Nephrolepis

Family. Davalliaceae.

Homeland. Southeast Asia, Central America.

Description. Nephrolepis is a diverse genus of ferns, consisting of evergreen or semi-evergreen, epiphytic or terrestrial plants. The rhizome is short, thick, covered with brown scales. Thick, lacy fronds reach a length of 2 meters and hang down beautifully. The leaves are arranged alternately, light green, triangular. Sporangia are located under each leaf on the underside. From time to time, the plants release long leafless shoots with scales on the surface, which easily root in the substrate.

Height. When grown as a houseplant, it reaches a height of 50 cm. The fronds vary from 30 to 90 cm in length.

Caring at home

Reproduction 

Propagated by dividing adult plants when transplanting. Only large mature specimens with a sufficient number of growth points in the root system can be divided. Before dividing, the fern is not watered for several days, drying the soil. The rhizomes are divided into several parts with a sharp sterile instrument, the wound surface formed as a result of division is treated with carbon powder or ash and planted in separate pots. Each division should have its own leaves - 2-3 fronds and well-developed roots, as well as 1-2 growth points on the rhizome.

To help the seedlings adapt faster to new conditions, the cuttings are covered with a transparent plastic bag or a plastic cap to maintain a high level of humidity and from time to time sprayed with warm water from a spray bottle. The divisions are kept in a room with a temperature of at least 16 degrees Celsius.

Sometimes small daughter plants appear next to the mother bush - they are separated with a sharp sterile knife and planted in separate pots.

Nephrolepis spores germinate easily and often self-seed at the base of large plants. Not all species form spores - some ferns remain sterile. Reproduction by spores will require much more time and effort, but will allow you to observe the development of the fern from the very beginning. For reproduction, you can use spores from your own collection, but they must be fully mature. Spores can be sown on the surface of the soil in the spring. To sow spores, choose a plastic transparent container with a lid and place a small drainage layer on its bottom.

The container is filled with fresh, loose peat-based substrate with leaf humus and river sand. The soil in the container is thoroughly moistened with warm water using a spray bottle. Since fern spores are too small, they are pre-mixed with a small amount of sand or the tip of a toothpick, slightly moistened with water, is used for sowing. The spores should not be covered with a layer of soil on top. The crops are covered with a transparent lid to create a greenhouse effect and maintain high air humidity.

The container is placed in a well-lit place, but protected from direct sunlight, with a temperature of about 22 °C. Fresh spores have good germination, which can also be increased by using bottom heating. The crops are aired daily, removing the lid and removing condensation from it. The airing time is gradually increased. The first shoots can appear in a month, some bushes can linger in the ground for 2 - 3 months.

If most of the spores have germinated, then the lid can be completely removed and the air can be humidified from time to time with warm, settled water. When the sprouts grow a little and form several leaves, the plants are thinned out - weak and diseased bushes that thicken the planting are removed. The distance between the seedlings is maintained at about 2 - 3 cm. The first feeding is carried out 2 - 3 weeks after thinning. The nutrient solution is used in a very low concentration.

Many nephrolepis form long shoots with age that resemble rhizomes. Such shoots are buried in the soil and successfully germinate. For rooting, you can use a small pot placed next to the mother fern. Fix the shoots to the surface of the substrate with small staples, with the upper part of the shoot protruding from the ground. You can sprinkle such a shoot with a small layer of soil 5 - 8 mm thick, which is kept evenly moist throughout the rooting period. After the first signs of new growth appear, which happens after about 2 months, the rhizome is separated with a sharp sterile instrument. The appearance of young leaves will mean that the fern has developed its own roots under the soil surface.

How to transplant

Replant in spring, when the root system fills the entire pot and the plant becomes frankly cramped. Adult specimens will need replanting only once every 2-3 years. Young ferns can be replanted every year, gradually increasing the size of the pot. The need for replanting can be said when the tips of the roots appear in the drainage holes of the pot.

Nephrolepis slows down its development when grown in tight pots, and when planted in too large containers with a large volume of free soil, the plants will rot. Each time, replant into a pot that is 2 - 3 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. It is better not to use ceramic or simply deep pots for planting ferns - choose small and wide bowls.

For large bushes, the replanting of which is difficult, the top layer of soil 5-7 cm thick is replaced with fresh substrate every spring. If you want to get a fairly compact plant, when replanting, cut the root system by ¼ of its length. The pot should have large drainage holes, and a drainage layer should be placed on its bottom. The drainage layer can be made up of such components as expanded clay, pieces of foam, river pebbles. When planting, place the fern at the same depth as in the previous pot - if it is too deep, the plant will slow down its development and may rot.

