Luxurious ferns are no longer perceived as tropical exotic. Rather, it is an integral decoration of a residential building, office or alpine slide. Moreover, some species are very adapted to domestic conditions. For centuries, miracles of culture have been composed of legends and beliefs. And beliefs have come to our days in its magical and healing power. Some, on the contrary, say about the poisonousness of the plant. We will tell you whether it is possible to grow fern at home, what it likes and what is afraid of.
Did you know? Modern Chinese and Koreans from some species of ferns are preparing a salad, considering that the plant imparts male strength.
Room fern: description
Ferns are very ancient plants. On planet Earth, they grew back in those times, when dinosaurs wandered in prehistoric forests. Today, tree-like, grassy, terrestrial, aquatic species of culture are found in many corners of the globe, more often in densely planted, shady places and tropical latitudes. The growth of culture is also promoted by flower growers, passing the fern from hand to hand, from one continent to another. And breeders have taken care of the frost resistance of ornamental shrubs, so that perennials can be grown on the street without transplanting for the winter.
In the botanical classification of ferns occupy a whole department. Today, scientists recognize 300 genera of culture and about 10,000 of their species. But of these, only a small amount develops well at home. And no home fern can not survive the lack of moisture and care. In offices and apartments often grow nephrolepis, which came to our latitudes from America. 
Due to its impressive size, the flower is used as a single plant. It fits into any interior and strikes with the juiciness of curved leaves, which are scattered from a rosette located at the base of a waterfall. In descriptions of culture in the scientific literature to the ferns, as a rule, do not use the word "leaves". They are referred to as "wyayas" or "leaf plates", since, for example, in nephrolepis, one frond consists of thousands of small leaves attached to a germ. Other species are also grown at home: with lanceolate, small roundish leaves and resembling holly.
Plants are very popular in indoor floriculture, so many people know what a fern looks like. Contrary to the legends, which induce the most courageous on the night of Ivan Kupal to pluck a fern flower, so that it bestows its owner unearthly forces, botanists claim that the plant never blooms. But even this fact does not deprive the culture of decoration.
Did you know? The fern is about 400 million years old. He appeared in the Devonian period of the Paleozoic era.
Information about the toxicity of some plant species scares novice flower growers, giving rise to doubts: whether home fern flower should be kept at home, is it dangerous. Scientific research will dispel this indecision, as a result of which it has been established that room ferns neutralize harmful acids emitted by modern furniture and building materials, formaldehydes, and also absorb negative energy. So you can safely acquire a whole collection. Adiantum, asplenium, tsirtrium, golden polypodium and of course nephrolepis must be pleasing in it.Where to locate home fern
These plants are very capricious. Nephrolepis is considered the most unpretentious fern room and the most adapted to care at home. It can be grown in hanging baskets, on a windowsill or on floor stands. The flower needs space, in the shaded conditions its juicy, hanging down shoots can break, twist in an unattractive arc and lose decorativeness. If there is not a lot of space in the apartment, it is better to consider the suspended version so as not to touch the lush leaf fan when walking.
Bulk plants absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide, giving off oxygen instead. Consequently, in such rooms fresh and easy to breathe. Based on this nephrolepis is better to put in the kitchen or in the living room. Just keep in mind: in heavily gassed, smoke-filled rooms the flower will not grow. That is, if for some reason there is no hood in the kitchen, it is better to move the pot to another place. For the full-growing vegetation, the fern is carried out in the penumbra in the summer. And if this is not possible, periodically air the apartment, allowing fresh air to flow to the plant.
Optimum temperature and humidity for fern
If the tips of your pet's leaves turned yellow and the fronds began to crumble strongly, it is worthwhile to increase the humidity in the room. To prevent this from happening, the plant is often sprayed with water, and during the heating period it is moved away from the battery.
Important! In winter, to increase the humidity, experienced flower growers put wet towels on the batteries or fill the tray with raw moss, put the pot on a tray filled with water and covered with a rack.
Indoor air must not be dry. Culture also does not tolerate heat. Her home environment is warm, but not hot, very humid and well lit, but not sunny. The ideal temperature for a fern in the house is between 15 and 22 degrees. The lower the mark on the thermometer, the higher the humidity. It is characteristic that an indoor flower can withstand temperature conditions up to 10 degrees Celsius if it does not have a moist soil. But such stresses will be reflected on the state of the culture by the rotting of the roots and the deterioration of the “cap”. In addition, if you contain nephrolepis at a temperature below 15 degrees, the period of rest will not come to him, the flower will slowly develop. A periodic shower is very useful to him.
