Why the maidenhair dries or problems when growing ferns
When growing maidenhair flowers, growers often face such a problem that a beautiful, lush and green plant bought in a store, after standing for a certain time on the windowsill, begins to dry out and loses its attractiveness. What is the reason for this phenomenon and can it be avoided? It is not difficult to answer this question if you know what requirements this representative of the fern family makes.
So, the maidenhair will dry out if the conditions of its maintenance are very far from their natural habitat, namely:
- too dry air in the house;
- too bright lighting;
- too heavy soil;
- poor watering.
Air humidity
Maidenhair, like all fern, likes high humidity. The maidenhair is especially susceptible to drying out during the heating season, when the batteries additionally dry the air in the room.
The following signs indicate that the plant suffers from dry air:
- drying of leaves;
- drying out of young shoots at the stage of their development;
- deformation of the bush (bareness and one-sidedness).
To bring the growing conditions as close as possible to natural conditions, you can place the fern in an old aquarium. For this:
- put a thick layer of drainage on the bottom of the aquarium;
- pour the substrate on top;
- plant a plant.
The maidenhair planted in the aquarium will need to be regularly sprayed, as well as ventilated.
What should be the soil for the maidenhair?
Fern soil should absorb moisture very quickly, but not retain it in itself. In a constantly wet substrate, the flower, even if it loves moisture, will quickly rot, in addition, this will contribute to the manifestation of fungal diseases.
For maidenhair, it is better to use coniferous soil from under the pine, mixed with sand and a universal substrate. The resulting mixture will be loose, sour and light - what the fern needs.
Lighting and watering
All ferns simply do not tolerate direct sunlight, including the maidenhair. The south side of the house is absolutely not suitable for him. It is best to place the maidenhair on the eastern or western windowsill - there will be enough light for him, and he will not get burns from the sun.
As for watering, here you need to find a middle ground - do not flood the plant, but also do not miss the next soil moisture. Even once allowing the soil to completely dry out, significant harm can be caused to the maidenhair.