I really like plants. I don’t really have a lot…I used to have lots and lots but with childcare it’s really hard to keep the plants (and the kids) safe.
Two years ago for Mother’s Day Kelli bought me a fern. I loved the fern and would love to really do a great job growing one. At the farm house things with the fern went pretty good….the move to the town just wasn’t really good for the fern. I think it had to find the right spot but that never happened. This spring I decided that I had to just give up on it. It was headed towards the dumpster but ended up sitting on the porch for a bit and then a new left grew..and another grew and another grew.
I know this is FAR from beautiful but it is finally getting to the point that I think it just might live.
Over the winter at the house it’s been in the south living room window but that window is under the porch.
I know little about ferns and was hoping someone might be able to give me a little advice as to where the best spot in the house might be for it. I am also guessing that it needs to be re-potted. I’ve been nervous about re-potting because the last time I re-potted a fern I killed it. Anyone who know about ferns please chime in and give me some advice. As I said, I’d really love to salvage this fern.
In other plant news…The violet starter plant that Kayla gave me bloomed.
Kayla bought a small little starter a the thrift store not knowing what color it was just knowing it needed to be re-potted. This is it’s first blooming. It’s a pinky-purple single blossom.
African Violets are my favorite. Growing up mom had so many. My favorite was always a variegated leaf with a double bloom. I’m still on the hunt for one but I think they are harder to find. Growing up, nurseries had houseplants but around here they just don’t. The big box stores have plants but I never see a variegated leaf violet.
Well that’s the plant report…feel free to share some advice with me. I have lots to learn when it comes to plants.
Seriously the few plants that I own looked half dead. So I was fertilizing my outside pots with that slow release Miracle Grow and shook some into my house plant pots! Bah-BAM! They are now lush, green and growing like crazy…and it’s been a year! I could seriously do a commercial for this stuff! Too bad I didn’t take some BEFORE pictures…
word to the wise – if you get a houseplant from a big box store check it over VERY CAREFULLY for bugs. i bought a beautiful ivy from wally world and put it on my desk at work. it was full of those little black flying bugs that burrow into the soil and i didn’t know it until they had spread to all the plants in the office! oh, man, what a pain in the patoot that was…
I’m a former greenhouse business owner. This is what I would do: Remove all the brown and damaged fronds (they won’t repair themselves!). Gently loosen the roots and repot the fern into a pot at least twice as big as the one it is currently in using a good potting soil from a nursery if possible. If not then Miracle Gro potting soil without the time release fertilizer in it. Water the soil with Miracle Gro Mir Acid water soluble fertilizer diluted to half strength. For instance if it says on the box to use 1 tablespoon to a gallon of water, only use 1/2 tablespoon per gallon for the first watering. Thereafter use at regular ratio. A south window would be ideal indoors but not near a heat vent. You will need to turn the pot periodically so that all sides get light. Do not over water, let the top soil dry out about an inch down. There will be some shedding from the fronds. Don’t fertilize from January through March to let the plant rest, then resume fertilizing in April. It might look a little rough this winter because ideally it would have been better to have done all the above in the spring. Good luck!