last very long, and will start to lose their viability within about 6 months. So it’s best to plant them as soon as you can, rather than trying to store them for an extended period of time.
Now that you know how simple it really is to grow spider plants from seed, you’ll be able to expand your collection as much as you want. It’s a great way to share your favorites with friends too!
Want to learn how to easily grow all of your own seeds so you can save tons of money on plants every year? My Online Seed Starting Course will teach you everything you need to know in order to be successful. Enroll in the course and get started today!
Otherwise, if you’re just looking for a quick refresher to get going fast, then my Staring Seeds Indoors eBook is what you need.
More About Growing Seeds
- How To Grow Castor Bean Plants From SeedHow To Grow An Avocado Tree From SeedHow To Grow Seeds: The Ultimate Seed Starting Guide
Have you ever grown spider plants from seed? Share you experiences in the comments below.
Step-By-Step Instructions
How To Plant Spider Plant Seeds
Planting spider plant seeds is easy. Gather your supplies and follow the steps below to make the process quick and straightforward.
Materials
- Spider plant seeds
- Covered trays
- Seed starting soil
- OR Starter pellets
- Water
Tools
- Hand trowel
- Grow light (optional)
- Heat mat (optional)
- Moisture gauge (optional)
- Soil thermometer (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the soil - If you’re using pellets, pre-moisten them before placing them in the trays. Otherwise, use your trowel to fill each cell in your tray with the soil medium.Decide how many seeds to plant - If you’re using fresh seeds, you can plant one per cell/pellet. Spider plant seeds lose their viability fairly quickly, so if they’re more than 6 months old, sow 2-3 per hole.Sow the seeds - Plant them about a ¼” - ½” deep. You can make a hole first and then drop them in, or lay them on top and press them down gently into the medium.Cover the seeds - Replace soil over the top and gently press it down so each seed has good contact. Take care not to push hard, compaction can slow or inhibit germination.Moisten the soil - Lightly water the soil until it’s evenly moist, but avoid saturating it. It’s best to pour it into the bottom tray rather than over the top to avoid displacing the medium.Cover the trays - Tent a plastic bag or dome lid over the top of your trays to trap moisture and heat during germination.Keep them warm - The optimal soil temperature for spider plant seed germination is around 70-75°F. Place them somewhere warm, like the top of your fridge or on a heat mat to speed things up. Use a soil thermometer to help you maintain an ideal temp.
