The easiest of the fern family to care for and looks absolutely stunning. The Boston Fern has sword-shaped leaves. For this reason, its other name is sword fern. It has many other names such as Nephrolepis, Boston Blue Bell Fern, Ladder Fern, Fishbone Fern, etc.
Boston Fern is sure to transform any space. In their pot or hanging in a trendy plant hanger, ferns are all the rage but do need specific care. Boston Fern likes to grow in bright but indirect light. It prefers moist and well-drained soil. It also likes warm and humid conditions. It has no flowers, but its sword-shaped blue-green foliage contains tiny leaflets which will impress you. With proper care, your lovely Boston Fern will thrive for years.
I will share with you some special tips to take care of your lovely Boston Fern:
Now, I will describe these tips from my own experience.
1. Proper Light and Place
For healthy growth, you must provide adequate light because the plant produces its necessary food through light. Boston Fern prefers bright indirect light. It needs plenty of bright light, but direct sunlight will burn its delicate foliage, making it dry and brittle and browning the edges. It does not prefer low light. It always needs bright indirect light. It likes morning light, and it is good for Boston Fern’s growth and health.
As Boston Fern is a bright but indirect light plant, you should avoid southern exposure where ferns will be subjected to harsh solar rays. First, you should find a place where sunlight comes in indirectly. You can place them in a corner of your living room or office room where bright sunlight comes in indirectly. So, it is very important to know how much light your plant needs because it depends on where you place your plant. Finally, remember that the Boston Fern cannot survive in low light.
2. Required Soil
Soil is a very important element for plants because soil contains a lot of components and helps your plant to grow properly as well as promote its health. If you plant your Boston Fern indoors, you should use golden soil. Golden soil is very good for indoor plants. It will help your plant with extraction and air-holding receptivity. As Boston Fern is an indirect light plant, you can also use lightweight soil. Because when you use lightweight soil, you won’t place your plant in direct sunlight. So, lightweight soil is best for Boston Fern. To make perfect soil for plants, you can mix peat moss, sand, coconut husk, and perlite in the soil in a proper ratio. These elements help to provide balanced water, air, and nutrient-holding capacity to keep roots healthy and grow well.
3. Water
Everybody knows that water is called life. Plants, animals, or humans cannot live without water. Some plants need too much water and some need little water to live. Boston Fern likes moist soil but not soggy. So you should always keep the soil moist. You should water your plant when the soil is dry. But do not overwater your plant. It causes many problems. I will discuss this later.
You can also grow your Boston Fern in water because it is not only a soil-based but also a water-based plant. Take stems of Boston Fern with roots. Then take a pot full of water and put the stems in the pot. See how easily it grows. Be sure to remove the soil from the roots of the plant before placing it in water. You should change the water in the pot every 3–4 days. It gives your plant minerals. When you grow it in water, its care is like the Pothos, and it is very easy to care for.
4. Fertilizer
Generally, fertilizers are used for a plant’s beautiful growth and to keep it free from bacteria. Boston Fern does not require much fertilizer. That is not to say that you should not use fertilizer at all. You can use fertilizer twice a year. The growing season—summer and spring—is the best time for fertilizing. Avoid using fertilizer in winter because it is the rest period for the plant. Slow-release and water-soluble fertilizers are great. Because when you use slow-release, you don’t require extra work throughout the season. And when you use water-soluble fertilizers, you can change the amount of fertilizer very easily. Finally, it can be said that fertilizers help your plants grow properly when humidity, light, or moisture levels may be low and result in weak growth.
5. Boston Fern’s Propagation
There are two ways to propagate Boston Fern—by division and by growing from seed. I will just discuss Boston Fern propagation by division. It is very difficult to grow ferns from seed. Since I am discussing how to take care of Boston Fern easily, I am avoiding growing ferns from seed. To propagate ferns by division, you should take stems with roots. Then prepare the soil with the potting mix. Take the soil in a pot and place the stems in the soil. Then give some water to the plants.
6. Boston Fern’s Pruning and Cleaning
Pruning is very important for your fern. It encourages your plant to grow well. To prune your plant, you can remove dead leaves, damaged leaves, and discolored leaves. You may cut some leaves to clean the plant. But don’t cut the top of the stems. Cut the stems back at the base. You should always clean your plant. To clean your plant’s leaves, you can spray water on the leaves. Remove dust and dry leaves from the soil and the water vase. This will give your plant refreshment.
7. Boston Fern’s Humidity
Boston Fern is a humidity-loving plant. It prefers 70% to 80% humidity. So when humidity is low, you can place the plant in your bathroom or kitchen, where humidity is higher. You can also keep several plants together, which helps to fight indoor dryness. Also, you can set a humidifier in your room for your lovely plant to get the right humidity.
8. Pests and Diseases
Pests are common and big problems for plants. All pests are harmful for plants. They damage the young roots and also cause root rot. Aphids, mealybugs, and scale are normally seen on houseplants. Mix rubbing alcohol, water, and dishwashing detergent properly and apply this to your plants. You can also use a clove of garlic in the plant’s soil to get rid of bugs.
Sometimes your plant may suffer from diseases, causing the leaves to become perforated. So you should use fertilizer to prevent this problem.
You may face some common problems when you start to take care of your plant. Now, I am sharing these problems and their solutions:
Lower growth
There are many reasons for lower growth. Underwatering, lack of fertilizing, and low light are the main reasons. So you should arrange proper lighting and use water properly.
Dropping leaves
Low light weakens your plant, resulting in dropping leaves. Place your plant in a bright, indirect light place to solve this issue.
Discolored spots on leaves
Pest infestation causes leaves to turn from green to yellow or green to black. To solve this, you should change the soil and use fertilizer for pests.
Yellow leaves
Overwatering and too much fertilizing cause this problem. So, you should stop overwatering and excessive fertilizing to prevent this.
Root rot
Root rot is caused by overwatering. Stop overwatering and only water your plant when the soil is dry.
Smelly soil
When excess water cannot drain from the container, the roots rot and cause a foul smell. So, you should use a pot with sufficient holes.
Discolored leaves
Too much or too little watering can cause discolored leaves. You should water when the soil is dry and ensure the plant gets enough water.
Finally, I will say that after following all the care tips and solutions, you can easily take care of your lovely Boston Fern and enjoy its beauty.
