Caring for ferns at home. Fern

Maintain a constant temperature. Most house ferns are tropical in origin, although not all require tropical weather. Make sure the temperature in your home (or at least the room where the fern is) is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ferns can handle temperatures as low as 60 degrees, but they won't do well in cold temperatures. If you are not sure, increase the temperature.

Water your fern regularly. Ferns love a moist atmosphere and moist soil. Make sure your fern's potting mix is ​​always moist (but not wet). This is achieved by daily watering a small amount water, and not by occasional heavy watering.

Fertilize your ferns once a month. Visit your local garden center and buy some fertilizer for your indoor ferns; ask the seller for help if necessary. Spray this fertilizer on your fern monthly to give the plant nutrients that are lacking in the soil mixture. You should wait at least six months after planting your fern before starting to fertilize it.

Remove dead or diseased parts of the fern. House ferns can suffer from some diseases, but they are resistant to most diseases. If your plant appears diseased, cut off the damaged areas. If your fern has begun to wilt as a result of neglect, do the same by cutting away the damaged or dead area with scissors. If the entire plant looks diseased, it is best to remove it before it infects other houseplants.

Ferns dominated our planet back in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras. Fern room care at home, which is quite simple, and is quite common even now. Plants can vary in size, shape, leaf color and other parameters.

Varieties

Plants such as ferns have the following types and names:

Nephrolepsis. The most recognizable and widespread. We love it very much in public institutions (schools, libraries, theaters, etc.) for its unpretentiousness. It has beautiful openwork leaves up to half a meter long, collected in a rosette.

Platycerium. A very unusual multi-horned species. It is a plant that resembles a head of cabbage, from the center of which flat carved leaves protrude in different directions. Moreover, in the middle it has a reddish tint, and the splayed leaves resemble deer antlers.

Davallia. The shaggy, brownish aerial roots hanging from the pots give this plant an interesting look. Due to the delicate silvery edge, the roots look like paws, for which the plant received the name hare's feet or rabbit's feet. The leaves are openwork, toothed, bright green. Towards the end of the growing season (autumn) they gradually turn yellow.

Asplenium. Uncut wavy leaves form a rosette that looks like a bird's nest. The plant hates having its leaves touched.

Polypodium. It has a thick, scaly and creeping rhizome, on which strongly dissected, feathery leaves grow in rows.

Blekhnum. A rather capricious fern, indoor care for it is somewhat more difficult than for other species. Has a clear resemblance to a palm tree.

Pelley. A small plant (up to 25 cm) with original, round or ellipsoid leaves.

Maidenhair. Popularly called Venus hair for its very delicate, delicate, light green leaves, similar to long wavy curls.

There are a great many varieties of ferns. There are more than 10,000 species, but not all are bred as indoors.

Features of care

Although this plant is considered low-maintenance, caring for indoor ferns has its own characteristics:

Humidity. IN wildlife Ferns live mainly in tropical rainforests. High indoor humidity is excellent conditions for the plant. You need to spray it several times a day or use a humidifier.

Regular watering is required, but not excessive. The soil should not be allowed to dry out completely, but flooding it is also destructive. It is recommended to ensure good drainage and place a number of small stones (pebbles) on top of the soil layer. It is necessary to water when the top layer dries, allowing excess moisture to drain.

Illumination. Ferns are not shade-loving plants. They prefer dim, diffused light. In the shade, the flower grows poorly and may die.

Feeding. It is enough to apply universal complex fertilizers once every 7-10 days. If they are deficient, the leaves will have a frail appearance and a pale color. Prolonged hunger will lead to death.

Transfer. Ferns tolerate this procedure with great difficulty, so replanting must be done with caution, using the transshipment method. Young plants are replanted once a year, preferably in the spring. Adults - as needed, when the roots completely fill the pot and appear from the drainage hole. A special substrate is used (leaf soil, peat, humus and bone meal).

How to care for a specific variety should be understood in more detail. Some of them require the creation of quite specific conditions. Only a patient and experienced gardener can cope with this task.

Reproduction

This relict plant reproduces in nature by spores that form on back side leaves in sporangia.

IN room conditions Ferns reproduce in the following ways:

using spores;

dividing the bush.

Reproduction by spores

Sporangia are dark spots or stripes on the underside of the leaf, and spores ripen in them. The spores are very small and dust-like.

A mixture of sand and peat is poured into a shallow box, pressed down slightly and moistened. Then the spores are laid out on top (they are not covered with soil). To maintain constant humidity, the box is covered with glass and placed in a warm place.

