How to properly grow a fern at home?

One of the most mysterious plants on Earth is the fern. This species has existed for millions of years. On the night of Ivan Kupala, many who want to find a flower of this plant go to the forest, but no one has yet found it. Everyone knows the fern, some know it only as a forest dweller, and for some this green handsome man feels quite comfortable in the room. Do you want to house a room fern? Home care for him is not at all difficult. You just need to familiarize yourself with some of the rules so as not to bring your green pet to death. Indoor fern nephrolepis is most commonly found in flower lovers. With the rich green color of its leaves, it gives the room a coziness.

Indoor fern: home care

Among all ferns, nephrolepis is the best option for growing in rooms, as it is the most hardy of this species. Nephrolepis is a very beautiful ornamental plant with rich green leaves of dark and light shades. The color of the leaves depends entirely on the lighting and on the ground in the flowerpot.

How to care for indoor fern? The main thing is not to overfill or overfeed the plant. In addition, there are some more features: you need to know what the fern likes, and what makes it start to hurt and dry out. Basically, there are no difficulties, you just need to follow the rules outlined in this article. As a result, you will get a beautiful plant with luxurious green leaves.

Indoor flowers. Ferns: care and the atmosphere of the air

Ferns are considered unpretentious plants, but still there are some conditions, without which they will not delight the eyes with their green beauty. Take, for example, their forest cousins: in natural conditions, ferns thrive without regular watering, without spraying and without fertilizers applied at the right time and at the right time. At the same time, their indoor relatives, even if all the rules are followed, with timely transplantation and circumcision, can wither right before our eyes. What is the reason for the death of the plant?

So that the indoor fern does not dry out, home care must comply with all the rules. In addition, the grower must take into account the fact that the fern is an accurate indicator of the atmosphere in the house or apartment.If the air in the room is dry, gassed or smoky, the green handsome man will start to ache. Thus, you will have an excellent advisor in the form of a fern: by its appearance you can determine that the atmosphere in the house does not correspond to the norms and you need to look for the reason for this. There may be a gas leak - call the gas workers and make sure everything is in order. There may be a lack of fresh air in the kitchen - install an extractor hood. Maybe the air is too dry, the humidity is very low - buy a humidifier. As a result, you will ensure both yourself a normal existence and your plants.

Where to put it?

In order for the indoor fern to grow and develop normally, home care must be correct. Think carefully about where to plant the plant. Nephrolepis can tolerate shadow, but it also needs light, though not direct, but slightly diffused and not in large quantities. Therefore, it is better to put it in the corner opposite the window. At the same time, he needs to provide access to fresh air.

One more feature of plant growth must be taken into account. Nephrolepis grows quite large, its beautiful leaves grow both to the sides and upwards. Based on this, there will not be enough space on the windowsill for him. The leaves will rest against the glass of the window and deform, the shape of the plant will be ugly.

Fern soil

To find out what kind of soil is needed for an indoor fern, it is enough to remember what kind of soil is in the forest. The land there is very loose, with rotted leaves or needles, with remnants of peat. This is the basis for nephrolepis, then he will feel comfortable, like at home.

When filling the flower pot, remember that the soil mixture for the fern should be acidic, with the addition of forest leaf earth. Also add sand and humus there, make sure that the soil is free to pass water and is loose. If water stagnates in the flowerpot, then the roots of the fern will immediately begin to rot, the plant will get sick. Signs of this are brownish spots on the leaves. Sometimes it is very difficult to understand what is the reason that the indoor fern is withering away. The leaves dry out and become covered with brown spots even when the soil dries out. You just need to do everything according to the norms, water the plant on time, but do not overdo it.

How to transplant?

Indoor fern transplant should be carried out every year. As mentioned earlier, nephrolepis is a large plant, so after a year it becomes cramped in its pot.

