General information about ferns is presented. The features of their maintenance and breeding at home are described. Descriptions of the most popular species and varieties of indoor ferns are given.
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General information
These plants have existed on earth for almost half a billion years, they are three times older than flowering plants, which are currently the dominant type of flora. However, having stood the test of evolution and time, ferns are now very successful and occupy their niches in the ecological chains of the planet. Flower growers did not ignore them, although formally, ferns, of course, do not have flowers, but reproduce in completely different ways.
An overgrown specimen of the Nephrolepis fern
These plants exist on all continents of our planet. The number of their genera alone exceeds several hundred, and the number of species is about ten thousand. For the most part, these are undersized plants that love partial shade and high humidity. Although, sometimes there are giant tree ferns.
All ferns contain in their shoots a small amount of toxins that perform a protective function. For humans, this poison is not dangerous, because, firstly, it is not released into the air, and secondly, its concentration is too low. However, crushed shoots of many species (for example, bracken or shield) are used as anthelmintics.
One of the features of ferns is the interesting shape of their "leaves", called "fronds" by biologists. They are a leaf-like organ that actually grows like a shoot. As it grows, lateral processes immediately form on it, erroneously called leaves. The length of the frond and the number of processes on it can be very diverse. Young fronds are tiny shoots twisted into a spiral.
Growing fronds of an ostrich fern
The device of fern roots also has a number of features. The root system consists of one large root, from which many small ones depart. Some of them are covered with peculiar scales. They represent those fronds that did not germinate outside, but remained underground.
Davallia fern roots
In the lower part of the surface of the frond are sporangia - the reproductive organs of the fern, containing many spores.
Nephrolepis fern sporangia
The so-called gametophyte is formed from spores - a multicellular structure in which germ cells are formed and fertilization occurs. After that, the growth of the sporophyte begins - the plant that will produce spores. In fact, all growing ferns are sporophytes.; it is very difficult to notice gametophytes emerging from spores.
The time for which the gametophyte will be formed is quite large, moreover, it varies significantly in the same species. Therefore, propagating ferns with spores at home is quite problematic.
Gametophyte or sprout of nephrolepis fern; size 3-4 mm.
Preference is given to vegetative propagation. Like many flowering plants, ferns are propagated by dividing the bush, cuttings, shoots, and so on. But, as practice shows, it is the first most successful and reliable.
Floristics distinguishes three varieties of these plants:
- Home or room
- Garden
- Aquatic
Home ferns are grown indoors, because they need fairly specific conditions. First of all, this refers to the requirements for temperature and humidity. Most of them are plants originating from tropical or subtropical climates.
As a rule, they are shade-loving and prefer moist air.. These plants need constant irrigation of their foliage, which gives them the illusion of tropical rain. In care, they are unpretentious, but sometimes they are subject to attacks by pests (mainly insects) and love frequent feeding.
Feeding ferns is best done with the help of specialized fertilizers designed specifically for them. If this is not possible, it is necessary to use any fertilizer for flowers; however, the normal concentration for ferns will be about half what is needed, for example, for orchids or violets.
Fern "Boston Fern", a typical representative of indoor plants
Garden ferns contain approximately 200 species, a quarter of which are frost-resistant and can be grown in our latitudes in open ground. They are more hardy and resistant to diseases and pests, in addition, such plants practically do not need top dressing. Their sizes can be quite large: bushes can reach up to 1.5 m in height and up to 1 m in diameter. They have a developed root system, and their growth rate is such that care for them consists in curbing their growth.
garden fern maidenhair
Water ferns, as their name suggests, prefer to grow in water; it can be both small stagnant reservoirs, and streams or small rivers. Such ferns have a poorly developed root system, and their fronds most often have a pinnate structure. They have a fairly large stem, most often creeping along the surface of the water, from which numerous fronds grow.
Azolla water fern
In indoor floriculture, mainly home varieties are used. Growing garden or water ferns indoors is quite problematic: the former require truly gigantic pots to accommodate the root system, while the latter require the use of sufficiently voluminous containers of water to create conditions similar to their natural habitat.
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The variety of fern species makes it possible to use them in almost any flower arrangements, both in open ground and indoors. Indoor ferns grow in approximately the same conditions, caring for them is relatively simple. Therefore, it is quite easy to choose a plant that can complement any interior.
Consider the most popular types of indoor ferns currently used to decorate rooms.
davallium ferns
Perennials from the genus Davallia are fast growing ferns. Their homeland, most likely, is Southeast Asia, although they are common not only in China or Japan, some species can be found in the Caribbean or Canary Islands.
It was from their last range that another name for this plant came - Hare's paw; in Europe it is called the Deer Leg. In a word, the plant is quite popular and loved by many flower growers for its decorative effect.
