Question
Dear Tracy,
My spider plant is in trouble. I purchased this plant last Fall. It is a very mature plant with lots of hanging babies. I noticed about a week and a half ago that the white part on the leaves were turning a light tan color and some of the white on the leaves are green colored. The spikes started drooping. I decided that the cause of this happening was due to a lack of oxygen. Therefore, I transplanted the plant and while doing so, I discovered the problem.The roots had grown through a plastic disc that has holes in it for drainage. The store had this in their plant container. It went unnoticed on my behalf. When I turned it upside down, a lot of the dirt fell off- about 5 inches deep of dirt from the bottom of the plant and it exposed the plastic disc and the roots as well that were growing through the holes in the disc. The roots had definite indentations in them from being inside these holes that were too small in circumference for the ever growing roots. I cut the disc from the roots using a scissors. Do you think that the plant will survive? I use Miricle Grow moisture control potting soil and I mixed sphagmum peat moss in with it. I was using water globes as the watering method. Is this the best way to water it until the roots have a chance to repair themselves? I read that you are supposed to always water a plant from the top down. Water globes water them oppposite of that way. Should i have done anything to the roots besides putting them back into the soil?  Thank you very much. I am anxiously awaiting your reply via e-mail.

Answer
Hello Patrice,
    The plant and the roots should be just fine. It is common to find those plastic discs in plant pots. I usually remove them right away.
I usually do not recommend moisture control potting soil or the use of water globes. It is important for potting soil to dry out a little. If the soil stays too wet all the time then the roots can develop root rot.

When watering plants the general rule is to allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry between watering then water just enough for a small amount of water to drain out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.

I recommend using distilled water to water plants. A lot of plants are sensitive to the fluoride, chlorine and mineral deposits found in most tap water. Water softeners add a lot of salts to the water which can also harm plants. By using distilled water you can avoid the problems that can be caused by water quality.

I have found that using distilled water to water spider plants really helps to prevent the leaf tips from turning brown.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions or need additional information please don't hesitate to ask.
          Thanks
              Tracy