The sexual stage comes next. Sexual organs develop on the underside of the prothallium, and fertilization occurs. Depending on the kind of fern, it may take two to six months after fertilization for the first fronds to appear. Usually, gardeners and greenhouse producers don't reproduce indoor ferns from spores. Most indoor ferns are separated into several pieces by root division.
Details for both are given under the sections " Dividing " and " Potting. Even though most ferns used for indoor culture are native to the tropics or subtropics, they for the most part prefer a cool temperature and a high level of moisture in the air humidity.
In the woodlands or tropics, ferns are found under rather dense canopies of trees or large woody plants. Some species are native to rather dry climates that have periods of heavy rainfall. Usually these periods of rainfall occur during hot weather, thus providing a cooling effect. Room temperatures that are comfortable for human beings are usually a bit warm for many ferns. When ferns are grown outdoors during summer, they should be located in the cooler areas of the garden, usually in deep shade or on the north side of the house or a garden structure.
Never expose ferns to full sun in summer. Growing ferns inside your home is a real challenge. Culture today is not as easy as it was in earlier years. The increased difficulty stems partly from the changes in our lifestyles. As we have become more affluent, fern culture has become more difficult.
Before the widespread use of forced air or steam heat, there was usually a cool room where the humidity was a bit higher. Forced air and steam heat tend to dry the air and reduce the humidity below the point where ferns can survive. A humidity level of 30 percent is about as low as most ferns will tolerate. Forty to 50 percent is certainly a more desirable range.
There are several ways to overcome dry air. You can add humidifiers to your home heating system or buy a self-contained electric humidifier. A humidifier will produce not only better environmental conditions for your ferns and other house plants but also a healthier atmosphere for you and your family.
If you don't want to purchase a humidifier, put pots of ferns or other plants in saucers or trays filled with gravel and water. This increases humidity around the plant. Always maintain the water level just below the surface of the gravel so the bottom of the pot won't be standing in water. Some indoor gardeners add charcoal chips to the gravel. This helps keep the water clean and odor free. For best results, replace the gravel periodically or wash it thoroughly at three-month intervals or as algae, etc.
Sanitation is important in keeping down diseases. When you grow ferns in decorative tubs, ceramic or cache pots without drainage holes, put an inch of gravel in the bottom of the container. A better approach is to plant the fern in a clay pot and set inside the decorative container.
Then put sphagnum moss in the space between the two containers. Keep the moss moist. This helps increase humidity and prevents rapid drying of the soil. During winter when your heat is on, many ferns need misting. Use an atomizer, plant mister or a plastic spray bottle that gives off a fine mist.
Mist the plants early in the morning. Apply enough to moisten the fronds. Ruffled or fluffy finely textured with dense foliage ferns are a bit sensitive to too much water on their foliage. Mist these types only when your air is extremely dry.
Broader- and thicker-leaved ferns may need daily misting when your heat is on frequently or for long periods. Humidity is one of the most limiting factors in fern culture. Without a fairly high level of air moisture, most ferns will be unattractive and unhealthy.
There is a fern suited to almost any condition found in the average home. For example, holly ferns Cyrtomium falcatum grow in low to medium light, while birds nest ferns Asplenium nidus grow in low to bright, but not direct, sun.
A northern window usually provides ideal light conditions for many types of ferns. You can use a sheer curtain or drape to cut intensity. During summer months, you need to reduce light in eastern or western windows by about 50 percent. Asparagus ferns, which are not ferns but belong to the lily family, require bright light year-round and thrive in direct sunlight.
Check the fern varieties section for the specific light requirements of several different types of ferns. Ideally, an attractive and healthy fern will have just enough room to accommodate the root system with about an inch of space for further growth. Most ferns develop shallow root systems, so shallow pots or pans are best.
To maintain the proper balance of root systems and space, some ferns, depending on growth rate, need repotting several times a year.
When you pot, remember that a small fern in a large container looks rather ridiculous and will be more subject to problems because of moisture excesses, etc. Start small ferns in small pots. Shift them to the next size pots as they become crowded. Inexperienced gardeners repot ferns just as the pots seem to be three-fourths full. However, you should wait until the plant seems to be spilling out of the pot before repotting.
Remember that some ferns grow rapidly, while others are extremely slow. In time, you will learn the growth characteristics of the ferns you enjoy. Years ago, clay pots, wooden boxes or moss baskets were the most popular fern containers. Today, however, many gardeners use plastic pots. Growing plants in plastic pots is a bit different than other containers because moisture and air cannot move through plastic. This means you have to water the plants less often.
Regardless of the pot you use, you will be more successful if the containers have drainage holes. In potting, place an inch of gravel or clean pieces of broken pots in the bottom of your container. This keeps the drainage holes from clogging. Also, make certain the pots are thoroughly clean. If you've used the pots for other plants, you should scrub them thoroughly with a strong detergent and hot water. It's also a good idea to soak the pots in a solution of one part household bleach and nine parts water.
