Seeking Houseplant Advice

[JoeP]

I suppose it could be a spider plant. The ones I have (all babies of one original, I think) don't have stems like that - all the leaves grow directly out of the soil - but the leaves are very similar. There are different varieties, though.

Mine are very tolerant to under-watering (the leaves eventually go pale; rarely brown) and over-watering and having too small pots - they energetically root and fill up and even stretch plastic pots. I think they're adapted to growing in rocky environments with minimal soil, and those shoots you mention are the plant trying to find new nooks and crannies with a bit more soil.

But this might all be academic if vm's plant isn't in fact a spider plant...

[viscousmemories]

I don't think that one plant has exposed roots, I think that is just the straw-like stuff that came with it in the basket and, now that I think about it, maybe shouldn't be in there. There is almost certainly not enough soil though. I vaguely remember thinking the pots I got were too large and running out of potting soil before I had filled them all adequately.

How do I determine whether the pot is too big/small? Is too big even a thing if it has plenty of soil in it? According to the "Picture This" app, the plants are (from left to right):

1. Peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
2. Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)
3. Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena reflexa var. agustifolia)

Per the app the Peace lily and Madagascar want partial sun and water every 5-7 days, while the Prayer plant wants full shade and water every 5-7 days. Also, wow. That app gives a ton of information about the care and feeding of each plant. Not that y'all haven't been helpful but I think technology has won the day!

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

2. Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)

Not that y'all haven't been helpful but I think technology has won the day!

I beat the technology on that one.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

How do I determine whether the pot is too big/small? Is too big even a thing if it has plenty of soil in it?

Why don't you ask the technology? 2

I'm not sure it matters if a pot is too big as such. The concern is to avoid waterlogging at the bottom, which is bad for roots (deadly even), and the usual solution is to put solid things at the bottom allowing water to drain without soil and hence roots going there - traditionally, shards of broken pot, but not if all your pots are plastic - or pebbles.

A pot is too small if the plant is "root bound" - if you lift it out and there are roots all around the base and sides desperately trying to find more soil.

[ceptimus]

When you get lots of roots growing out of the bottom of the pot, through the drainage holes, that's a sign that the plant would like a bigger pot.