Leatherleaf Fern
How to Grow the Leatherleaf Fern
The leatherleaf fern is the most popular cut flower fern in the world. That means it is the fern which florists use in their arrangements of cut flowers. If someone sends you flowers which have ferns interspersed among them, it is most likely you have seen a leatherleaf fern.
A leatherleaf fern can be grown by plant lovers as a houseplant, an outdoor plant, or as a large commercial venture by businesses, who make their living supplying florists with green filler for cut flower arrangements.
If you want to grow the leatherleaf fern outside, you must live in a very warm location. It is only grown in USDA zone 9 and above. In that zone, the coldest temperatures are never below twenty-five degrees. The leatherleaf fern is quite happy in heat and humidity as it is a plant which is native to the warm climate of South Africa.
This fern is a wonderful dark green color. It can grow up to a height of three feet but obviously is harvested when it is much shorter for cut flower arrangements. This plant has leaves which are glossy and it doesn’t ever produce flowers.
The leatherleaf fern likes soil which has a pH of between 5.5 and 6.5. It can grow in locations which are partially shaded from the sun. It thrives in loam/clay types of soils and likes soil conditions which are warm and evenly moist. If you are growing your fern inside, never use cold water but warm it up or take it from your warm water tap before giving it to the plant.
Since the leatherleaf fern produces most of its growth in the summer, this is the time to fertilize it well every couple of weeks. The biggest problem with this type of fern is that it is bothered by pests, mainly scales and mealy bugs. If you have infested plants, you must isolate them from the other plants until the problem is controlled. This may take several weeks. Any ferns which are totally infested should not be kept.
The leatherleaf fern is not difficult to propagate. There are two methods which are routinely used. You can divide the root ball and place the new plants in containers which are just slighter larger than the roots. You can fill the new pot with a combination of garden soil, peat and perlite or you can buy a prepared plant starter mix. Make sure the pot has drainage holes in the bottom.
Another way to propagate this fern is to collect spores from underneath the fronds. First dry them out. Next, get a pan, lie a brick in it and fill with around two inches of water. Cover the brick with peat and place the seeds in it. Cover the pan with plastic and you will have your own little greenhouse in which to start your leatherleaf fern. It will take a few months but first moss will grow and then leaves.
Gardeners who like ferns will often grow a border of this kind of fern against a wall or building. It can be interspersed with flowers to create a type of planted floral arrangement. If you live in a location where the leatherleaf fern cannot be grown outside, it makes for a good table houseplant. One of the keys to growing this plant with success inside or outside is to have good drainage. If it’s in a pot, adding some rocks around the drainage hole can help. Also, don’t pack your soil or peat too tightly.
The leatherleaf fern can provide life and greenery to any room. It can also serve as contrast in a vase of showier cut flowers. You don’t have to get these ferns from a florist. They are so easy to grow you can do it yourself in or outside.