What Is Wrong With My Hart's Tongue Fern?

Are the leaves pale on their upper side and are there any dusty blisters on the undersides?

Are the base of stems infected at or below the soil line, causing general chlorosis of foliage?

Are the roots dark brown, the plant is wilting, yellowing, and dying?

Are the young leaves distorted or torn and full of small, brown-edged holes?

Does the plant begins to wilt and are there zigzag paths in roots or stems?

Are the leaves covered in coarse stippling and may appear silvery?

Are the leaves stippled, reddish or yellowish with fine webbing?

Likely cause for these symptoms is a fungal disease - Rust. Provide good air circulation around plants by thining them. Avoid making leaves wet when watering. All infected leaves should be removed. Spray leaves with sulfur early in the season to prevent rust or to treat mild infections.

Crown rot is a fungal disease favored by warm, moist conditions. Fungus is present in most field soils. Avoid deep planting and overwatering. Treat soil with PCNB before planting.

These symptoms indicate a fungal disease - Pythium Root Rot. Do not overwater plants. Remove affected plants and their roots, and discard surrounding soil. Plant only in the pasteurized soil. Hold back on fertilizing too. Keep hose ends off the ground. Apply a copper-based fungicide to protect plants.

Capsid bugs are known pests of Hart's Tongue fern in greenhouses. If only minimal damage is observed, it is not necessary to do more than keep dropped leaves and plant matter cleaned up to prevent capsid hiding places. Capsid bug treatment for heavily damaged plants should be done with a pyrethrin spray.

These symptoms are caused by Black vine weevil larvae. The larvae are small whitish grubs, which feed within the fruit, stem, or roots of plants. The larvae feed on the roots and stems. The feeding can girdle the stem, killing the plant. Drench the soil around your plant with the predatory nematodes solution. If there are adult weevils, knock them from the plant on a piece of cloth and destroy them.

These symptoms may indicate thrips. Thrips are tiny, yellow to black flying insects. Severely infected plant parts should be removed and destroyed. Control thrips by introducing lady beetles or lacewings, their natural predators. Insecticidal soap helps in severe infestations.

Reddish to yellowish flecks on leaves and webbed foliage indicate spider mites. These tiny, spider-like pests feed by sucking sap from the underside of the plant leaves causing yellow flecking on the upper leaf surfaces. You can control spider mites by spraying plants thoroughly with water 2-3 times a day for several days. For severe infestations, spray plants with insecticidal soap, or pyrethrin as a last resort.

Distorted, curled leaves are caused by aphids. These insects cluster under leaves and on growing tips where they feed on plant sap. You can control them by washing them off the plant with water spray. Insecticidal soap should be used with severe infestations.