If the plant looks healthy and there are no obvious signs of root system rot, then instead of transplanting, you can do transshipment. When transshipping, the flower is removed from the old pot along with a lump of earth and simply placed in the center of the new container, and then sprinkled with earth. If there are signs of rot, then the plant is carefully shaken off the old substrate, if necessary, inspected and cut off rotten roots and planted only in new soil.

The root system is sprinkled with fresh substrate and the surface is slightly compacted. After transplanting, the substrate is watered and if the soil has settled a lot, then more earth is added to the voids. The seedlings are placed in a place shaded from direct sunlight and begin to feed only after a couple of weeks.

After transplanting, many flowers stop developing and do not form new leaves for several weeks - this is normal.

How to care 

Nephrolepis is considered the most suitable fern for indoor culture, but it also has its own requirements for living conditions. Provide high air humidity, remove old, withered fronds. Cut off old and diseased leaves at the base. Perform pruning with sharp sterile pruning shears. In the warm season, take the pot out into the fresh air. When placing in the garden or on the balcony, make sure that the fern is shaded from direct sunlight and protected from strong winds and heavy rainfall.

Soil

A mixture of garden soil, leaf humus and peat with the addition of small pieces of charcoal, a small amount of bone meal and coarse river sand to improve drainage. The soil must retain moisture for some time and contain a sufficient amount of organic matter. The flower prefers nutritious soil rich in organic compounds. You can also add some finely chopped pine needles to the substrate - it will help maintain the necessary acidic pH of the soil. 

Plants will also respond well to pine bark in small pieces - it will keep the soil loose and fill it with nutrients. Coconut fiber will make the soil moisture- and breathable. This fern needs soil with an acidic pH. The substrate should easily allow moisture and air to pass to the roots - the root system should be able to breathe. To improve drainage, you can mix a small amount of coarse river sand or perlite and vermiculite into the soil. Hydrogel beads are often added to the substrate for growing ferns. If you can’t make the soil yourself, you can simply buy a ready-made mixture for growing ferns or azaleas.

Watering 

Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. With the onset of warm weather, water abundantly and regularly, completely saturating the soil with water. In the summer months, you can immerse the pot in a large container filled with warm, well-settled water. Excess moisture that appears in the tray after watering can be drained not immediately in the summer months, but 15 - 20 minutes after watering. During the period of active growth, between waterings, it is only necessary to slightly dry the substrate in the pot to a depth of 1 - 2 cm.

If the air temperature is less than 13 °, you can reduce the frequency of watering, but do not allow the soil to dry out. For watering, use only water at room temperature, since watering with cold water can lead to disease. Add 1 teaspoon of table salt per 5 liters of water for irrigation, and the leaves of the nephrolepis will acquire a bright emerald color. Such watering is carried out once every six months.

Periodic bathing in the shower can be useful. When carrying out water procedures, the soil in the pot should be covered with polyethylene film - this will protect it from erosion. The water temperature in the shower can be 35 - 40 degrees Celsius. After taking a shower, you should leave the fern in the bathroom for half an hour so that it has time to enjoy the warm and humid atmosphere of the room.

Fertilizer 

Nephrolepis does not have a clearly defined dormant period and is able to grow all year round, so feed it at any time of the year every two weeks, using liquid fertilizer diluted to half the recommended dose. Fertilize only on moist soil - getting the nutrient solution into dry soil can burn the delicate roots. In the fall, the frequency of fertilizing can be reduced if you plan to keep the bush in a cool room. In winter, such specimens are not fed at all.

Resume fertilizing in the spring, when the flower begins to form new young leaves. For fertilizing, use mineral fertilizers for ornamental foliage plants or specially designed for ferns. Representatives of the genus respond well to organic fertilizers, which can be well-rotted cow or horse manure or humus.

The best results can be achieved by alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. When signs of damage to the root system appear, foliar feeding begins, applying the nutrient solution directly to the fronds.

Diseases and pests 

The tips of the leaves dry out and turn brown when there is insufficient air humidity. The fronds turn yellow when overwatered and there is insufficient drainage - a sign that the root system is rotting. With a sharp change in conditions, the fern may shed some of its leaves. If nephrolepis is kept in poorly ventilated rooms with high humidity and low temperatures, powdery mildew may appear. Direct sunlight on the fronds during the daytime causes sunburn in the form of brownish spots.