How to transplant indoor fern so as not to injure the roots? The answer is simple: transfer it to a new pot, so the roots will not be damaged. It is recommended to transplant in early spring, at a time when the growing season is just beginning. If you do not heed this advice and transplant the plant in the autumn, then it will take a long time and badly, it may even die.

The new flowerpot should be three centimeters larger in diameter than the one previously used. Do not forget that the plant is gaining in growth, and it needs a bigger dwelling. Then, very carefully, so as not to shake off the soil from the roots, transfer the plant into a prepared pot, after which you can add an earthen mixture prepared in advance according to all the rules. As you can see, there are no difficulties in this matter, you just need to do everything carefully and not rush.

Reproduction

Ferns reproduce by dividing the bush. You can, of course, try to grow nephrolepis from seeds (spores), but this is practically impracticable. It is much easier and more effective to divide the bush, it is recommended to do this during the spring transplant, so as not to disturb the plant once again.

The division process itself is quite simple. After pulling the bush out of the flowerpot, examine the base. You will see small rosette babies there.So they must be carefully separated from the parent bush along with part of the rhizome. Small fern "cubs" after separation from the bush need to create greenhouse conditions so that they can resiliently endure the gap.

Proper watering

Once again, I want to remind you what to expect if you water the indoor fern incorrectly: the leaves dry, the plant becomes covered with brown spots and eventually dies.

The main principle of watering ferns is moderation! The soil in the flower pot should not dry out, make sure that it is always slightly moist, while avoiding waterlogging. It is recommended to water the plant 3 times a week, but this is not a criterion at all, the timing of watering depends on the air temperature and on the place in which the flower stands. Water Nephrolepis only with settled, preferably rainwater, it should be soft.

Mandatory spraying

Having found out that the fern can die without fresh air, you need to take measures to prevent such a sad ending. To do this, you need to regularly spray the bushes of indoor ferns. It is necessary to carry out such a procedure often, with an eye to what kind of atmosphere prevails in the room. If the air is too dry, then it is necessary to spray nephrolepis every day, but if the atmosphere is normal, then it is recommended to do this two or three times within seven days.

Fertilizers for a green handsome man

If, when planting a fern, the soil was prepared according to all the rules with all the necessary additives, then it is often not necessary to feed the plant. It will be enough to feed it twice a month so that it will continue to delight with the rich and bright green color of its leaves.

For these purposes, a solution of mineral fertilizers of a weak consistency is used. In addition, organic fertilizers, such as mullein infusion, are suitable. Only using organic matter can you overdo it and overfeed the fern, this cannot be allowed. The easiest way is to purchase ready-made mineral potash fertilizers, which are sold in every flower shop. There are instructions on the package. Fertilize the fern accordingly in spring and summer. As a result, thanks to the efforts of a caring flower grower, nephrolepis will delight you with the beauty of green spreading leaves!

The fern is very popular among flower growers - a beautiful plant with airy leaves often adorns our windowsills and even front gardens. And although it will not be possible to see a fern flower, a plant planted in a decorative pots can transform a room. So let's talk about how to care for your fern.

Microclimate requirements

Growing a home fern is not difficult. However, in order to grow a lush and healthy plant, certain conditions must be met.

Illumination

The pot with the culture must be placed in the right place - with diffused lighting, it is possible in partial shade. The sill of the north-facing window will be optimal. If this is not possible, it is better to place the indoor fern at a short distance from the window so that it does not suffer from excess light.

Air humidity

This culture prefers rooms with high humidity. Such conditions can be achieved in two ways: plant a plant in a special pot with a double bottom or install a humidifier in the room. It is quite possible to build a double pot yourself, for which you will need another container slightly larger than the one in which the bush is planted.

A larger pot is filled with well-moistened moss, a pot with a planted plant is placed inside, the top and edges of the pot are covered with the same wet moss. The latter should be regularly moistened every few days.

If you prefer the humidifier option, it is better to install it near the plant.Or you can simply spray the fern from a spray bottle, but not more often than once every few days.