Young, not overgrown copies can be put on the window sill - it is cool enough. More mature will be uncomfortable because of the cramped.
What should be the lighting
Culture loves diffused light very much. If you put the pot in direct sunlight, the plant will lose juiciness and color saturation. Nephrolepis leaves will get a dry plastic look. Therefore, place the pot is recommended near the window. In the case when your room overlooks the sunny side, the windows should be covered with tulle or blinds. Fern should not be placed in a dark corner - in the shade the plant will stop growing and will soon die. The eastern and northern sides, which are very close to the native conditions of a tropical guest, are perfect: partial shade with sunspots.
In the halls of office centers and large hotel complexes, the lack of natural light is compensated by daylight lamps, which work no less than 14-16 hours a day.
How to plant a fern (nephrolepis) at home
If you decide to get a lush, colorful Nephrolepis, whose shoots will soon close the pot and stretch much upwards and in breadth, use the advice of experienced amateurs of indoor plants:
- Before planting, carefully inspect the frond of the fern. There should be no pests on them, since it is almost impossible to get rid of the scale on nephrolepis.
- Make sure that the germ has a strong and intact root.
- When buying in a store, choose an instance that is 2-3 years old, since very young plants have not yet got stronger and may not adapt to the new conditions.
Important! For full rooting fern takes no more than 1.5 - 2 months.
Capacity selection and soil preparation for planting
Ferns fit shallow wide pots. At first they may be average, but they must clearly correspond to the size of the root system. In too large a plant will often hurt, and in a small one it will stop developing. Be prepared that as the plant grows it will have to be transplanted into a more spacious container. It should be round, without curved edges, because when transplanting from such a pot it will be easier to cross an earthen tuber.
For growing flowers, experts advise clay pots, which allow the roots to "breathe" and do not emit toxic substances for humans. You should not be afraid of their external unaesthetics - soon the thick foliage will close the container. These pots are massive and stable, so they can hold the flower. Their disadvantage is that microbes and pathogens can enter the root system with air.
The soil for fern is prepared according to a very common recipe: mix thoroughly one part of peat, humus, leaf or sod land and add 0.2 parts of bone meal. Substrate should be loose and permeable, slightly sour. For culture, a normal pH level of 5 - 6.6. So that the water in the pot does not stagnate, a ball of expanded clay is placed on its bottom.
On sale a wide range of soil for ferns. If it is not possible to prepare the substrate, you can buy it.
How to plant a home fern
The most suitable time for planting is spring. If you do this in the fall, nephrolepis will hurt and take a long time to catch on. It is important in the course of work not to damage the growth point and not to close it with the substrate. Before planting the fern, you need to water it well, and then gently place the outlet in the prepared container and sprinkle it with fresh earth. After this, water again and create a moist environment. About how to care for indoor ferns at home, we describe below.
Important! Old ferns produce sticking peeled sticks. To rejuvenate a plant, you need to carefully cut off dried stems with scissors, without damaging healthy ones.
Novice flower growers often have a question: how does a fern breed? In the wild, this happens with the help of spores, which are visible in the summer on the back of the leaves. Outwardly, they look like oblong flat grains of brown color. Ripening, spores flake off and fall into the ground, where they take root over time. In order to grow a small weak sprout, it takes a lot of time. Moreover, disputes are not always suitable for germination. At home, this method is not practiced. It is used only by professionals.
Before you plant a fern, the painstaking preparatory stage lasts. First, carefully remove the mature grain with a knife, collecting them on paper. Then a small container is filled with drainage and soil (it is better to take a plastic one with a lid), the substrate is watered well and seeds are dipped into it. Covered "greenhouse" is placed in a warm place with poor lighting and systematically aired. After three months, when shoots will appear, the container is sent to the window, periodically removing the cover. Strengthened shoots can not be covered at all, they need to be thinned with a distance of 2 - 2.5 cm from each other.