This eliminates disease problems. In mixing and handling the bleach solution, exercise caution. You may injure your skin and eyes if you handle the solution improperly. When using new clay pots, soak them in clean water overnight, preferably longer. This rinses away any chemicals and thoroughly moistens the pot. A periodic washing of the pots is desirable too. This helps remove scum, soil, accumulated fertilizer salts or other materials that might clog air spaces in clay pots.
Potting new plants is relatively simple. After you clean old pots or soak new ones, put gravel or broken crockery in the bottom. Then, partially fill the pot with your potting soil or mixture. Do not pack the soil. Pull the root ball apart so you can spread the roots outward to the edges of the pot. This space facilitates watering.
Gently firm the soil if necessary but be careful not to cover the crown of the plant. Water thoroughly to moisten all the soil. If you're repotting old or potbound plants, thoroughly water them to make them easier to remove.
Do not try to pull the fern from the pot. Instead, put your fingers between the fronds at the base of the plant. Invert the pot, then tap the rim on a table or hard surface. The plant should come out easily after several firm taps. Shift it to the next pot or divide it. Often times, ferns such as Boston and sword outgrow their pots; then you have to divide or discard them.
When it comes to dividing, ferns can take rather harsh treatment. In some cases, you may have to use considerable force to remove the plant from the pot. Once it's free, use a sharp, long-bladed knife to halve or quarter the root ball. Then, pull each quarter or half apart so you can spread the roots in the new soil.
The main requirements after dividing are to water the roots and new soil thoroughly and to provide a humid atmosphere by misting the first few weeks.
Growing mediums vary considerably for the many types of indoor ferns. However, all good mixtures have several things in common. They are well drained because of different components like coarse sand, gravel and charcoal. Most mixtures contain considerable organic matter like peat moss, peat humus, leaf mold, ground sphagnum moss and manure. A soil mixture for ferns must hold adequate but not excessive moisture, contain organic matter and be well aerated so air can move through the soil.
The proportion of the materials varies from one mixture to another depending on the fern. Some gardeners prefer rotted leaf mold. It is most like one of the main ingredients of the soils where many ferns naturally grow. Peat moss and ground or shredded sphagnum moss are more widely used because they are easy to obtain.
Artificial mixes used by commercial plant growers are available to the gardening public now and are excellent for ferns. Regardless of the mixture you use, be sure it is thoroughly mixed. Damp ingredients are easier to mix and pot. They are also safer for the plants. A typical mixture contains equal parts of peat moss, sand and garden soil. Add lime one teaspoon per quart of mixture for the types of common ferns. Other ferns, like maidenhair, thrive in a mixture of one-half peat moss, one-fourth garden or potting soil, and one-fourth of a mixture of equal parts sand, charcoal chips and manure.
Usually, for maidenhair, a tablespoon of ground limestone is added per gallon of mixture. Other mixtures might have ingredients like manure and charcoal. Both are good additions to any mixture. Manure provides nutrition, and charcoal improves drainage. Check the fern variety section for specific mixtures for different types of ferns.
If you use a mix with charcoal, you might try chips from aquarium supply stores. Supplying moisture is very complex. This is due to variations in the needs of the plant, its size, the soil mixture and the environment temperature and light in which the plant grows.
Ferns are certainly no exception. However, for a wide range of them, you can expect to water fairly heavily, particularly during the growing season. Moisten sphagnum-based potting mix to use for potting up the divisions. Wipe down the blade of your knife with rubbing alcohol to kill off any pathogens. Boston ferns will tolerate rough treatment during the division process as long as the divisions are large enough to recover after repotting. Remove the rootball from its pot and cut it into halves or quarters, cutting straight down through the tangle of roots with your knife.
Be sure each division has several fronds and an equal share of roots. Pull the roots apart with your fingers so they will spread out into the fresh soil rather than remaining in a tight clump.
If necessary, cut badly tangled roots apart with the knife. Hold the Boston fern division in the pot and fill in around the roots with moistened potting mix, tapping the pot occasionally to settle the soil around the roots.
Keep adding soil until the roots are completely covered. Firm the potting mix around the Boston fern's roots but don't compress it too much because compacted soil doesn't drain well. You can propagate ferns by several methods, the easiest of which is by dividing plants from the garden in spring. Potted divisions should be secured in a shaded cold frame until roots have developed. New ferns can also be grown from bulbils, but ferns are most readily propagated in larger numbers using spores.
Spores are produced on the undersides of the fern fronds in small capsules called sporangia. When ripe, the sporangia shed thousands of spores that are dispersed by the wind. If they have landed in a suitable position, the spores will then form a heart-shaped structure called a prothallus, which will then go on to produce a fern. This process will only be successful in continuous dampness, in both natural and controlled environments. The time to complete this cycle varies, adiantums for example, may be ready for pricking out in as little as six weeks, while others may take a few months.
It is not uncommon to find rogue plants with your desired lot, as spores waft about on the slightest breath, and it is therefore important to keep everything sterile. Discover exactly how to propagate ferns below. Some ferns, including some cultivars of Polystichum setiferum , Asplenium x lucrosum and the Dryopteris wallichiana , make miniature replicas on the fronds of the parent plants bulbils , which can be rooted easily in the right conditions.
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