Another installment of #PlantFailFriday – today’s example is the diva of ferns: the maidenhair fern. There’s also a discussion on watering…
.
First, the wrong question is this: how often should I water this plant? The right question is: how do I know when this plant needs water? Now you’re thinking more along the lines of a *watering strategy* as opposed to a scheduled task.
.
Given that the plant is growing because it is getting adquate light, there are only 3 main strategies:
1 – keep the soil evenly moist
2 – water when partially dry
3 – water only after prolonged dryness
.
Problems arise when we try to use a strategy that is incompatible with the plant type and its state of growth, which is determined by its light exposure. For example, the common problem of “overwatering” occurs when someone thinks that they need to keep a succulents’s soil evenly moist, when it actually prefers watering only after a prolonged period of dryness. And the onset of root rot is quickened if that succulent cannot see the sun.
.
For my maidenhair fern, she definitely prefers…no, MUST HAVE evenly moist soil. Because of all the leaf surface area (more stomata through which water loss occurs), the upkeep of evenly moist soil means I have to check the soil frequently. And then there’s the urgency: if the soil gets to the partially dry state for even one extra day, the foliage will wilt unrecoverably, as in this photo
.
But the whole plant may not be dead. The maidenhair fern *knows* she’s a diva so, within a week of getting the soil back on track (keeping it evenly moist…and some aerating wouldn’t hurt), new fronds may emerge so the plant can continue to photosynthesize.
~
~
#fern #maidenhairfern #houseplants #plantlove #foliage #indoorplants #plantlife #urbanjunglebloggers #houseplantclub #plantstyling #houseplantjournal #plantparenthood #plants #allaboutthatplantlife #växtgäris #greenliving #greenery #igerstoronto #igerscanada #torontoblogger
Comments are closed.