Indoor Plants – Taking care of Ferns

Ferns are actually easy plants to take care of and seem to fit into most decorative settings. In the summer I take my ferns outside and hang on the porch and in the cooler months they come back in to the sunroom or other areas of the house.

Here are a few simple tips to keep your ferns healthy and happy.

v        Ferns are either tropical plants or plants that grow in moist areas. So if you remember the main concern for ferns is a humid climate your plants will thrive.

v Ferns love to be misted. It keeps them clean and adds humidity around the plant. You can hang them in the shower to mist them or take them out on the porch.

v Keep ferns away from drafts. They also do not like gas fumes.

v Fern should not be in bright sun. An indirect lighting is the best.

v Turn you pot or holder once a week so that the fern will not lean towards the light and become lopsided.

v Plant food tablets will be beneficial to you plants.

v Chop up two raw oysters and use as fertilizer.

v One other fertilizer ferns like is cottonseed meal

v Re pot your fern plants every year or two. This gives you a chance to check the soil and to look at the roots. You want roots that look healthy, have no rot or smell and that are not root bound.

If your fern is looking a little pale or limp water it with ½ teacup of salt added to six pints of lukewarm water. If your fern is infested with worms you can stick matches into the ground, with the sulphur side down. You will need 4 matches for a medium sized plant and six matches for a large plant.

Ferns will live for years with a little care and attention so enjoy your plant!