GREENGOLD GARDEN CONCEPTS
CARE AND MAINTENANCE NOTES

  MAIDENHAIR FERN

Perhaps the most popular of all ferns for house culture, many of them are also excellent garden plants. A very large genus, some hardy, others tender. Many species native to NZ. and Australia are good for the garden. Some have beautifully tinted new leaf growth, others have curiously formed, interesting leaves, some are dwarf growing and compact, others may reach up to a metre or more in height. All have black shining leaf stems. There are over 200 species and many cultivars.

POSITION - Indoors, maidenhair ferns will grow best in a well lit position even tolerating a little early morning sun. They will tolerate a warm or a cool position, however best growth is achieved with warmth. The biggest problem encountered with growing these ferns indoors is when they are placed into a situation where the conditions fluctuate. The most common is the bathroom where it is warm and humid after a shower but cold dry for the rest of the time. Maidenhairs prefer a situation that has stable temperature and humidity levels. Kitchen windowsills, sunrooms and warm laundries for example. They do not like being moved as this sets them back until they can adjust to the new set of conditions. Provide humidity indoors by standing the pots on top of pebble filled trays or saucers, keep the saucers filled with water to JUST BELOW the bottom of the pot. In this way the evaporating water provides humidity but the pot and potting mix does not become waterlogged from standing in the water.

Maidenhair ferns grow well outside where they can be protected from winds. On protected patios, in shade houses or in the garden. They do well in positions where they can get some early morning sun or filtered

WATERING AND FERTILIZING : Keep them evenly moist all year round and from September to March feed them every two weeks with a liquil fertilizer e.g. Maxicrop, Aquasol, Fish Emulsion, Maidenhair Magic or a proprietary Maidenhair fertilizer.

POTTING - Repot from September to February using Pot and Feat or a potting mix containing good amounts of sand and peat. Be careful not to pot the crown of the plant below the soil level as it is from this point that the new fronds develop.

PROBLEMS : The main problem is finding the right position for the fern to grow in. They do sometimes get aphids which can be controlled with a Pyrethrum spray, or Disyston granules.. Occasionally mealybugs can be a problem. These pests appear as small balls of white fuzz which looks like cotton wool. Under this wool is an insect which sucks the plant's sap. Disyston, which is the granular systemic insecticide used to control aphid, may also co-incidentally control Mealybug. Another thing which appears to be a pest but is not one are the ferns seeds. Often in spring the fern can produce leaves with dark brown spots around the leaf edges. These are in fact fern "spore". If the appearance of these fronds is not liked then they can be cut off without injuring the fern in any way. These fronds do not usually last as long as fronds without spore.