So You Bought a New Fern

Since many of you will go home with new ferns after the sale, here are some basic thoughts on what to with your plants now and some basic reminders about the continuing treatment of ferns to keep them (and you) happy.

1. Make sure you buy a healthy plant. Look to see if there is healthy new growth on the plant. Check it carefully for insects and disease before you bring it home.
   
   
2. Do some research about your plant. Read your literature (or get a book from the Fern Society library) to find out what kind of environment your new plant likes.
   
   See if you can determine what is the plant's natural habitat:
   
   
   • how much sun does it like?
   • what kind of light does it like best (direct, filtered, deep shade)?
   • what kind of soil does it grow in?
   • does it like to be dry, moist, or wet?
   • what are its humidity requirements?
   
   This information will tell many important things. You'll know more about how to water the plant, how much water it needs and whether you should water it from the top or the bottom. You'll know whether you have to grow it in a terrarium, in a protected area, or right out with the other plants.
   
   You'll also find out how the plant gets its nourishment and what kind of soil it naturally grows in. Some ferns live lime, some love acid, and some require a neutral mix. All the care in the world is not going to grow a lime-hating plant (calcifluge) like Blechnum spicant in a lime-based mix. David Jones' Encyclopedia of Ferns has some wonderful appendices which identify the special requirements for many ferns.
   
   In addition, you may also want to research how the plants grow. It's important to know how your plant reproduces, how the rhizomes grow (creeping, upright, spreading, etc.) and how deep the roots grow. Some plants grow shallow roots and can be planted in a shallow pot. Some plants grow deep roots and need a deeper pot. How fast and deep the roots grow will also help you decide how often you need to transplant your plants.
   
   Finally, knowing whether the plant is usually terrestrial (grows in the ground), epiphytic (grows on other trees and shrubs), or epipetric (grows on and in rocks) will help you make final decisions about the proper container (pot, basket, terrarium, on a rock, or in the ground).
   
   As a side note, several people have grown hardy ferns in San Diego (there will be many available at the sale each year) and have find that they have the most luck putting these plants in the ground, rather than in pots.
   
   Label your plant with its correct name. You can also add information about when and where you got the plant to help you remember more about the plant's age and origin when it's time to replant or if you want to buy another one.
   
   
3. Put your plant where it gets the right kind of light and some air movement. Most plants need a little air (a little draft, not a gale) to do well. Also, moving air will help keep the plant from suffering from frost when the temperature dips toward freezing.
   
   
4. When you're ready to transplant, there are some general guidelines:
   
   
   1. Choose a container about 1" bigger than the root ball on all sides. You don't want to put the plant in too large a container or it may not do well. The theory is that the larger amount of soil holds too much moisture in relation to the active roots and the roots can't get properly aerated.
      
      
   2. Use a new container or clean the old container thoroughly. If the previous plant in the container died from a fungus or a virus, you don't want to put in a new plant with getting rid of the disease first. You also want to get rid of any salt buildup on the pot.
      
      Soaking the pot in a dilute solution of Physan or a similar fungicide and a little bleach will make it easier to remove the salt and will help kill any existing fungus. Rinse the pot afterward in plain water to remove the bleach.
      
      
   3. For most plants use a light, clean potting mix that drains quickly. Most regular mixes are made up of peat, perlite (or vermiculite), and some amendment like nitrogenated redwood compost. Depending on the plant, you may want to add lime (dolomite, oyster shells, cement chips, etc.), sand, charcoal, or sulfur (ground sulfur, ammonium sulfate, etc.). Some growers mix in time release fertilizer, as well.
      
      
   4. Water the plant thoroughly after transplanting. You may want to add vitamin B1 and rooting hormone to the water to help buffer transplant shock and stimulate growth of the roots. You may also want to add Banrot or some other fungicide to the water to help prevent root rot during the transplanting period.
      
      
   5. Be careful when working with sphagnum moss. Be sure to use good clean moss. There is a disease that you can get from handling old moldy moss. Be sure to wash your hands after you finish working with the moss.
   
   
5. Water each plant according to need, not according to schedule. This will usually mean less water in the winter as growth slows down and the roots take up less water.
   
   If you are on a drip system, you can vary the water delivered to your plants during each watering by choosing emitters which provide more or less water. Be sure to check your emitters occasionally to ensure that they are not clogged and change the emitters as the plants are transplanted into larger pots.
   
   Remember, experts estimate that 90% of plants killed by amateur growers die from overwatering.
   
   
6. If you have smaller plants, cluster similar small plants together. This helps them maintain humidity and moisture and keeps them from drying out as quickly.
   
   
7. Fertilize lightly, but often. Usually, during the growing season, you can fertilize each time you water if you use an extremely dilute fertilizer solution. Many professional growers have their automatic systems provide a very small amount of fertilizer during each watering. If you don't feel you have the time (or the inclination) to fertilize this often, you might try a time-release fertilizer like Osmocote. These can last six months to a year. Don't fertilize with both a time-release fertilizer and fertilizer in your water, as over fertilizing can kill a plant.
   
   
8. Check the plants often for signs of pests or disease. The earlier you spot pests the easier they are for you to control.
   
   The biggest year-round problems for ferns are snails, slugs, and sow bugs (pill bugs). They all love those tender fern fronds. For snails and slugs, you may want to put out slug bait or (for a more environmentally conscious approach) you can include diatomaceous earth in your plantings and fern beds. The sharp pieces of diatom skeletons dissuade the snails and slugs. For pill bugs and sow bugs, Diazanon crystals seem to work.
   
   Other common fern insect problems include aphids, thrips, mealybug, and scale. Many of these insects are “farmed” by ants, so part of your solution may including controlling the ant populations in your yard.
   
   Aphids you can spray off with a directed stream off water or control them with a very dilute spray of liquid Sevin. Remember to look again in a week or so, as any eggs you left behind will hatch out. You can also use a Cygon or Orthene (or other systemic insecticide which kills the suckers when they suck) to control sucking insects. Make up a very dilute systemic solution and place the plant all the way into the solution for 15-20 minutes.
   
   
9. Keep the dead and dying fronds trimmed back and cleaned out. This can help keep the insects that may have killed the fronds and overeager natural sanitation forces (such as pill bugs and sow bugs) out of your plants. This will also allow more air through the plant, reducing mold and rot, and give new fronds more room to grow. You also want to keep the natural debris cleaned away from your ferns to limit the hiding and breeding places for pests and diseases.
   
   
10. If a plant is dying back at an unusual time (make sure to check on the plant's normal growth habit), check the container for signs of overwatering and salt buildup. If overwatering is the problem, you can cut down on the water or, if appropriate, try replanting the plant in a looser planting mix.
    
    If overwatering is not the problem, check the root ball to ensure that water can get to the roots or if you have extensive soil loss. If the plant is rootbound (too many roots in the container can make it nearly impossible for water and nutrients to reach most of the roots), you can take the plant out of the container and replant in a larger one. In the process, you may want to gently work some of the roots free of the root ball and spread them out in the container in the new soil just below the surface.
    
    If you have extensive soil loss, you may want to transplant into a larger container or you may want to remove as much of the soil as you easily can in the current container and repot the plant in new soil in the same container.
    
    For hanging plants in moss-filled baskets, soil loss can also be a problem. Check the bottom and sides of the plant to see if they are holes in the moss. If you find holes, fill them with fresh moss packed tightly.
    
    
11. Enjoy your new plant!