Can houseplants grow too much?

Question

It seems that my H-Plants are not happy. They go through a growing spurt then start getting wilty. I replanted one spider plant into a bigger pot, but it died on me so I don't want to replant the others until I know if I need to. The place I bought them from said I wouldn't need to replant, but it seemed to me that the roots were taking up 96% of the pot- isn't that cramped, or do they only grow as big as their pot lets them, like goldfish?

Answer 1

Houseplants will outgrow there pots. If they get too cramped, they will start wilting and die.

Answer 2

Plants are just like us, they have their own lifespan. Some will die regardless of what you do. If a plant is rootbound (as yours were) they DO need to be re-potted to a larger pot. Also, some plants, such as your spider plant, can be continually renewed by planting the 'baby' plant into a small pot while it is still connected to the parent plant. After it roots, cut it loose for another 'parent' plant. Also, in the case of your plant, you might have waited a little too long to re-pot. Good luck.