Coniogramme

Family. Adianthaceae.

Origin. China, Japan, Korea.

Description. Coniogramme  is a very attractive, evergreen herbaceous plant - fern. The leaves are 60-100 cm long, compound - consisting of several alternately arranged belt-like segments, each up to 25 cm long. The leaf blades are leathery, can be dark green or have lighter stripes along the veins, the leaf blades have slightly serrated edges. The rhizome is short, creeping. On the underside of the leaves, along the veins, are sporangia. Young leaves curl and straighten with age.

Height. 45 - 90 cm, grows slowly.

Temperature conditions

The usual room temperature all year round is around 18 ° C. 

Lighting

Reflected light but not direct sunlight, grows well in partial shade.

Care

Quite a demanding plant. Remove old dried leaves promptly. Keep the soil moist, high air humidity stimulates fern growth - spray 2 times a day. 

Substrate

The soil should contain a large amount of humus; add coarse sand or perlite to improve drainage; the pH is rather acidic.

Feeding

During the period of active growth, you can feed with a solution for hydroponics, or diluted to half the norm with ordinary complex fertilizer in small quantities.

Flowering time

Doesn't bloom.

Air humidity

Coniogramme requires high humidity - about 50%. It grows best in a greenhouse where the humidity is kept fairly high. Dry air can cause the leaves to dry out. You can spray room temperature water around the plant, being careful not to spray it directly on the leaves. I also use a room humidifier to increase humidity.

Soil moisture

We maintain uniform soil moisture all year round, avoiding waterlogging or drying out. For watering we use soft rain or bottled water. Periodically immerse the container with the plant in a large container of water for several minutes, until the earthen ball is completely soaked. 

Transplant

As needed, in the spring - when the root system fills the pot. A larger container causes additional growth. The fern roots can be cut back to a third of their length before transplanting into another pot.

Reproduction

This species is propagated by rhizome segments that spread horizontally beneath the soil surface. Divide the plant in spring.

Pests and diseases

Yellow leaf tips are often a sign of waterlogged soil and can be trimmed off. Check the roots - maybe they have started to rot. Healthy fern roots have white or light brown tips. If the roots turn black, they should be cut off. Browning leaves may indicate low humidity, although older branches may turn brown simply due to age. Trim such leaves and increase the humidity around the fern.

Pests appear rarely, sometimes mealybugs, check the leaves regularly.