Temperature regime

Considering the tropical origin of ferns, they prefer rather high air temperatures. Of course, we will not be able to create a real tropical climate, but it is necessary to maintain the temperature at +21 ° C. With a prolonged decrease in temperature, the culture feels bad.

The bathroom is a great option for cultural placement (provided that it has a natural source of light). Here the fern is suitable for both temperature and humidity.

Video "Fern Care Rules"

This video will show you how to properly care for your fern at home.

Care rules

Although caring for indoor ferns is not labor-intensive, it requires compliance with several rules:

• the plant should be grown at home in those places where drafts and sudden changes in temperature will not threaten it;
• Remember that ferns are extremely sensitive to air pollution: if your balcony faces a busy street and you like to keep your windows open, your plant will probably not like it.

Watering and feeding

Proper care of a healthy home fern requires abundant and frequent watering. Water it as soon as the top layer of the substrate dries up a little. The frequency of watering directly depends on the air temperature in the room: the hotter it is in the room, the more moisture the culture will need.

Even a few days of drought can be fatal to the fern. Being in dry soil for a long time, the plant may not recover even after watering. Excessive moisture is also unacceptable for the roots: with an excess of moisture, they begin to hurt, which negatively affects the general condition of the flowerpot.

It is important not to forget to fertilize the plant, especially during the period of its intensive growth: if the fern does not receive sufficient fertilization, its foliage will first lose its color intensity, and subsequently dry out altogether.

You need to feed the culture weekly using liquid complex formulations. The exception is the dormant period - the interval between the end of October and the middle of February, at this time feeding should be stopped.

Pruning

If the leaves begin to dry or turn yellow, do not expect them to regain their strength. All damaged aerial parts of the fern should be trimmed immediately.

Transplant and reproduction

Young shoots should be replanted annually, while more mature plants should be replanted as the roots fill the empty space of the pot. A certain difficulty lies in the fact that ferns do not tolerate transplanting well, so if you want to update a container with a plant, it is better to transfer it by transferring it.

It is advisable to propagate ferns by dividing the overgrown bush, trying to carry out all the manipulations carefully, minimally injuring the root system.

Prevention of diseases and pests

The plant is prone to damage by aphids or scale insects if the air in the room is too dry. To prevent this, you need to properly care for it: do not forget to regularly spray the fern.

Sometimes bushes can be affected by a nematode due to cold watering. Yellowing and drying of the foliage will indicate the problem. To combat the pest, it is necessary to immediately treat the bush with an insecticide and transplant it into fresh soil.

Ferns are among the oldest representatives of the plant kingdom, they survived dinosaurs, witnessed human evolution, and today they successfully grow not only in nature, but also indoors. The attention to the plant on the part of flower growers can be explained by the beauty of the figuratively cut leaves and the fact that caring for indoor ferns at home is not difficult at all.

All over the planet today there are about 10 thousand species of ferns, but in the collections of indoor plant lovers, of course, there are fewer varieties. The most unpretentious and at the same time ornamental plants fall on the windowsills. Among them are davallia, asplenium, pteris, nephrolepis and other species from different parts of the world.

Fern structure

Occupying an intermediate position between mosses, algae and gymnosperms, ferns have retained the features of the oldest representatives of the flora and at the same time have successfully adapted to life in conditions that have changed over millions of years.

This feature becomes apparent when considering the structure of the fern. Leaves, or more correctly, fronds, make up the aerial part of plants and, as a rule, are distinguished by a curly, feathery or multi-dissected form. Young, not yet opened leaf plates in ferns are tightly coiled into a spiral.

As they grow, they unwind, become darker and denser. Fern rhizomes are located under the soil layer.

How to care for a fern at home?

When caring for indoor ferns at home, they try to create a microclimate that is as close to natural as possible. This fully applies to:

• air temperature at different times of the year;
• humidity of the environment;
• lighting;
• frequency and volume of watering;
• making dressings;
• transplants.

