How to Care for Mother Fern Plants

Mother fern is the fleshy green fern that produces baby plantlets on its leaves. They are easy to grow and maintain but suffer from severe wilting when the soil conditions are not right.

Things You'll Need

• Garden soil
• Humus
• Perlite
• Charcoal
• Fir bark
• Garden scissors
• Pebbles
• Q-tip

Instructions

1. Use potting soil that drains well. Mother ferns prefer wet soil but not too much water. Mix two parts of garden soil, two parts of humus, one part of perlite and one part of charcoal chips and some fir bark for a rich potting soil.

2. Make sure to use a pot with a hole to drain excess water.

3. Fill the drainage dish with pebbles or gravel to increase the humidity. Mother ferns require humidity of 35 percent or more. Make sure that the pot sits on the pebbles and not on the water. If you use a humidifier in your house, place the humidifier close to the plant.

4. Inspect the plant for pests. Mother ferns are prone to scale and mealy bugs. Dip a Q-tip in alcohol and apply on the pests and remove them manually.

5. Trim the discolored leaves with garden scissors. The older leaves turn yellow or brown in color.

References

• Plant Care: Mother Fern

Resources

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: At Home With Ferns