After some time (weeks and even months), sprouts (prothallia) appear - tiny leaves lying on the ground. They require special and stable conditions for several months. They cannot be replanted.

Small ferns grow on the prothallia. They can be transplanted into separate containers with soil only when they grow to 5-6 cm. It is necessary to carefully monitor the humidity, which should remain elevated. Usually the plants are covered with jars and then gradually accustomed to room air.

The method is complex and troublesome, requiring enormous patience and absolute sterility. Only very experienced specialists undertake it.

Most ferns are easily propagated by vegetative methods. When replanting in spring, you should carefully examine the rhizome. You can see small separate baby sockets in it. They are carefully separated and transplanted separately. Care is the same as for adult plants, subject to high humidity.

In some species, small ferns form directly on the leaves (fronds). They can also be separated and placed on a moist substrate. They take root quite quickly and well. If the plant has a large creeping rhizome, then it can be propagated by simply cutting it into pieces.

House ferns are not particularly susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. The appearance of the plant can be spoiled by insects such as scale insects, nematodes or aphids. Their detection requires immediate intervention (insecticide treatment).

By yellowing the leaves, the plant signals that it is not comfortable. This may be for the following reasons:

water for irrigation with a high content of chlorine;

water too cold;

the room is cold;

hit straight sun rays;

too dry and warm;

draft.

Monitor your plants carefully. They talk to us in their own way and let us know if something is wrong with them. For poorly looking plants, it is necessary to inspect the roots and leaves to determine the cause and treat the plant in time. suitable drug.

Luxurious ferns are no longer perceived as tropical exotica. Rather, it is an integral decoration of a residential building, office or alpine slide. Moreover, some species are very adapted to home conditions. For centuries, legends and beliefs have been formed about the miraculous nature of culture. And beliefs in its magical and healing power. Some, on the contrary, insist that the plant is poisonous. We will tell you whether it is possible to grow ferns at home, what they love and what they are afraid of.

Did you know? Modern Chinese and Koreans prepare a salad from certain types of fern, believing that the plant gives masculine strength.

Indoor fern: description

Ferns are very ancient plants. They grew on planet Earth back in those days , when dinosaurs roamed the prehistoric forests. Today, tree-like, herbaceous, terrestrial, aquatic species cultures are found in many places globe, more often in densely planted, shady places and tropical latitudes. Flower growers also contribute to the spread of the culture by passing the fern from hand to hand, from one continent to another. And the breeders took care of the frost resistance of ornamental bushes, so the perennial can be grown outside without replanting for the winter.

In the botanical classification, ferns occupy an entire department. Today, scientists recognize 300 cultural genera and about 10,000 of their species. But of these, only a small number develop well at home. Moreover, not a single domestic fern can survive the lack of moisture and care. Nephrolepis, which came to our latitudes from America, is often grown in offices and apartments.
Due to its impressive size, the flower is used as a solitary plant. It fits into any interior and amazes with the richness of its curved leaves, which scatter like a waterfall from a rosette located at the base. In descriptions of the culture in the scientific literature, the word “leaves” is usually not used for ferns. They are designated "fronds" or "leaf blades" because, for example, in Nephrolepis, one frond consists of thousands of small leaves attached to the sprout. Other species are also grown at home: with lanceolate, small roundish leaves and reminiscent of holly.

Plants are very popular in indoor floriculture, so many people know what a fern looks like. Contrary to legends that encourage the bravest to pick a fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala so that it will bestow unearthly powers on its owner, botanists claim that the plant never blooms. But even this fact does not deprive the culture of its decorativeness.

Did you know? The fern is about 400 million years old. It appeared in the Devonian period of the Paleozoic era.ev

Where to place a house fern

These plants are very capricious. Nephrolepis is considered the most unpretentious indoor fern and the most suitable for care at home. It can be grown in hanging baskets, on windowsills or floor stands. The flower needs space; in shaded conditions, its succulent, hanging shoots can break, bend into an unattractive arc and lose their decorative effect. If there is not a lot of space in the apartment, it is better to consider a hanging option so that when walking you do not touch the lush fan of leaves.

Bulk plants absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen in return. Consequently, it is fresh and easy to breathe in such rooms. Based on this, it is better to place nephrolepis in the kitchen or living room. Just keep in mind: the flower will not grow in heavily polluted, smoky rooms. That is, if for some reason there is no hood in the kitchen, it is better to move the pot to another place. For a full growing season, the fern is taken outside in partial shade in the summer. And if this is not possible, periodically ventilate the apartment, allowing a flow of fresh air to the plant.

