The paris lily (spider plant) is one of the easiest houseplants to care for. So don't worry if some of your paris lily leaves turn brown! If the plant's leaves turn yellow, are too large for the container, or have a lot of tillers, it may be time to trim the paris lilies. Use clean shears to trim the leaves near the base of the plant. Then, remove some of the tillers to maintain the health of the mother plant.
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Method 1 of 2: Pruning Paris Lilies to Stay Healthy
Step 1. Use a homemade cleaner to sterilize the pruning shears
Spray or wipe the blades of the pruning shears with a regular household cleaner or spirit. After sterilization, dry the blades until they are completely dry.
- While you can use a solution containing 10% bleach, bleach will corrode the blades of the scissors if used regularly.
- If you prefer natural products, use a gentle home cleaner.
- You can also use spirit or white vinegar.
Step 2. Remove any brown or yellow leaves
Take clean scissors and cut off any damaged leaves near the base of the plant. Don't just cut off the brown part as this will leave an open wound on the leaf.
- If the leaves are not a healthy green, the paris lily may have been exposed to too much sun. Move to a place that gets 4-6 hours of sunlight only.
- Tap water that contains too much fluoride or chlorine can also damage leaves. Consider filtering the water or using distilled water.
Step 3. Trim the leaves at the base of the plant if they are too dense
The paris lilies usually grow up to 30 cm in diameter and 30 cm in height. If the plant is too large for the pot, trim off any healthy leaves that are still developing near the base of the plant until the clump that is too dense becomes slender.
Move the overgrown plant into a new pot. Choose a container that is 7, 5-10 cm in diameter
Step 4. Also trim the roots of the paris lilies if they are too thick
If the paris lily leaves continue to turn yellow, remove the plant from the pot to check the roots. Use pruning shears to trim the roots by cutting off the outermost and bottom of the roots. Remove about 2.5 cm of roots so that the paris lilies have more room in the soil when they are returned to their pots.
- Add new soil to the pot so the paris lilies get enough nutrients. Make sure the soil stays moist and the plant is protected from direct sunlight as it recovers from pruning.
- If the roots have grown too thick, it means that the space in the pot is too dense. So, the plant cannot grow again until the roots are pruned.
Step 5. Perform regular pruning
Lush paris lilies can grow creeping out of the container and start creeping sideways. When the plant has reached a length of 60-90 cm, prune every year.
- If you don't want to do a big pruning, do it every few years.
- Prune the roots about every 2 years so that the paris lilies grow thick foliage.
Method 2 of 2: Transplanting and Breeding Paris Lilies
Step 1. Plan to breed paris lilies when there are plenty of chicks
As they grow larger, paris lilies will grow small seedlings that look like miniature versions of the mother plant. If there are too many saplings, the mother plant will droop to the side.
To keep the mother plant strong, cut it off and plant the saplings or throw them away
Step 2. Prune the stems between the tillers and the mother plant
If you want to cut some of the saplings growing from the mother plant, take scissors and cut the stems near the base of the mother plant.
Remove the saplings of paris lilies or cut off the stems and breed the saplings
Step 3. Plant paris lily seedlings in separate containers
Choose a sapling whose roots have grown at the base of the plant and plant it in a new container filled with soil. The container should have holes in the bottom for good drainage, and the container should be 10-12 cm larger than the width of the paris lily seedlings. Compact the loose soil around the base of the plant.
If the saplings of paris lilies have not yet taken root, place them in a container of water first. Leave it in the water until the roots grow. Change the water in the container every few days or when it gets greasy or dirty
Step 4. Water the paris lily seedlings until the water drains out of the bottom
The water should completely wet the sapling roots in the new pot. Water regularly to keep the soil moist. The saplings will begin to take root and grow in a few weeks.
