Why are these plant pots leggy?
Short answer: Leggy Plant Pots help prevent root rot by letting your plant’s roots breathe.
Root rot has taken many of our house plants before their time. (You may have not realized that's what possibly took your spider plant to another realm.)
Pictured below is one of my first spider plants that sadly is not with us anymore. It was planted in a plastic pot with a built-in saucer.
Because of the built-in saucer, I did not notice the pot was not draining, and root rot took over. It weakened the roots to the point where they tore at the slightest touch.
Believe it or not, many plants breathe with not only their above-ground parts but also their roots.
Water + Low Oxygen = Sick plants.
When plants are potted, it is a lot easier for the soil to get compacted. Without proper aeration/ventilation/drainage, anaerobic bacteria can take over in water-saturated soil, and lead to root rot.
Some symptoms of root rot, such as wilting, can make us think that the plant needs water or more/less sun, but this can make things worse.