A simple and more successful method of breeding ferns is the division of rhizomes. Even beginners can handle it. In order to get several plants from one, in the beginning of spring the root system of a mature large fern is cut into several parts. Make sure that each case has its own point of growth. A small instance will need enhanced care and more attention.
Important! Separating the young fern from the mother bush, do not shake the ground from the roots. Otherwise, the sprout will hurt and take root poorly. You should have two earth comas with plants inside.
Fern breeding
Some fans of indoor floriculture, answering the question of how ferns multiply, add another way. To translate it, you will need a green mustache culture. Bending down, they are added in such a way that the tip sticks out and the middle goes deeper into the ground by 8 mm. After two weeks, provided that the substrate was always wet, new roots will appear, and after tiny shaggy shoots. A sturdy plant with 3 - 4 wyaias is separated from the parent and planted in a separate pot. 
After planting or transplanting a plant, it is necessary to prevent the soil from drying out and reducing the air humidity.
Features care for ferns at home
Before you start caring for indoor fern, remember its requirements. They are not much different from other plants. First of all, your pet needs high humidity in the room, which is achieved by the allowable temperature regime and regular spraying of the foliage. Timely feeding, proper lighting, systematic watering and pest prevention are needed. If you do something wrong, a capricious flower will immediately let you know about it: it can fade, become covered with "rust" or in the worst case, lose leaves at all.
How to water and spray fern
Perhaps this is the main feature of the plant indoor fern flower. Water nephrolepis should be at the first sign of drying of the top layer of soil in the pot. It should be slightly moist, without excess moisture. It is recommended to use water at room temperature (take thawed, rain, or from the tap, but well settled). Remember, in all important measure. If the bush is poured, its roots will fester. You also risk losing the fern if you heavily flood a dried-up specimen. Review the approach to watering in the case when the leaf plates are yellowed and thinned. Most often this is a reaction to a lack of moisture.
Did you know? In our latitudes, among the toxic ferns, the thyroid gland is known, which contains derivatives of gluroglucins. However, the plant is used in medicine for the preparation of anthelmintic drugs.
In winter, in hot rooms the fern is watered as often as in summer. Spraying is also carried out several times a day. In summer and spring periods, one irrigation per day is sufficient. Moreover, the water should be sprayed so that it gets completely on all the fronds. At air temperatures of 15–19 degrees Celsius, water procedures can be performed at least 2–3 times a week. Watering and spraying carried out simultaneously or in turn.
Basic rules for feeding room ferns
The unkempt appearance of the demanding fern also results from inadequate nutrition. Spring-summer period is best for feeding. Twice a month, pour the pot half-diluted with water with complex mineral fertilizer. Also suitable organics: because of the rich chemical composition of fern will be useful tincture of chicken manure. In order not to overdo with the proportions and not to burn the rhizome, experienced gardeners advise to dissolve chicken feces with water in the ratio of 1:50. If a light concentration of the mixture is needed, the amount of water is doubled.
For a seemingly healthy, well-developing bush, one top dressing per month is enough. Fertilizers are poured into holes made in the soil, which then align.
Features of fern transplantation
The flower does not need frequent transplantation. Her need is evident as the outlet grows. As a rule, it is done in spring, at the beginning of the growing season. New capacity for transplanting should be 3–5 cm larger than the previous one. If you are planting healthy plants, be careful not to injure the roots. Growing up, they wrap earthen tuber, so there is no need to shake off the old soil. Cross the clod with earth and plant on the bottom of the pot laid out by drainage, cover it with fresh earth and pour it thoroughly.
Important! In favorable conditions, the fern grows monthly by 10 - 15% in breadth and up.
Pest and Nephrolepis Disease
The fern is very sensitive to parasites and diseases. But if you properly care for him, nothing threatens him. Most often when growing Nephrolepis, flower growers face such problems:
- Blackened leaves - evidence of fungal infections of the roots.
- Young, not yet developed leaves turn yellow - a scab on a bush.
- Pale color and fall of foliage indicate dry air. This environment contributes to the development on the leaves of fern aphids, spider mites, scutes, and thrips.
- Poor growth of shoots and miserable species - the culture can not develop because of the nematodes that appeared in the soil. In order for this parasite to start tormenting your plant, it is enough to pour cold water on it once.
- If you overdo it with watering or break the temperature regime, gray rot will begin.