Most indoor ferns grown indoors, as shown, are from the tropics or subtropical regions of the planet. But there are also indigenous inhabitants of temperate zones. To adapt to the needs of plants, all ferns are protected from drafts and sudden changes in temperature, as well as protected from the scorching sun.

Depending on the species being grown, they try to maintain an acceptable temperature. In summer, plants can withstand warming up to 28-30 ° C, but subject to other conditions of care and increased attention from the owner.

How to care for a fern if this maximum is exceeded? The plant will need not only the usual protection from direct sunlight, but also frequent irrigation on especially hot days. Filling the entire free volume of the pot with moist sphagnum or placing the flower in a moist florarium will help. A useful solution would be to relocate the fern for the entire warm period under the open sky.

But with the onset of autumn, even before the first frost, the grower will have to find a cool place for the green pet under the roof. Some species are content with keeping at normal room temperature not lower than 17 ° C. But there are those who are more comfortable at 14-16 ° C. The minimum allowable temperature of the content is + 10 ° C, if the air is colder, it threatens with hypothermia of the rhizomes, which is especially dangerous in wet soil.

At home, caring for an indoor fern will be greatly simplified if the pot is placed on the east or west window. Here, the plants are not threatened with sunburn, and the incoming lighting is sufficient for active growth and maintaining decorativeness.

Do not forget that all members of the family react negatively to air pollution, smoke, car exhaust. Therefore, not the best place for a flower is a smoker's room or a balcony overlooking a noisy street with heavy traffic.

The frequency and intensity of watering varies with the season. When the indoor fern, as in the photo, is actively growing, it is watered more often, a decrease in growth rates signals the need to moisten the soil less often.

For ferns, both excessive and poor watering is harmful. The first case threatens with compaction and acidification of the soil, a decrease in the intensity of respiration and nutrition of the plant. Although the roots do not die, the flower quickly passes into a depressed, weakened state.

Dryness of the substrate leads to the death of the leaves.Do not expect that the fronds that have lost their turgor and bright color will revive after the resumption of watering. Even with the resumption of proper care, they die off, which negatively affects the appearance of the flower.

How to care for a fern that has lost its entire aerial part at home? You can reanimate a plant affected by drought by knowing the intricacies of the fern development cycle. Both already dead and still remaining green fronds are removed from the plant, after which the pot is transferred to a well-lit windowsill. With regular, but not too abundant watering, the fern can quickly recover. And a sign of awakening will be the tight green spirals of new foliage that have appeared over the substrate.

Complex fertilizing with the inclusion of organics and minerals effectively helps to maintain plants. They are carried out on a regular basis from mid-spring to autumn.

Pot fern transplant

The best time to transplant indoor ferns is spring. Depending on the type of home plant, the procedure may have its own characteristics.

Since among the ferns there are not only terrestrial plants, but also epiphytes, you will have to prepare for this stage of caring for indoor ferns at home in advance. To do this, select:

• a suitable pot, basket or piece of wood for epiphytic varieties;
• a loose, necessarily light substrate that satisfies the needs of the culture.

Although stores offer ready-to-use mixes, for most home grown plants, it is best to inquire about your pet's requests further. For example, for epiphytes, it is preferable to add large fragments of fallen wood, steamed bark, moss to the soil, and natives of the tropics require the inclusion of more nutrients in the soil.

Fern breeding

Everyone is familiar with folk tales about the fern flower that brings wealth and good luck. It is possible to find an unprecedented miracle by no one only during one, the shortest night of the year, when the fern blooms. And although the heroes of fairy tales managed to get a magic flower, in reality no one is destined to repeat their feat!

Due to their structure, ferns do not bloom. But how does the fern reproduce? The fact is that ferns have preserved one of the most ancient ways of obtaining offspring through spores.

At home, it is used extremely rarely due to the laboriousness and long waiting time for tiny plant rudiments to hatch and mature. But reproduction by spores cannot be replaced when it comes to growing especially rare species.

