| Description: |
Rhizomatous ferns with leaves usually produced close together. Fronds simple, often crested at the tips. |
| Environment: |
Suitable for the home or a greenhouse |
| Lighting Needs: |
Does best in low sunlight coming from the North/East/West |
| Soil Type: |
Use a GOOD rich potting soil (a soil that retains water yet drains well), such as an African violet mix. If you want to mix your own take:
2 parts garden soil, 2 parts humus (leaf mold), 1 part coarse sand or perlite, 1 part rinsed aquarium charcoal chips and a little fine grade fir bark.
Always use a pot with a hole.
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| Watering: |
Keep the soil evenly moist and if you use rainwater, be careful as it could be acidic. Use warm water. |
| Fertilizer: |
Feed monthly spring through fall with a water soluble fertilizer. An alternative is a granular slow release fertilizer if applied annually in the early spring. |
| Plant Pests: |
Prone to scale and mealy bugs. Always inspect any new plant for pests before introducing it to your home or greenhouse. |
| Propagation: |
Division of rhizomes and spores
in the spring.
After dividing plant, pot in the plant's regular potting mix. Take spores from ripe spore cases on the undersides of the fronds. Put the spores in an envelope and allow to dry. Place a brick in a plastic box or pan and put 2 inches (5cm) of distilled water in it and cover the brick with a quarter inch of moist peat. Sprinkle spores on the peat and cover the container with a piece of glass or plastic. Be sure to maintain the water level. Place in low light, after a few months a green moss like growth should cover the peat. Eventually leaves will appear, divide and transplant after they are 2 inches (5cm) tall.
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| Gardening Tips & Care: |
Mist occasionally with warm water (lime free to avoid leaf staining). Place pebbles or gravel in the drainage dish to hold water and increase the humidity, make sure the pot is sitting on the gravel and not in the water.
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