Caring for Ferns



Posted: Sunday, July 26, 2009

by

Ferns are hardy indoor houseplants that can bring a great tropical look to any room. Although ferns may appear delicate, they are very robust and fairly easy to care for. They can be placed in a shady location and some ferns, like the Japanese holly fern, actually do better in a cooler environment and can therefore be put even in a drafty entry way during colder months. There are many varieties of ferns that basically require the same care so you can either plant them together in the same pot or place them in a grouping to give interest to a empty corner.

When potting ferns try to use a pot that has equal depth and width so the roots, which are very shallow, have room to spread. Use a mixture of half regular potting soil and half peat moss when potting. The natural habitat of ferns in the forest is low down and in the shade so goes to reason that they prefer filtered light. Place them only in low light areas and only in a moderate light spot if the sunlight is indirect or filtered through sheer drapes. Best placement is near a north or east facing window.

Although ferns are tropical plants they do best in average to cooler temperatures of 65-75F in the daytime and 50-70F at night. They do prefer high humidity but most varieties will do fine in moderate as well. Just be sure not to let this plant get overheated as that will surely cause its demise. Ferns require more frequent but light watering to thrive. Do not overwater instead small sips of water three to four times a week during the summer and about once a week during the colder months will keep it very happy and healthy.

Ferns need about half as much food as most other indoor plants. A safe bet is to just half the the suggested rate on the instructions for plant food. In spring and summer fertilize weekly and during fall and winter fertilize once a month.

Following these easy care steps you can have your fern for a very long time and brag about your green thumb to friends and family.

Ann is a home based business entrepreneur who researches various topics and reviews internet products. For more about plant care visit all about Indoor House Plants where you get get more details on an excellent house fern Japanese Ferns and other Easy To Grow Plants

This Article has been viewed 138 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.