Growing Ferns
Tips for Growing Ferns Indoors
Growing ferns can be a wonderful hobby and can brighten up any deck, porch, or room. Ferns are rumored to be exceptionally easy plants to grow, however this is not necessarily true. A novice may not have a very good first experience with growing a fern unless they are taught how to do so properly. We are going to go through the steps of growing your very own indoor fern. Why indoors? Because it’s a lot easier to control the conditions inside your home than outside and will likely provide a better first time experience for the fern novice.
So, it’s off to your local garden center to pick out a fern. There will likely be loads of different ferns to choose from, so take your time and get one that will really compliment the room you have picked out for it. You will also need to purchase a large plastic pot complete with drainage holes in the bottom (and preferably a water plate to catch the excess water), as well as a larger plastic pot in which to sit the first pot. If you want a hanging fern, you’ll need to choose a single hanging pot. These are fairly cheap, but they can be a little messy during watering. You will also need to pick up a small bag of potting soil and some sphagnum moss if you don’t already have some.
Once you get your fern home, it will be time to transplant it. Place a bit of potting soil in the bottom of the pot you purchased. Gently remove the fern from its original pot and place it into its new home. Go ahead and fill the pot until all of the fern’s roots are fully covered with soil. Make sure that you haven’t packed the soil too firmly in the bottom of the pot, as this could create blockage for the drainage holes. It’s very important that any excess water is able to escape through these holes because wet soil can allow the water to pool around the roots, causing them to rot.
Place the pot containing the fern into the largest pot, then fill the gap with sphagnum moss. The moss should be kept moist or wet at all times. This will ensure that your fern is able to absorb water through the drainage holes should it become too dry or warm. This step is not a necessity, but it can be very handy in the event that you forget to water your fern. Go ahead and place the water plate under the pots and give the soil a good watering.
Now it’s time to choose a spot for your fern. When growing ferns, it’s important to know that these plants don’t like direct sunlight. The native areas for this species are often shady and humid; therefore a corner plant stand would work well. Anywhere with indirect sunlight will suffice, though. The ideal temperatures that encourage fern growth are between 70 and 85 degrees F; however ferns can survive in temperatures as low as 50 degrees F.
You must keep your fern moist pretty much all the time, but be careful that you don’t wet the soil through. The idea is to keep it nice and damp without soaking it. If you are worried about finding a good balance between soil and moisture, you may want to keep a water bottle on hand. With a water bottle, you can apply a nice mist directly over the leaves of the fern. Balance this out with light watering whenever the soil starts to lose its moisture.
If you like, you can fertilize your fern with a 15-15-15 fertilizer once a month during the growing season, which is normally April through September. It is not necessary to fertilize your fern during the first six months, though. Ferns do not require fertilizer during the dormant period, so don’t worry about adding any fertilizer unless you see new growth.
As you can see, growing ferns isn’t exactly rocket science, but it isn’t a simple case of setting it by the window and watering it once a week, either. Just remember the key details of fern growth: indirect sunlight, watering often, and temperatures anywhere from 50 to 85 degrees F. Good luck with your fern!