Overwatering
Wet soil plus yellowing lower leaves points squarely at overwatering.
Diagnosis
Overwatering
What's happening
Spider plants store water in thick, tuberous roots and resent staying wet. When the soil stays soggy, those roots can't get oxygen and begin to rot, so the plant sheds its oldest leaves first — they go soft and uniformly yellow before they collapse.
How to fix it
Stop watering and let the soil dry out well. Slip the plant out and check the roots — healthy ones are plump and pale, so trim any brown, mushy roots with clean scissors and repot into fresh, well-draining mix in a pot with drainage holes. From now on, water only when the top inch or two feels dry; spider plants are far happier slightly dry than wet.
What fixes it
- A soil moisture meter — A moisture meter removes the guesswork — only water when it reads dry an inch or two down.
If that doesn't fix it
This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.
Read the full Spider Plant care guide →
Reviewed June 2026 · how we check this