There is no need to emphasize about the essentiality of water for any living organism, let alone a plant. This has been taught at Kindergarten stage. There is much more to the watering cycle , dosage of water water , when and where to apply apart from other things could turn out to be more harmful than beneficial if it is not applied in a proper way .Hence the crux of this article is not about if water is essential for fern but tries to deal with the ‘Nitty-Gritty’ of Watering ferns , both indoor as well as outdoor plant .
Ferns thrive & flourish when they have access to perennial supply of water at right quantity. Humidity makes the surroundings quite damp and helps the plant to flourish. Most varieties of ferns being tropical in nativity, they are well adapted to heavy rains. In case of temperate regions, the moisture needs to be provided artificially.
Irrespective of whether ferns are grown as house plant to enhance the aesthetic appearance of rooms or planted in the garden to augment the visual appeal, watering ferns is a lifeline for its survival.
Table of Contents
When to water a Fern Plant?
As already noted in the previous posts , ferns belong to ‘Pteridophyta’ in the Plant Kingdom. Throughout the globe , there are around 15,000 species of ferns. During watering fern , following points to be kept in mind for a healthy and lush green fern foliage in the long run.
Watering Ferns – House Plants
- Water is very much essential. At the same time, it’s difficult to determine the exact quantity of water for any fern considering the innumerable varieties and species around.
- In case of houseplants, ensure watering is done before the pot soil dries up. Any delay may lead to wilting or brown discoloration of the foliage or both .
- The amount and frequency of watering depends on the following variables.
- The ingredients of the pot. The soil should be well drained one and not clay which will lead to water-logging.
- The size of the fern is proportional to the water requirement. Larger the fern higher the quantity of water required.
- Growth rate of the fern.
- In case of hanging baskets ferns it is necessary to water the fern once a day. Watering needs to be done immediately, when the pot soil is dry to touch. Daily watering is all the more necessary on a hot & sunny day.
Watering Ferns – Outdoor / Garden
- It will be friendly if the ferns are planted in an area wherein moisture is retained for longer duration. They prefer a shaded area
- In general, ferns need one to two inches of water a week which ultimately depends on the soil.
- If the soil is sandy and porous, frequent watering will be required as compared to that of clay soil.
- In case of garden ferns gown in containers, the soil dries out sooner. So may need daily watering. Also the container soil can easily become water-logged and soggy. Hence ensure that only optimum watering is done.
How to find if watering Fern is Improper ?
- Under watering leads to wilting, shriveling of leaves and stunted growth.
- Under watering may lead to dry , dead leaf/foliage.
- On the other hand, over-watering also causes wilting because the roots are deprived of oxygen.
- In case of over-watered ferns, the foliage may turn yellow. Also a green, mossy growth is likely to be seen on soil top.
- Excess watering may lead to other fungal diseases and related complications.
Watering Ferns – Tips
- On any day, most of the ferns require at least 70% humidity to flourish though some varieties can survive at around 40 % too. In case of temperate regions, it’s better to have a humidifier installed for indoor ferns to create a favourable environment of the tropical region. Extra humidity through misting technique helps fern very much. Some ferns like Boston fern, Maidenhair fern, and Stag horn are very sensitive to humidity and can’t sustain themselves even if humidity drops to a moderately low level.
- Watering may be done at the soil above the roots so that it percolates down for quicker and full absorption by the plant. Pouring on the foliage may lead to..
- Water wastage
- May be lead to ‘sunscald damage’ on account of water stagnation on the leaf surface.
- Extra moisture could lead to fungal infections
- Ensure that water used for misting is at ambient temperature. Chilled water can create spots on the surface of the leaf.
- Watering frequency to be reduced during winter as fern won’t be in need as during summer.
- Double container is another option in case of difficulty in regular hydration. The fern can be in a earthen pot put inside another container, preferably plastic or PVC . The inside bottom of the outer container can be lined with moist sphagnum moss so that the fern can utilize the moisture in case of dryness.
- Ferns like Rabbit’s / squirrel’s foot fern, Brake ferns , Holly ferns are tolerant to dry soil a bit more .The time gap between two successive watering could be longer than their fellow varieties. However the Rabbit’s Foot fern is vulnerable to salinity in the water.
watering Fern – Various types
| S.No | Type of water | Characteristics |
| 01 | Distilled | Can be used. Also the beneficial minerals and salts have been removed as distilled water is nothing but ‘dead’ water |
| 02 | Rain | In nature such plants are fed by rain only .so can be used. Again the purity depends upon the locality from where you collect the rain water |
| 03 | Reverse Osmosis (R.O) | This water too is devoid of certain beneficial minerals. To be supplemented by a balanced fertilizer. |
| 04 | Normal water from Tap | Can be used. But monitor the quality of water as well the Fern plant’s response to the water |
| 05 | Softened water | Do not use this as the salts used for softening the hard water can do more harm than any benefit |
Above are the salient features with regard to watering ferns, Dos and Don’ts . This article has tried to cover some of the major aspects pertaining to watering ferns. Will come up with detailed posts on some of the popular fern varieties.
Feel free to post your views and comments.