Fern is a plant that likes a lot of water. While watering it, you have to cover every part of the plant.
They are mostly loved for their long, lacy fronds. Although the fern isn’t difficult to grow, it tends to shed its leaves if it doesn’t receive plenty of bright light and water.
To get good growth on it, you must mist it daily. As for the pot, you water it at least two times a week. While doing so, water it thoroughly until it runs through the pot’s bottom.
They don’t need soggy wet roots, a breed for fungal diseases. But rather a well-draining soil.
Even though you can mist the fronds occasionally, a tray of wet pebbles is more effective in increasing the humidity around the plant.
Remember that brown tips might still occur even if you do water them. Just cut them off gently. Be careful also not to overwater the fern while misting every day.
Ferns are known to grow underneath other plants. Or underneath the canopy of the ecosystem. Hence their need for a filtered amount of sunlight.
During fall and spring, when the light levels are falling off. You can place the fern three to five feet away from the south-facing window. If it’s in your backyard, place it under a slatted awning.
However, you will have to move the plant in summer because the south-facing window might provide too much sun for the fern, which might cause it to burn out or dry.
The fern outside requires a minimum of two hours of filtered sun. But that classic bright indirect sun will suffice just fine when it’s indoor.
A plastic pot is preferable for a fern plant compared to a terracotta. The reason is less water is going to evaporate out of the side.
Since terracotta is permeable on all sides, the plastic will help keep the pot’s moisture levels nice and consistent.
Using a layer of mulch will also helps in handy with retaining moisture, which will help keep the soil’s humidity intact.
The soil you use has to be rich with nutrients and organic matter. You can always add a little coarse sand or the coconut coir into the mixture to improve its drainage.
When you want to re-pot the fern, wait until the soil is slightly dry. This way, the root system will be a lot easier to tackle.
Speaking of pots, use those that are wider rather than taller. Because ferns have a very shallow root system. Therefore the wider the surface area, the more they spread out and flourish.
Ferns love an ideal tropical climate. They tend to get a little tense when temperatures are too low.
When deciding how much water your ferns need, take the time to learn and understand it. Then maintain that schedule.
The best thing to do is to poke your fingers into the soil. At least two inches deep. Then feel if the soil is damp or dry. If it’s dry, then you need to water it.
Understanding the plant personally is more important than following rules on watering blindly.
The weight of the pot is another indication that a fern needs water. If the soil is dry, the pot will feel very light.
For good growth and survival of the fern plant. Evaluate the factors around you. Like the climate, the weather as well as the current season.
On the occasion that your fern gets brown or burnt. It could be that you overfertilized them. Try fertilizing at least once every three months. They enjoy a balanced and mild fertilizer that is organic.
Ferns do need to be in an area that has high humidity. If you are in an area that’s not favorable, try placing them in the bathroom. Or use a cool humidifier that you can easily turn on during the day.
Watering a fern is the most important thing because it will die of lack of water. As for the small ferns, you can place them together on clear plastic like a watering saucer.
Fill the saucer with water which the plants will absorb through the bottom. This will keep the plants well-watered.
However, add some pebbles to prevent the bottom of the pot from touching the water. Water seeping up through the drainage hole can cause root rot.
The holes at the bottom will also help with draining even though ferns do much better with over watering than underwatering. You would not want them to rot due to sitting in water.
In case you have a dying fern that you would like to save. Begin by cutting off all the dried-out fronds. Then repot it with new soil, without failing to water it.
Never put a fern directly in sunlight because it will burn the foliage. In addition, too much water will rot the roots, which means the plant is dead.
The first sign that a fern is overwatered is yellowing or wilted leaves.