Doodia

Family. Blechnaceae.

Origin. Australia, New Zealand, the Hawaiian Islands.

Description. Doodia are terrestrial small ferns with a dark, short, creeping rhizome covered with small, dark scales. Fronds up to 30 cm long, with numerous pairs of shiny leaves, which often have spiny, jagged edges. The petioles are long - up to 15 cm. A distinctive feature of this species is that the young leaves have an attractive burgundy hue.

Height. Up to 50 cm.

Care at home

Temperature conditions

In conditions of good humidity, it tolerates temperatures just above 24 ° C. In winter, a temperature of about 15 ° C is ideal, but can overwinter at 10 ° C if watering is reduced. It tolerates frosts down to -3°C, and if the foliage dies, new leaves emerge from the roots. 

Lighting

Diffused light. Like many ferns, it prefers partial shade and does not like direct sunlight. It can adapt to a sufficient amount of light, but only with increased humidity.

Substrate

Loves rich soil with good drainage. Add some perlite to the substrate to improve drainage. A mixture of equal parts of turf soil, leaf humus and peat with the addition of coarse sand and small pieces of charcoal is suitable. It is not picky about pH.

Feeding

Doodia does not require a large amount of nutrients; 1-2 feedings at the beginning of the growing season are sufficient.

Purpose

Quite rare in indoor culture, good for growing in hanging baskets. 

Flowering time

Doesn't bloom. 

Air humidity

In spring and summer, you can spray the leaves with softened water at room temperature in the first half of the day. Increase the humidity by placing the pot on a tray with pebbles, half filled with water.

Soil moisture

Water actively growing ferns deeply as needed, keeping the soil moist but not soggy. If temperatures drop below 12°C, water sparingly, allowing the top layer of soil - about 1 cm - to dry out between waterings. For watering, use filtered or bottled water, as Doodia does not tolerate the lime contained in tap water.

Transplant

Young specimens are repotted at the beginning of the growing season, gradually increasing the pot size only when the roots begin to appear on the surface of the soil mixture. Adult specimens will need repotting approximately once every two years.

Reproduction

The easiest way is to divide adult plants in early spring. Spores are sown at the end of summer, germination lasts from one to three months, it is advisable to use bottom heating.

Pests and diseases

Ferns do not like to dry out, but overwatering causes the leaves to turn brown. If the edges of your plant's leaves turn brown, it most likely suffers from a lack of moisture. 

If kept too dry, ferns become vulnerable to mealybugs. They are susceptible to pests such as aphids.