These are beautiful ornamental-deciduous plants with a diverse structure of their finely carved leaves (fern leaves are called vai). Ferns, due to their wild greenery and variety of species, have become widespread among flower growers. In grace and tenderness, the shapes of the leaves cannot be compared with ferns by any other houseplant. In total, 8,000 species of ferns are known, about 200 species are grown in culture. Among them there are plants of amazing beauty, but when choosing ferns, you need to take into account their exactingness to the conditions of content, susceptibility to diseases and pests. The easiest species to grow are Circomium, Davallia, Pteris Cretan, Nephrolepis, Kostenets nesting, Pellea round-leaved. However, all species of ferns require constant attention and care.
How to care for a fern
Paportniki growing in the room come from tropical and subtropical countries, so they must be protected from cold and drafts. Too high temperatures and dry air contribute to the defeat of ferns by pests: thrips, spider mites, etc. There are also fungal diseases that cannot always be cured. The temperature regime for different species of ferns is different, it is established in accordance with the conditions that exist in their homeland. According to heat requirements, ferns can be divided into two groups:
- ferns of warm rooms (winter minimum 17 ° C) (nephrolepis, adiantum, platycerium, asplenium
- ferns of cool rooms (winter minimum 12-14 ° C) (pimple polypodium, pellea )
Try not to get the temperature below + 10 ° C, as the roots can become hypothermic if the ground is not dry enough. Ferns also do not tolerate temperatures above 28 ° C - the leaves are not sufficiently protected from the heat, if the sun also shines, the leaves burn out, burns remain.
Western or eastern windows are best suited for keeping ferns, i.e. when the sun shines through the window in the morning or evening and it is not yet the hottest. Ferns need protection from direct sunlight. At the same time, ferns love good diffused lighting, i.e. tulle curtains should hang on the windows. Ferns do not tolerate drafts, cold harsh air, but at the same time they need regular ventilation of the room. Ferns do not tolerate smoke and dust well.
Watering ferns should be regular, such as to prevent overdrying of the earthen coma. Leaves withered from lack of moisture no longer come to life. When the plant has a period of growth, watering is increased, with the onset of a period of rest or a slowdown in growth, watering is reduced, but never completely stopped. However, excessive dampness is also harmful to ferns - the respiration of the roots is disturbed, the soil becomes sour, the nutrients are poorly absorbed and the plant, although it does not die from rot of the roots, such as ficus or gardenia, but chlorous spots appear on the leaves, the edges of the leaves turn yellow, etc. Water for irrigation should be soft, free of lime and chlorine.
If, as a result of drying, the ferns have lost their greens, then the plant needs to cut off all the leaves and put it in a bright place, keep the ground moderately wet. Soon new leaves will appear. Since the birthplace of most species of ferns is tropical forests, they do not tolerate dry air. Ferns should be regularly sprayed at least 2 times a day, and on hot summer days from 3 to 5 times a day. Some species of ferns, such as Ruddy's adiantum, are better grown in the terrarium. In warm rooms, ferns need to be sprayed with warm water. If the fern is planted in a clay pot, then it can be wrapped in raw moss, and also cover the ground in the pot with moss on top.
Ferns are transplanted in the spring, after the first growth appears. When transplanting, it is necessary to save an earthen lump. Roots are not pruned, but only old and dead roots are removed. Ferns are grown in pots, on pieces of wood, in hanging vases and baskets, tree ferns in tubs. The earth mixture is composed of clay-turf, peat land and coarse sand in equal parts. Ferns growing from a creeping rhizome, the earthen mixture consists of 2 parts: fibrous peat land, 1 parts of light turf land and deciduous humus with the addition of 1 part of coarse sand. Fast-growing ferns make up more nutritious soil. For ferns with silver or golden leaves, as well as epiphytic ferns (feeding on the decay products of bark and wood with good moisture), it is useful to add deciduous deciduous trees collected in the forest to the soil.
When transplanting in ferns, roots are spread, and planting is done so that the root neck is above the ground. There should also be room for watering in the pot. When the plant grows and there is no room left for watering, the plant is watered from the pallet or the entire pot is lowered into the water for 15-20 minutes to completely moisten the earthen coma. Ready-made soil mixtures for ferns are on sale. It should only be borne in mind that different species of ferns need slightly different soil mixtures, for example, nephrolepis can be added to the soil of turf, but platicerium or asplenium cannot, for these ferns you can use a soil mixture for orchids.
All ferns need fertilizing fertilizers in spring and summer with organic and mineral fertilizers. You cannot use top dressing consisting only of mineral salts.
To prevent the attack of pests on ferns, they can be periodically (once a decade) sprayed with tobacco water, in addition, they regularly wash the leaves with a soft sponge. But these procedures are not suitable for all ferns, because the platicerium, for example, does not tolerate wiping leaves. The best prevention of pests is to maintain good humidity and comply with containment regimes.
Ferns are propagated by division during transplantation (few roots and 3-4 leaves). Some species of ferns produce new plants at the ends of rooting shoots (for example, elevated nephrolepis) or at the ends of leaves (bulbous bone). The most difficult way to grow is disputes (we will talk about it in detail later). But reproduction by spores at the same time allows you to grow very rare species of ferns.