How to Grow and Look After Tropical Ferns

Apr 6
13:21

2011

Jones John

Jones John

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Tropical ferns are an absolutely beautiful addition for your garden or indeed within the home itself. They can give an addition of lush green background color that will brighten any drab area in your home as well as outdoors. They are a superb when used for ground plant cover. Using the proper tools for any job in the garden is essential, here's a resource that I reccomend

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Tropical ferns are an absolutely beautiful addition for your garden or indeed within the home itself. They can give an addition of lush green background color that will brighten any drab area in your home as well as outdoors. They are a superb when used for ground plant cover.


You can grow tropical ferns indoors successfully with only a medium amount of sunlight. It is best if you can position them in front of an East facing window, however if that isn’t possible place your fern just a few feet from either a West or South facing window and it should thrive. In the winter months though,How to Grow and Look After Tropical Ferns Articles you should move your fern closer to the West or South window so that the plant will get a boost in the amount of light needed for the plant to do well. You’ll also want to make sure that your fern receives plenty of air circulation around it so give it space.


Tropical ferns do need lots of moisture but steady watering is the way to do it, and never let the plant completely dry out before replenishing its water supply. Just aim to keep the soil around it consistently damp without over watering. If at all possible don't use softened water as the added salts in the water will accumulate in the soil and will eventually damage the fern. Room temperature water is best as water that is too cold can damage the fern’s roots, just leave a filled water container inside the night before you intend using it.


It probably goes without saying that outdoor fern growing is easier and better best in warmer climates and that is why the most popular region in the United States for these ferns is Florida. Even though that state has warmer evenings it is not a natural habitat for Tropical ferns, they have adapted well and thrive there. This is a good thing because many of the fern’s native habitats are rapidly disappearing due to deforestation. When the canopy of trees covering the ferns is taken away then the fern cannot survive and thrive, it needs the shady protection.


Tropical ferns do not normally flower but they can, and do, add an immediate appeal to either the front area of your house or deck by planting them in a large container. They can grow very well in such a position so long as you make sure they receive adequate watering and add a fertilizer to their soil in the spring. Also an occasional spraying with a liquid fertilizer on their foliage will help the fern look its very best and do it credit.


Lastly, if you decide to plant your Tropical fern directly into the ground be sure to pick a shady spot, under a large tree is perfect. If you want to cover a larger shady area you can simply use the spores of a fern you have and eventually transplant them into the required location. To harvest spores take a frond from an existing plant and gently shake it over a piece of paper or into a paper bag. Then start the spores off in sterilized soil, planting the spores just below the surface. When the new fronds have grown on to two to three inches transplant them into larger containers. Keep them in a pot until they are large enough, and it is the right time, to be placed into position in the garden for a beautiful ground covering. You will get immense pleasure from knowing that you brought on your display from its birth.