Reproduction of ferns by spores begins with the formation of sporangia on fronds containing haploid spores. Ripening, they crumble into nearby soil areas, are carried by the wind and animals and, falling into a favorable environment, germinate. After fertilization, the life of a new fern begins, but it can take up to several years before the formation of a self-feeding plant, depending on the species.

In room conditions, the division of adult specimens is carried out. It is best to undertake a rather unpleasant procedure for the plant in the spring, combining it with a transplant into fresh soil.

The fern is divided into separate sockets so that each one has:

• a few leaves;
• its own point of growth;
• a section of rhizome sufficient for growth.

There are many ways to breed ferns. Individual varieties can be easily propagated by dividing underground shoots. Others give an increase in a kind of mustache. And the third ferns, in order to accelerate growth and provide their offspring with a better chance of survival, became viviparous. They form daughter rosettes right on the fronds. When the embryos are old enough to lead a life of their own, they crumble and take root.

The subtleties of caring for a fern at home - video

Caring for indoor fern at home is not very difficult, so many plant lovers choose this particular specimen among many. Of the large number of fern species, nephrolepis is the most popular. It has a beautiful and lush crown that can revive even the most boring interior.

Indoor fern: the nuances of growing

Florists love ferns for their beauty and unpretentiousness. However, there are still cultivation features, and in order for the plant to look attractive, they should be observed.

The main feature of nephrolepis is its ability to detect dirty air, in which it immediately begins to waste away.

Unsuitable conditions for him are being in a stuffy, smoky or dusty room. The fern "does not like" low air humidity.

The flower can stoically tolerate the lack of regular watering, high or low temperatures. But if the air environment is not clean enough, its leaves will quickly turn yellow and dry out.

Home care

Caring for indoor ferns is easy. Like any other indoor plant, it requires a certain soil, a suitable location in the apartment, watering and spraying. Not complete without periodic fertilization. In addition, you should know the features of a flower transplant, since this must be done every year due to its rapid growth.

Ground requirements

The plant prefers loose soil with a lot of leaves and humus. Sometimes peat or needles may be present in it. The ground should be very loose, airy. Through it, water will easily flow to the roots.

The roots of the plant can rot from overflow, so the pot needs good drainage.

Prepared soil can be purchased at the store or prepared by yourself if you have sufficient skills for this.

For cooking, you will need to take in equal proportions:

• sod land;
• peat;
• leafy ground.

You should also add some humus and sand. This recipe is most suitable, creating the very soil conditions required by the indoor fern.

An earthen pot is most suitable for keeping nephrolepis. It tends to collect excess moisture from the soil, and then give it away as needed. This nuance helps to control the moisture content of the earth.

However, clay tends to become covered with fungus, which is very difficult to remove later.

Plastic containers are fine too. It should be remembered that this material does not allow air to pass through and does not have good resistance. In order for the plant to feel great and not fall off the surface, it is necessary to choose a stable and large pot. Its diameter in diameter should be 2 times less than the size of the flower crown.

Lighting and temperature control

The leaves of nephrolepis are large and green, so their need for a large amount of diffused sunlight is quite logical. The plant can tolerate shade, but it will not look so impressive.

Direct rays of the sun will scorch the sheets, leaving brown spots on them. Therefore, it is better to place the fern near the window, but not on the windowsill.

The optimum temperature for keeping is 15-22 degrees. It can be warmer in the room, especially during the heating season, so during this period it is recommended to moisten the leaves by spraying more often. The minimum temperature at which an indoor fern can survive is 5 degrees.

Watering and spraying

Water the fern with soft, slightly warm water. In the summer season, this can be done 2 times more often than in winter. Otherwise, in winter, the plant will continue to grow and will be too elongated with small leaves, since there is not enough sunlight.

Watering should be such that the soil in the pot remains slightly damp.Excess water, like drought, are not the best conditions for indoor ferns.

