I love ferns. The way their fronds unfurl with their unique shape and beautiful green foliage, what is not to love. I have an extra special place in my heart for the maidenhair fern. It’s leaves are bouncy and soft like a feather and the stems are tiny and delicate like strands of hair.
I have never owned a maidenhair fern so it feels like this plant is my own personal white whale. The reason I have stayed away is that these little beauties intimidate me. They require evenly moist soil, but not too wet. They also need humid air and bright indirect light. I don’t have great humidity in my house and I worry that my lighting is not sufficient. All the same, I took a dive into the maidenhair fern. This will be a true test of my growing skills and probably my patience.
To keep the maiden hair fern moist and living in high humidity, I placed the fern on a small dish atop some pebbles covered with water. I am not even going to worry about repotting. Maidenhair ferns do not like to be repotted and therefore I will wait until it grows and exhibits signs of thriving.
Care:
- Water every few days and let water drain out completely
- Don’t repot right away. Keep in plastic pots with drainage holes
- Increase humidity by placing on pebble filled tray with water. You can also mist daily or keep in rooms with extra humidity, like the bathroom
- Bright indirect light. Direct sun will burn the leaves.
There will likely be foliage loss and discoloration as she gets used to her new space. Check back for updates, trials and tribulations and if you have some odd interest in picky plants, check out this post about Crotons.
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