Plants also lag in growth if they are exposed to too much light or kept in deep shade. Growing in a pot that is too small hinders development. Delayed development and insufficiently bright leaf coloring indicate a lack of nutrients in the substrate. Leaves turn brown, curl and fall off if the air temperature is too low or the fern is exposed to cold drafts, as well as when watered with cold and unsettled water.

Of the harmful insects, mealybugs and root bugs may attack; if the plant is kept too dry and warm, spider mites, thrips, weevils and scale insects may appear. Nematodes cause blackening or browning of the leaves. Sometimes aphids settle on the fronds.

Temperature

Moderately warm content at a temperature of 16 to 18 °C. At higher temperatures, it is necessary to increase the frequency of watering and air humidity. Plants have difficulty withstanding the onset of hot summer weather, when the air temperature exceeds 28 °C. Do not expose the fern to temperatures below 10 °C. Nephrolepis does not like sudden changes in temperature conditions and extreme heat, preferring rather cool conditions.

Lighting

Unlike most other house ferns, it can grow in good light, but not in direct sunlight. Nephrolepis tolerates partial shade well, which allows it to be used for greening dark corners of the house. For uniform growth, turn the pot every week with different sides towards the light source. Windows on the western or northern side of buildings are suitable for keeping the fern.

When growing in the south or east, the pot is deepened into the room or the fronds are shaded with a light tulle curtain. The optimal length of daylight should be at least 14 hours per day. Reducing daylight will stimulate the transition to a dormant state and slow down development. To prevent the flower from suffering from a lack of light in the winter months, artificial lighting can be used. Fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps can be used as light sources.

Spraying 

Nephrolepis does not like drafts and placement near heating devices. Humidity can be increased by placing the fern on a tray with wet pebbles or surrounding the pot with a layer of wet sphagnum moss. Make sure that the surface of the water in the tray does not directly touch the bottom of the pot. Spray the fronds with room temperature water in the morning so that the water droplets evaporate from the leaves before dark.

A humidifier in the room or any container with water placed in close proximity to the plants will significantly increase the humidity. Placing several specimens in a closed space also increases the humidity. Ventilate the rooms where the fern is kept - it likes constant air circulation.

Purpose

An adult fern is a majestic hanging plant, the leaves of which will beautifully cascade down the edge of a hanging basket. It feels great in bathrooms, where the air humidity is quite high. Nephrolepis is often used in spacious rooms with artificial lighting - for example, it is often used to decorate offices and hotel lobbies.

Note

Sometimes representatives of this genus look almost dead due to mistakes in the conditions of maintenance, but the plant is able to grow beautiful fronds from the rhizome again, so do not rush to throw it away. It can live a very long time indoors with proper care. The fern is able to clean the air in rooms from many harmful impurities - for example, it effectively removes formaldehyde and toluene. Phytoncides contained in the leaves are released into the atmosphere of living spaces and help fight viruses.

Varieties:

Nephrolepis cordifolia

A fairly large evergreen fern with linear fronds that reach 90 cm in height and are only 8 cm in width. The fronds are deeply carved, as if consisting of long, glossy leaves arranged alternately. There are sporangia on the lower part of the leaves, but most often this fern spreads by rhizomes. 

Nephrolepis bostoniensis

A very delicate, beautiful, green, lacy fern with erect or drooping fronds, which looks great when grown as an hanging plant in a hanging pot. The fronds are narrow, long, and bear alternate, light green leaves. On the reverse side, along the edges of the leaves, there are brown sporangia. 

Nephrolepis exaltata

Evergreen ferns, individual specimens have completely different sizes - from 50 cm in height to 2.5 m. The width of the fronds reaches 6 - 15 cm. The fronds have green, glossy, oblong leaves from 2 to 8 cm long with small denticles along edge. Young leaves appear in the center of the rosette tightly curled in the shape of a shell; as they mature, they straighten out and then become gracefully curved in the shape of an arc. 

Nephrolepis curly is a variety of nephrolepis sublime. 

Nephrolepis biserrata

A very large perennial fern that reaches a height of 2.5 m. The fronds are arched, large, and long. Each frond consists of many oblong-lanceolate, glossy leaves on short petioles, arranged alternately. There are sporangia on the underside of the leaves