hi, I am wondering why my spider plants are pale and wilted, can they be restored? I have placed them in indirect sunlight, after I noticed direct sunlight did not help them recover. They were recently repotted a couple of times within two months, because the soil was infected with gnats.
Your spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) will appreciate the move to indirect sunlight, since an overabundance of direct sun can certainly cause the leaves to bleach and wilt. However, the symptoms you are seeing may also be due to the infestation of fungus gnats, the larvae of which develop in the growing medium and feed on the roots of Chlorophytum comosum and other houseplants. It is possible that the infestation has weakened the root systems of your plants. Management of fungus gnats is best done by repotting, as you have already done, and making sure that the top 1-2 inches of the growing medium are dry before watering – dry soil is less appealing to the female gnats when they are looking for a place to lay their eggs. Here is a link to a good article on this insect pest and how to control it: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/fungus-gnats-as-houseplant-and-indoor-pests-5-584/
If your spider plants begin to respond to their new location by producing strong new growth, remove the older wilted and pale growth and this will help the plants direct their energy to their new leaves. If, as is possible, the plants’ roots have been irreparably damaged by the fungus gnat larvae, and they do not begin to recover, you should dispose of the plants (in the garbage rather than your compost) and begin again.