How to Grow Ferns as Houseplants
Growing ferns as houseplants is actually a little challenging. Ferns need a much higher average humidity level than is normally found in most homes. The answer to this dilemma as well as soil and fertilizer requirements are explained in the following steps. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Two plastic pots
- Large plastic dish
- Decorative aquarium stones
- Watering can
- Potting soil
- Fern fertilizer
Instructions
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1
Plant your new fern in fresh potting soil in a large plastic pot.
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2
Ensure that the plastic pot has drainage holes in the bottom. This is essential because ferns requires moist soil, not wet. The water needs to run through the pot keeping the soil only moist.
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3
Keep the fern in an area of indirect sunlight. An interior room, like a bathroom is best.
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4
Add a second larger plastic pot around the main pot and fill the larger pots excess space with sphagnum moss. Keep the sphagnum moss very moist or even wet at all times.
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5
Place a dish, larger than your two pots, underneath them and fill it with decorative gravel. Keep this dish filled with water; it will evaporate over time raising the humidity in the direct area of your fern.
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6
Water your fern enough to only keep its soil moist, not wet. This is a delicate balance which is essential to your plant's life.
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7
Fertilize your fern only after it has been planted for six months. It should only be fertilized once a month, April through September or whenever active growth is visible.
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Tips & Warnings
Visit your local pet store and choose some decorative aquarium glass stones to put in the dish below your ferns pot.
Several ferns are well suited to be houseplants: birdnest, boston, brake, button, holly, maidenhair, rabbit's foot and staghorn ferns.
Do not mist your plant to raise the humidity around it. The excess water can pool on leaves and lead to rot.
Over watering can kill your fern. One way to tell if you are over watering is if the fronds turn yellow and begin to wilt.
When you do fertilize your fern be sure to follow the instructions of your fertilizer carefully, as over fertilizing can harm your plant.