Typical fern of the genus Dawalia
- The crown of the fern is dense and spreading. Under natural conditions, the plant can be over 1 m in height and over 1.5 m in width. Indoor specimens are somewhat smaller: their approximate dimensions are 50 by 50 cm.
- Davallias have a strong root system, which is based on a powerful rhizome, branching as far as the growing capacity allows. Sometimes the roots are covered with something like scales.
- The fronds of the plants are extremely resilient, the “leaves” on them are bright green and strongly dissected. The sporangia in Davallia are small but clearly visible; they are always located on the back of the leaves.
- Basically, representatives of such ferns are used as ampelous plants. In total, this genus has about 60 species, of which no more than a dozen can be grown indoors.
The most common types:
- Davallia canariensis
- Davallia Mariesa
- five leaf dawllia
Almost all species are similar to each other and differ in slight variations in the shape and size of the foliage. The five-leaf dawllia is a slight exception to the rule, as its leaves are glossy and the way they are arranged differs from the "traditional" one.
five leaf dawllia
- Plant care is quite simple: a combination of moderate watering and lighting. It is also advisable not to go beyond the temperature regime (from +13°С to +24°С).
- The plant does not like high humidity and needs a well-drained pot.
- The composition of the soil for dawllias is as follows: peat, sand and ordinary earth are mixed in equal proportions. The upper roots, covered with scales, do not fall asleep with soil.
- Top dressing is carried out in spring, during the period of active vegetation of the plant, with the help of liquid organic matter, in moderation.
- Reproduction is usually carried out in the spring and is carried out by dividing the bush. Of the problems with the fern, one can only single out the scale insects; the plants they oppress stop growing.
- Control methods are standard - insecticides in the form of spraying.
multi-row
This fern, belonging to the genus Shchitovnikovs, is considered one of the most beautiful species. Due to the unusual shape of the leaves, it is often used in rock gardens and for decorating relatively large plants. However, in itself is sufficient for a beautiful composition.
In nature, this fern grows near water bodies both in coniferous and mixed forests.
bristly multi-row
- As lighting requires diffused, dim light; grows poorly in sunny areas and may even die. Watering is moderate, however, during the growing season, the rate should be increased so that the soil remains moist all the time.
- This plant is temperature sensitive. During dormancy, temperatures above 16°C should not be exceeded, however, with active growth, the temperature should be increased by 8-10°C.
- The plant needs high air humidity, so it is advisable to spray the fronds daily with a sprayer with water at a temperature of 2-3 ° C above room temperature.
- The soil can be drained with small stones, however, you can not do this, just use a pot with a few small holes in the bottom.
- It is not necessary to repot the plant too often. Due to the low growth rate of the root part, it is not advisable to transplant into a pot of a larger diameter more often than once every 3-4 years. Usually transplantation is combined with reproduction by dividing the bush.
- Feeding should be frequent. Mineral fertilizers are applied weekly during spring and summer. In early spring, you can also feed with organic fertilizers. During the dormant period (autumn and winter), fertilization is prohibited.
- The main problems of the plant: root rot, due to very frequent watering during the dormant period, or vice versa - yellowing or drying of the leaves due to an excessively small amount of water during active growth. Pest control (whiteflies, scale insects, and so on) is carried out as standard - using insecticides.
The soil for the multi-row is done as follows:
- 2 parts sand
- 1 part of sod land
- 1 part leaf ground
Nephrolepis
One of the most common types of ferns in home floriculture. It used to belong to Davallia, however, with a more thorough study, he and his 30 "brothers" were separated into a separate family of Lomariopsis. It gained its distribution due to its unpretentiousness, and also because its cultivation by spores has the greatest chance of success.
The plant is native to the subtropics; it is distributed in Asia, Africa and South America. The structure of the fern is such that it can be grown as a pot or ampelous plant. It is believed that nephrolepis has the ability to purify the air in the room where it grows.
fern nephrolepis
- At home, you can normally grow only two representatives of this family: Nephrolepis sublime and Nephrolepis cordifolia (other species require open cultivation in the tropics or subtropics, which are quite difficult to implement).
- Plant lighting should be bright, but diffused. If a sunny day is enough, you can place a fern pot near an east or west window with some shade.
- Growing at a considerable distance from light sources must necessarily occur using artificial lighting.
- If temperature conditions allow (16-22 ° C), sometimes the plant is moved to the balcony for the summer, naturally, to a place with diffused sunlight.
- However, it should be taken into account that getting cold rain on a fern can significantly slow down its growth or even lead to illness.
Nephrolepis sublime
- Watering should be moderate, and air humidity high. 2-3 times a day, the plant needs to spray the foliage with warm water.
- The soil for growing a plant consists of peat and leafy soil mixed in equal proportions. Top dressing is carried out from April to September weekly, while mineral and organic fertilizers should be alternated.
