How to Care for Ferns
Choose the right location., Keep the humidity high in proximity to your fern., Keep the temperature constant., Water regularly., Fertilize your ferns once a month., Remove dead or diseased parts of the fern., Transplant ferns after a year or longer.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose the right location.
Ferns require lots of shade and ambient (rather than direct) sunlight.
Place your plant near a north-facing window; east and west windows let in too much direct sunlight.
You can put your fern next to a south-facing window if a north-facing window isn’t available.
Keep the plant a bit away from the window, so that it receives more ambient light. -
Step 2: Keep the humidity high in proximity to your fern.
High moisture levels in the air are perfect for humidity-loving ferns.
There are three ways you can create higher humidity levels for your fern: double-pot your fern, place your fern on a tray full of water, or add a humidifier to your room.
To double pot your fern, select a second pot slightly larger than the pot your ferns are planted in.
Fill the pot with moss heavily soaked in water, and then place the second pot inside.
Cover the top of the soil and the rim of the inner pot with the soaked moss, and wet it every few days to make sure it is still moist.
You can also place your potted fern on a tray or saucer full of pebbles and fill the tray up to just under the pebbles' surface with water.
The water will evaporate and add humidity to the air around the fern.
If you use a humidifier, place it near your fern for the best growth.
Mist your fern with a spray bottle filled with lukewarm distilled water on a daily basis.
Try spraying the air above the fern and letting the mist settle onto the leaves, rather than misting the leaves directly. , Most indoor species of ferns are tropical, although not all require tropical weather.
Make sure that the temperature in your home (or at least the room in which the fern is kept) is near 70 °F (21 °C).
The ferns can handle temperatures as low as 60, but they won’t thrive as well under low temperature conditions.
When in doubt, turn the temperature up.
Consider placing your fern by a window in a bathroom; the temperature and humidity are often higher as a result of showers and baths., Ferns love a humid atmosphere, but they also prefer moist soil as well.
Make sure that your fern’s potting mix is always damp (but never soaking).
This may mean you water a small amount on a daily basis, rather than heavy amounts irregularly.
To determine whether or not your fern needs water, always check the soil dampness before watering. , Visit your local gardening center and find a house plant fertilizer that specializes in species like ferns; ask an attendant for help, if necessary.
Spray this fertilizer onto your ferns on a monthly basis to provide nutrients that the potting mix lacks.
You should wait until at least six months after you’ve potted your fern to start fertilizing it, though. , House-ferns are able to contract some diseases, however they tend to be hardy and don’t succumb to most.
If your plant appears diseased, cut off the damaged areas.
If your fern begins to die as a result of neglect, do the same by removing the damaged/dead area with a pair of shears.
If your whole plant appears diseased, it is best to remove it before it spreads to other house plants. , Given enough time, any fern will outgrow the pot it was originally planted in.
The time between transplants will vary depending on the health of your fern, but you may need to repot it in a larger pot as early as 6 months after originally planting it. -
Step 3: Keep the temperature constant.
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Step 4: Water regularly.
-
Step 5: Fertilize your ferns once a month.
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Step 6: Remove dead or diseased parts of the fern.
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Step 7: Transplant ferns after a year or longer.
Detailed Guide
Ferns require lots of shade and ambient (rather than direct) sunlight.
Place your plant near a north-facing window; east and west windows let in too much direct sunlight.
You can put your fern next to a south-facing window if a north-facing window isn’t available.
Keep the plant a bit away from the window, so that it receives more ambient light.
High moisture levels in the air are perfect for humidity-loving ferns.
There are three ways you can create higher humidity levels for your fern: double-pot your fern, place your fern on a tray full of water, or add a humidifier to your room.
To double pot your fern, select a second pot slightly larger than the pot your ferns are planted in.
Fill the pot with moss heavily soaked in water, and then place the second pot inside.
Cover the top of the soil and the rim of the inner pot with the soaked moss, and wet it every few days to make sure it is still moist.
You can also place your potted fern on a tray or saucer full of pebbles and fill the tray up to just under the pebbles' surface with water.
The water will evaporate and add humidity to the air around the fern.
If you use a humidifier, place it near your fern for the best growth.
Mist your fern with a spray bottle filled with lukewarm distilled water on a daily basis.
Try spraying the air above the fern and letting the mist settle onto the leaves, rather than misting the leaves directly. , Most indoor species of ferns are tropical, although not all require tropical weather.
Make sure that the temperature in your home (or at least the room in which the fern is kept) is near 70 °F (21 °C).
The ferns can handle temperatures as low as 60, but they won’t thrive as well under low temperature conditions.
When in doubt, turn the temperature up.
Consider placing your fern by a window in a bathroom; the temperature and humidity are often higher as a result of showers and baths., Ferns love a humid atmosphere, but they also prefer moist soil as well.
Make sure that your fern’s potting mix is always damp (but never soaking).
This may mean you water a small amount on a daily basis, rather than heavy amounts irregularly.
To determine whether or not your fern needs water, always check the soil dampness before watering. , Visit your local gardening center and find a house plant fertilizer that specializes in species like ferns; ask an attendant for help, if necessary.
Spray this fertilizer onto your ferns on a monthly basis to provide nutrients that the potting mix lacks.
You should wait until at least six months after you’ve potted your fern to start fertilizing it, though. , House-ferns are able to contract some diseases, however they tend to be hardy and don’t succumb to most.
If your plant appears diseased, cut off the damaged areas.
If your fern begins to die as a result of neglect, do the same by removing the damaged/dead area with a pair of shears.
If your whole plant appears diseased, it is best to remove it before it spreads to other house plants. , Given enough time, any fern will outgrow the pot it was originally planted in.
The time between transplants will vary depending on the health of your fern, but you may need to repot it in a larger pot as early as 6 months after originally planting it.
About the Author
Samantha Foster
Committed to making cooking accessible and understandable for everyone.
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