Can I Separate A Spider Plant With 3”+ Diameter Tubers Fused Together

Question

My spidey loves to spend the summer outside, so every spring out it goes. Last summer it pretty much quadrupled in size and looked absolutely gorgeous! It is presently in a 12” diameter x 11” H pot which is all rootball. The tubers, (tap roots?) are huge and seem to be fused together. It is becoming a monster sized plant! Is it possible to separate these, or should I leave them alone and just keep replanting into larger and larger pots? FYI: when I bring it back in the house in the fall the foiliage usually diminishes by about half over the winter with many leaf tips turning brown, would this indicate not enough water? The plant itself remains looking quite healthy and obviously the roots are not affected though a few are now showing/bursting out of top of soil, but nothing coming through the bottom. Tried to take a pic, but too dense to get a decent shot. Help!

Answer 1

Replant it into a larger pot. You can trim the thread roots, but not the tap roots. You can divide it if it easily comes apart. Here is how:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/spider-plant/repotting-spider-plants.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/prune-roots.htm

Brown leaf tips usually indicate low humidity, under or over watering, or too much fertilizer. Here is more:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/spider-plant/black-tips-on-spider-plant.htm