How to Care for Maidenhair Ferns

The delicate maidenhair fern tends to be more difficult to grow than other plants. They prefer a humid environment, and if grown indoors, they do better in a terrarium setting. The maidenhair fern will do well on the patio during the summer, if the air is humid or moist.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Keep the maidenhair fern at a north facing window, if keeping indoors. Most types of maidenhair fern prefer a shadowless light coming from a north window.

2. Keep the soil moist from spring to fall. During the winter months only water to keep the fronds from wilting.

3. Feed the plants every six months, using a standard house plant fertilizer that has been diluted to one half the minimum recommended strength listed on the fertilizer's label. Do not begin fertilizing until the ferns have been established for six months.

4. Thin out the ferns when they become overcrowded. Do this in the late winter, before new growth appears so you can re-pot the ferns you removed. Replant the new growth in a mixture of 1-part loom, 1-part peat moss, 1-part finely ground fir bark, and 1-part sharp sand. Add two tablespoons of bone meal to each gallon of planting mixture used.

References

• Maidenhair Ferns