Optimum temperature and humidity for ferns

If the tips of your leaves pet turned yellow and the fronds began to crumble a lot, it is worth increasing the humidity in the room. To prevent this from happening, the plant is often sprayed with water, and during the heating season it is moved away from the radiator.

Important! In winter to increase humidity experienced flower growers hang wet towels on the radiators or fill a tray with damp moss, place the pot on a tray filled with water and covered with a lattice.

The air in the room should not be dry. Also, the culture does not tolerate heat. Its native environment is warm, but not sultry, very humid and well-lit, but not sunny. The ideal temperature for ferns in the house is between 15 and 22 degrees. The lower the mark on the thermometer, the higher the humidity. It is typical that an indoor flower can withstand temperature conditions of up to 10 degrees Celsius if it does not have moist soil. But such stress will affect the state of the crop through rotting of the roots and deterioration of the “cap”. In addition, if Nephrolepis is kept at a temperature below 15 degrees, it will not have a dormant period and the flower will develop slowly. Periodic showers are very beneficial for him.

Young, not very grown specimens can be placed on the windowsill - it is quite cool there. More mature people will feel uncomfortable due to the cramped space.

What should the lighting be like?

Culture loves diffused light. If you place the pot in direct sunlight, the plant will lose its richness and color saturation. Nephrolepis leaves will take on a dry, plastic appearance. Therefore, it is recommended to place the flowerpot close to the window. If your room has a view of the sunny side, the windows should be covered with tulle or blinds. The fern should not be placed in a dark corner - in the shade the plant will stop growing and will soon die. The eastern and northern sides are perfect, as they are very close to the native conditions of the tropical guest: partial shade mixed with sun spots.

In the halls of office centers and large hotel complexes, the lack of natural light is compensated for by daylight lamps that operate at least 14–16 hours a day.

How to plant fern (nephrolepis) at home

If you decide to acquire a lush, colorful nephrolepis, the shoots of which will very soon cover the pot and stretch strongly upward and outward, use the advice of experienced indoor plant lovers:

1. Before planting, carefully inspect the fern fronds. They should be free of pests, since it is almost impossible to get rid of the scale insects on nephrolepis.
2. Make sure the sprout has a strong and intact root.
3. When buying in a store, choose a specimen that is 2-3 years old, since very young plants have not yet become strong and may not adapt to new conditions.

Important! The fern needs no more than 1.5 – 2 months for complete rooting.

Selecting a container and preparing the soil for planting

Shallow, wide pots are suitable for ferns. At first they may be average, but they must clearly correspond to the size of the root system. In too large plant will often get sick, and in small cases will stop developing. Be prepared that as the plant grows, it will have to be transplanted into a larger container. It should be round in shape, without curved edges, since when transplanting from such a pot it will be easier to transfer the earthen tuber.

For growing flowers, experts recommend clay pots, which allow the roots to “breathe” and do not emit substances toxic to humans. Do not be afraid of their external unaesthetics - soon the container will be covered by dense foliage. Such pots are massive and stable, so they can hold a flower. Their disadvantage is that, together with the air in root system Germs and pathogenic fungi may enter.

The soil for fern is prepared according to a very common recipe:thoroughly mix one part of peat, humus, leaf or turf soil and add 0.2 parts of bone meal. The substrate should be loose and permeable, slightly sour. For the culture, the normal pH level is 5 - 6.6. To prevent the water from stagnating in the pot, place a ball of expanded clay on its bottom.

There is a wide range of soils for ferns on sale. If it is not possible to prepare the substrate, you can buy it.

How to plant a house fern correctly

The most suitable time for planting is spring. If you do this in the fall, nephrolepis will hurt and take a long time to take root. It is important during the work not to damage the growing point and not to cover it with substrate. Before planting, the fern needs to be watered thoroughly, and then carefully placed in the prepared container and sprinkled with fresh soil. After this, water again and create a moist environment. We will tell you below how to care for indoor ferns at home.

Important! Old ferns produce dead petioles sticking out of the rosette. To rejuvenate the plant, you need to carefully cut off the dried stems with scissors, without damaging the healthy ones.

Novice gardeners often have a question: how does fern reproduce? In the wild, this occurs with the help of spores, which are visible in the summer on the underside of the leaves. Outwardly, they look like oblong, flat, brown grains. When ripe, the spores peel off and fall into the ground, where they take root over time. It takes a lot of time for a small, weak sprout to grow. In addition, spores are not always suitable for germination. This method is not practiced at home. Only professionals use it.