Spraying the leaves should be done daily, especially during the heating period. Excessive dryness of the air is not suitable for nephrolepis. You can also take care of a suitable indoor humidity. For this, it is recommended to purchase a humidifier or regularly hang a wet towel on the battery. Such a microclimate in an apartment is useful not only for a flower, but also for people.

It is better to take distilled water or rainwater, as tap water will leave white spots on the greenery.

Top dressing and fertilization

It is recommended to fertilize indoor fern in spring and summer. This can be done using any ready-made feeding solutions. They must be diluted according to the instructions on the package. Then add the same amount of pure water to the resulting solution. This feeding option is most suitable for nephrolepis.

How to transplant?

One of the main steps in caring for a green flower is its transplant. It is required to carry out it every year, since the rhizome of the plant grows rapidly. The crown also grows larger, which may make the previous pot unable to support its weight. Choose a new container 2-3 cm larger in diameter.

To transplant a room fern, you will need:

1. Gently holding the flower by the base, pull it out of the container along with the earthen lump.
2. Shake some of the old soil from the rhizome. If there are decaying roots, they must be removed.
3. Place the plant in a new container, cover the surface with fresh earth.

It is best to transplant in the spring. If this is done at other times of the year, the indoor fern will take root for a long time and look not the best.

Reproduction of indoor fern

The most suitable way to reproduce nephrolepis is by dividing the mother bush. This action can be performed during the transplant period. The plant is examined for the presence of daughter rosettes, after which they are separated with part of the roots from the common rhizome. They also need to be planted with prepared soil.

At the stage of growing a new fern, it is necessary to carefully monitor the microclimate in the room and strictly observe all the requirements for caring for the flower. Some of the outlets do not take root, which is the norm. However, dividing indoor ferns is the easiest method to reproduce.

Plant diseases and pests

A fern can be sore like any other houseplant. Most of the troubles are associated with improper care, as well as insufficient attention of the hostess at the stage of purchasing and transplanting a flower.

To reduce the incidence of nephrolepis, it is necessary:

1. Refuse to self-prepare the soil. The store soil is thoroughly sterilized and pest-free.
2. Quarantine newly acquired plants.
3. Do not leave the flower in drafts, in direct sunlight, near the battery.
4. Monitor soil moisture, do not overflow soil.

If you follow the recommendations for the prevention of indoor fern diseases, they can be successfully avoided. But if the plant is still sick, it is necessary to quarantine it and immediately take action.

Possible diseases and how to deal with them:

• Anthracnose

It appears as dark brown streaks at the ends of the leaf. It is recommended to remove the affected leaves from the plant, treat the crown with a fungicide. Watering should be reduced for a while, and the sheets should not be sprayed.

• Rhizome decay

At first, the leaves turn yellow, then turn brown. The fern dies quickly. At the initial stage, it is important to monitor watering, not to overmoisten the soil.

• Leaf spot

It appears as moist brown spots.It is necessary to completely remove the affected areas, treat the plant with a fungicide and do not water for a while.

• Gray rot

Leaves, stems and soil are covered with a gray moldy bloom. The fern should be quarantined, all affected leaves should be removed from it, and treated with an anti-mildew solution.

• Pests

Ferns are affected by: whitefly, white puffs, mealybugs, nematodes, spider mites, aphids, thrips, worms and others. Most pests are caused by improper plant care. The affected areas should be removed by carefully treating the entire crown and rhizome with a suitable insect repellent solution. In this case, the plant requires quarantine, since the pests quickly move to healthy flowers.

The main problems in growing

All the problems that a florist may face are associated with improper care of indoor fern. On green leaves, the consequences of an inappropriate microclimate or watering immediately begin to appear.

Among them are:

• falling foliage - occurs due to insufficient watering, darkening - the consequences of overflow;
• yellowness on the leaves indicates dry air;
• slow growth and pale green foliage indicates insufficient feeding.

If you follow all the conditions for keeping nephrolepis, he will decorate any room with the greenery of his lush crown. Therefore, all the efforts to take care of the flower are definitely worth the time spent.