Today’s plant rescue features a sad East Indian Holly Fern that I found on the sad plant table at my favorite plant shop. I spent a little more on this rescue because I felt it would be a good challenge and because I wanted to show a plant rescue with a total transformation.
I used to stay far away from ferns because of their love for humid climates. My house is more on the dry side so a Boston of Kim Queen just won’t do. I have found ferns like the Austral Gem and the Birds Nest do much better in drier climates, in fact, they don’t mind drying out just a little in between waterings, so if you forget a couple of days, it will be fine. The East Indian Holly Fern falls into that lower maintenance category.
Don’t get me wrong, ferns will love you more when you keep them evenly moist with bright indirect light. Any plant that is in peril, will fair better with extra humidity, which is why this plant rescue worked best outside with the hot, humid midwest summer!
For this rescue, it is slow and steady. I waiting to repot until the weather warmed and the humidity rose, I thought it might ease the shock of this already tortured fern. I went one size up with some nice well-draining soil and found a lovely shaded spot on my porch. Every week I would give the dead fronds a cut, making way for new green foliage.
It took about 3 months and some organic fertilizer until I had a nice green East Indian Holly Fern.
East Indian Holly Fern Care:
- Indirect light
- Water when the pot feels light or the top layer is a dry
- Use a light fertilizer during the growing season
- Use a well-draining soil
