Am I Taking Good Care Of My Maidenhair Fern?

Did you placed your maidenhair fern in a partial shade spot, that receives indirect sunlight only?

Did you planted your maidenhair fern in well-draining potting soil, rich in organic matter?

Did you provide a warm and humid environment for your plant?

Are you making sure that the soil is kept consistently moist, but never soggy or flooded?

Do you feed your maidenhair fern regularly?

Do you repot your fern when it outgrows the old pot?

Do you keep your maidenhair fern free of pests and diseases?

In their natural forest environment, maidenhair ferns are primarily covered by a canopy of trees, receiving a bit of shade and a bit of partial sunlight. To successfully grow the fern indoors, it's best to try and mimic these conditions by finding a spot in your home that receives indirect sunlight only. Avoid harsh light or direct rays, as the delicate leaves of the maidenhair fern, can burn very easily.

Maidenhair ferns prefer moist but well-draining potting soil. As mentioned, water is very important to this fern, so up your chances of creating the proper environment for it by incorporating moss or an organic matter like compost into the soil to help it to retain water.

This fern requires very warm, humid air. To mimic its ideal conditions, mist the plant with warm water a couple of times a day to maintain the proper moisture levels on its delicate leaves. The fern is best kept above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and should not be placed anywhere in your home where the temperature or cold drafts dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Be sure to water your fern consistently, either daily or every other day, never allowing the soil to dry out. Keep the fern in a plastic pot with holes, then place the plastic pot in a more attractive outer pot if you wish. This way, you can easily check on the moisture levels in the plastic pot, and the drainage holes will prevent the soil from becoming too soggy.

It's not necessary to fertilize a maidenhair fern, as the plant will do just fine without it. However, if you wish to provide it with an added dose of nutrients, feed with a balanced, diluted blend once a month, avoiding any feed with too much nitrogen (200 ppm or less), which can cause the tips of the leaves to burn.

These ferns can be repotted annually or biannually, depending on the pot size and the plant's growth rate—they don't mind being a little crowded, so don't rush to report them if you're unsure. Instead, wait for signs that your fern is outgrowing its pot, like the roots filling up the pot. A cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol is often an effective treatment for mealybugs. For scale and mites, a horticultural oil spray is often used to smother the pests. Proper watering is key to avoiding rot and fungal disease. Ferns thrive in soil that is moist but never soggy.

Good job! You are taking good care of your maidenhair fern.

Slugs and snails often affect maidenhair ferns grown outdoors. To control slugs and snails use diatomaceous earth around your plants. Indoors, pay attention to mealybugs, spider mites, and scales.