Before planting a fern, there is a painstaking preparatory stage. First, carefully remove the mature grains with a knife, collecting them on paper. Then fill a small container with drainage and soil (it is better to take a plastic one with a lid), water the substrate thoroughly and place the seeds in it. The covered “greenhouse” is placed in a warm place with poor lighting and systematically ventilated. After three months, when the seedlings hatch, the container is placed on the window, periodically removing the lid. Strong shoots do not need to be covered at all; they need to be thinned out with a distance of 2 - 2.5 cm from each other. The grown shoots peak over time and only then, when individual stems form a small rosette, nephrolepis is planted in a pot.

A simpler and more successful way to propagate ferns is to divide the rhizomes. Even beginners can handle it. In order to get several plants from one, at the beginning of spring the root system of a mature large fern is cut into several parts. Make sure that each division has its own growth point. A small specimen will need increased care and more attention.

Important! When separating a young fern from the mother bush, do not shake off the soil from the roots. Otherwise, the sprout will hurt and take root poorly. You should end up with two earthen balls with plants inside.

Fern propagation

Some lovers of indoor floriculture, answering the question of how ferns reproduce, add one more method. To implement it you will need a green mustache of culture. Having bent them, they are buried in such a way that the top sticks out and the middle goes 8 mm into the ground. After two weeks, provided that the substrate is always moist, new roots will appear, followed by tiny hairy shoots. A strengthened plant with 3 - 4 fronds is separated from the mother plant and planted in a separate pot.
After planting or replanting the plant, you must prevent the soil from drying out and the air humidity decreasing.

Features of caring for ferns at home

Before you start caring for your indoor fern, remember its requirements. They are not much different from other plants. First of all, your pet needs high humidity in the room, which can be achieved by maintaining acceptable temperature conditions and regularly spraying the foliage. Timely fertilizing, proper lighting, systematic watering and pest prevention are necessary. If you do something wrong, the capricious flower will immediately let you know about it: it may fade, become covered with “rust”, or in the worst case, even shed its leaves.

How to properly water and spray ferns

Perhaps this main feature plants indoor flower fern. Nephrolepis should be watered at the first sign of drying out of the top layer of soil in the pot. It should be slightly damp, without excess moisture. In this case, it is recommended to use water at room temperature (take melt water, rain water, or from the tap, but well settled). Remember, moderation is important in everything. If you flood the bush, its roots will rot. You also risk losing the fern if you overwater a dry specimen. Reconsider your approach to watering if the leaf blades have turned yellow and thinned. Most often this is a reaction to lack of moisture.

Did you know? In our latitudes, among the toxic ferns, shield fern containing fluroglucinol derivatives is known. Nevertheless, the plant is used medicinally for the preparation of anthelmintic drugs.

In winter, in hot rooms, ferns are watered as often as in summer. Spraying is also carried out several times a day. In summer and spring periods One irrigation per day is enough. Moreover, you need to spray water so that it gets completely on all the fronds. At an air temperature of 15 - 19 degrees Celsius, water procedures can be carried out at least 2 - 3 times a week. Watering and spraying are carried out simultaneously or in turn.

Basic rules for feeding indoor ferns

The untidy appearance of the demanding fern also appears as a result of insufficient nutrition. Spring-summer period is best suited for feeding. Twice a month, water the flowerpot with a complex solution diluted half with water. mineral fertilizer. Organic is also suitable: due to its rich chemical composition Fern will benefit from a tincture of chicken manure. In order not to overdo the proportions and not burn the rhizome, experienced gardeners advise diluting chicken excrement with water in a ratio of 1:50. If a light concentration of the mixture is needed, double the amount of water.

For an outwardly healthy, well-developing bush, one feeding per month is enough. Fertilizers are poured into holes made in the soil, which are then leveled.

Features of fern transplantation

The flower does not need frequent replanting. Its need is obvious as the outlet grows. As a rule, it is done in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season. When transplanting, the new container should be 3–5 cm larger than the previous one. If you are replanting healthy plants, be careful not to damage the roots. As they grow, they wrap around the earthen tuber, so there is no need to vigorously shake off the old soil. After transferring the lump of soil and plant onto the bottom of the pot lined with drainage, fill it with fresh soil and water thoroughly.

Important! In favorable conditions, the fern grows monthly by 10–15% in width and upward.

Pests and diseases of nephrolepis

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