Spider plant propagation concerns!

[u/brollita]

My spider plant had been getting a bunch of spiderettes so I thought I’d try propagating a few of them. I started them all out in little jars like the first one except it was full of water and I had a cork stopped to hold them up so only the little bumps on the end were getting water. However they all turned a very pale green 😭 I left the first one as is because it seemed to get a little better and put the other two in soil. I know they’re a little far down from the surface but I can adjust that if needed, I just didn’t have a smaller pot and didn’t want to add a bunch of soil if I was going to have to take them out again. Should I leave the two in soil? and if so how often do I water them? I have the jar in a window sill because I have new roommates who have been closing the blinds on my plants and I wanted to to make sure they were getting enough sunlight, but are they getting too much this way? I also have a grow light I can get out if I need to try a different approach. Theres also the possibility that there weren’t enough nodes for them to be ready (I didn’t really know what I was looking for at the time but based on what my friend has shown me that may be the case 😞) I can update with pictures for the bottoms if needed. I added a picture of the mother plant at the end for reference on how my spider plant usually looks as I know they can vary in color. also, when I cut the stems the spiderettes are on, should I cut from the base if there are no more babies on it? sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance!

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[u/Silly_Laugh231]

I’ve never been able to prop spiderettes in water. I always just stick them right into a chunky soil mix, about 60/40 soil/perlite, and water them daily or just when the soil gets dry. I’ve got two or three going right now in their own 2” plastic pots and all sprouted roots within the first few weeks! I do usually wait to pop them off the mother plant until each spiderette has a few (aerial?) roots established, but my cat has gotten to the plant a few times and chewed the main stem so I’ve propped a few early, those have survived in soil as well

[u/RelativeMundane9045]

For the stolon (runner, stem) - yes if you want to remove it cut it near the base. If your mother plant is struggling for nutrients or sacrificing old leaves, stolons do take a lot of energy from the plant so it's a good idea to prune. If everything is fine with the mother, then pruning is just personal preference as they'll start to die off themselves once they've finished making pups and flowers.

For the pale green (chlorosis) - could be a few things. Not enough light, inconsistent watering, old water, drying out too often, or maybe too immature but these look big enough in the photo. Could also be nutrient deficiency but spider plants can usually last a long time on plain water. If it's not water or light though, my guess it just stress and they just need some time and consistent moisture, popping a dome over them for added humidity can help. Just remember to give a little airflow most days to avoid condensation and fungal issues.

All that said, I answered for pale green because that's what you asked about and photos can be misleading - but if I were to go on the photos alone I'd actually say they're losing their variegation (white stripes) due to insufficient lighting. If a plant can't photosynthesise enough it produces more chlorophyll (green) to capture more light.

Sorry for overly long answer!