How to Grow Ferns in Pots

 

The scientific name of Ferns is Tracheophyta and the plants are fabulous and they make a beautiful addition to the garden. These wonderful perennial plants have been around for millions of years, the plant usually grow in the forest, in rocky hills and in sand. Do ferns grow well in pots? Actually growing ferns in pots is very easy. You can actually grow Ferns with other plants or you can mix the plant with other flowers.

Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about growing fern plants in garden pots. Fern plants are not needy as the plant only needs little maintenance and the plant can be useful to fill in the gaps in your container garden. Though the plant is not of major importance economically, the plant can be gathered for food, research, medicine and even for ornamentals which could also benefit you especially when you have the plant at home.

Fern plant can be grown in pots. However, you have to remember that since the plant grows well in a moist condition, the plant will dry faster in containers than those planted directly on the ground. Proper watering should be given to the plant; too much or too little watering is bad for the Fern plants.

 

How to Grow Ferns in Pots Indoors

 

Best Soil for Ferns in Pots

You have to make sure that the soil holds moisture, drains well and is also rich in organic matter. Don’t forget that the plant usually grows in woodlands, on a soil that has lots of organic matter and dead leaves. A peat moss mix is highly recommended when growing fern plants in pots.

 

Best Pots for Ferns

What is the best container for ferns? Actually a plastic pot, not deeper than six inches is best to use since it keeps better moisture. The Fern plant should fit enough in a pot; if the pot is too big or too small, the pot would be hard to retain soil moisture. Try and make sure that the container is very clean and it has enough drainage.

 

Planting Ferns

If you want to plant ferns, just fill the container with the soil mix. Make sure the root ball is on top and the roots should be spread out freely. When the plant grows too large, the plant needs to be repotted by dividing the plant and transferring it to a different pot. Don’t cover the crowns when planting. Make sure you pay attention to the new crowns for it can start to grow on their own.

 

Water requirement

How do you keep ferns alive in pots? Ferns actually need a lot of water to stay alive when placed in pots. On the other hand, too much or too little watering is bad for the Fern plants. Make sure you water the soil and not the foliage. Watering the plant too much can cause yellowing of leaves and shedding of roots while wilting of leaves is a sign of too little watering. White roots on the plant indicate healthy watering. Misting is not really needed, however by doing this, it can clean the foliage from dusts and pests. Don’t use treated water.

The Fern plants in pots love to be placed in humid environment similar to the wet forest floor. The Fern plants in pots can be placed in the bathroom since it is the most humid part of the house. You can also prepare a tray of water near or under the pot. Don’t ever let the pot touch the water, you have to put a gravel on top of the water so that when the water evaporates, it will increase humidity around the Fern plant.

Do potted ferns like sun or shade? Ferns actually prefer indirect light, when they are put in pots or indoors, a day light coming through a window is fine. Too much light can dry out the Fern plant and not enough light may result to a delayed growth and poor color of the foliage. Though the plant can grow in lower light condition, the plant can’t survive in a no-light condition.

 

Ferns Care

One of the common things in Ferns is dried leaves. You can easily remove it or cut it away in order to promote the plant growth and to make the Fern plant look cleaner and healthier. You can also hand-pick pests like mites, spider, scales and mealy bugs. These pests can also be controlled with a spray of direct stream water. When the plant is properly cared for, the plant can grow several feet tall and the plant can serve as an attractive addition indoors.