- Reproduction is carried out both by dividing the bush and by spores. The division of the bush is usually associated with a plant transplant, when small ones are separated from large bushes.
Kostenets
Also, this fern is called asplenium, it belongs to the genus Kostentsov, in which there are several hundred of its varieties. Its distinguishing feature is fronds, consisting of one large leaf with a strong but flexible core.
These plants have a wide distribution throughout the world; they are mainly concentrated in regions with a tropical climate. Even in home growing conditions, this is a dense and tall plant that occupies a fairly large space (up to 1 meter in diameter).
Fern Kostenets
- The conditions of maintenance of Kostents require the presence of low light and low humidity.
- The temperature for the fern, both during dormancy and during active vegetation, should be in the range from + 16 ° С to + 24 ° С. Spraying the plant is undesirable, however, to clean the leaves from dust and dirt, you can spray the plants once every 1-2 months, and then remove the moisture with a soft cloth.
- In winter and autumn, the plant is practically not watered: one moderate watering per month will be enough. Starting from the second half of spring, watering should be weekly until the soil is moderately moist.
- The plant needs good drainage. In addition, given the size of its root system, it is advisable to choose a pot with a diameter of at least 30 cm. The material of the pot is ceramic; this will ensure good air passage to the roots.
- The soil should be loose, because the roots need a sufficient amount of air.
- From mid-April to mid-August, the plant must be fertilized once every 15-20 days with mineral and organic fertilizers, alternating them.
- Kostenets propagates by dividing a bush or spores. The planting of large bushes and the replacement of pots for overgrown rhizomes are carried out at the end of March.
The composition of the soil for Kostenets is as follows - four components are mixed in equal proportions:
- sod land
- leaf ground
- peat
- coarse river sand
Pelleya
Fern from the Southern Hemisphere, distributed in South America, Africa and New Zealand.It has fronds unusual for ferns: individual leaves are oval or oblong in shape, in addition, their color is dark green, with a waxy sheen. The size of this plant is small, but the bushes, due to their high density and catchiness, always attract the eye.
Pellaya rotundifolia fern
- There are six varieties of pellets that can be grown at home, they differ slightly in the shape and size of the leaves. All of them have approximately the same growing conditions.
- The plant needs temperatures from +17°С to +20°С in summer and from +14°С to +16°С during dormancy. Moreover, this applies primarily to the temperature of the substrate, and not the air. Subcooling of the substrate below + 13 ° C can destroy the root system of the plant.
- The plant does not like a lot of light. It is best grown in shade or partial shade. The ideal option for placing pellets are the windowsills of the northern windows.
- Requires moderate or even scarce watering.
- Unlike most ferns, which are desirable to be watered with settled water a few degrees warmer than room temperature, pellets should be watered directly from the tap; its temperature should be equal to room temperature or be lower than it by 2-3 ° C.
Pelleya nude
- Watering with unsettled water is due to the fact that the plant prefers alkaline soils. Water should not fall on the leaves of the plant. This fern thrives in dry air; for him, the humidity of the air is less than 50%.
- The plant needs regular feeding, but not more than once every 3 weeks. In this case, special complex fertilizers for plant crops are used.
- Pellet transplantation is carried out with a frequency of once every two years. Unlike other ferns, it can be done in any month, even during dormancy. Usually, transplantation is accompanied by fern reproduction, which is carried out by dividing the bush.
- The composition of the substrate for pellets is as follows: humus, leafy soil, tori and sand are mixed in equal parts. It is obligatory to add 0.5 parts of finely crushed limestone.
Pteris
A plant of a subtropical climate, however, which is one of the most unpretentious. A distinctive feature is the variegated coloring of its leaves. In addition, if you slowly change the conditions of keeping this fern, then over time it will fully adapt to them. We also call this plant a bracken.
fern pteris
- Pteris fronds are up to half a meter long and consist of 6 segments. The closer the segments are to the root of the plant, the more they are dissected; the most distant segments are almost always solid.
- The number of stems growing in parallel often exceeds one or two dozen, so the pteris bush is always very dense and sprawling.
- There are many varieties of pteris (more than 200 species and varieties), which differ in the variety of forms of leaves and stems, however, the general structure of the bush, the root part and the number of paired segments on the fronds remains unchanged.
- Separately, it should be said that each variety has several different colors of leaves with the same shape.
- Also, a feature of pteris is one unpleasant detail: although their shoots are quite dense, however, they easily break in a certain direction.
Pteris cretan
- The temperature for growing pteris should be between +16°C to +25°C in the summer and from +12°C to +16°C during the rest period.
- Since the amount of chlorophyll in fronds is small, the plant prefers bright sunlight or a sufficient amount of artificial lighting.
- At the same time, direct sunlight for pteris is dangerous. Shading or diffusers must be used.
- Watering is moderate, once every 4-6 days, with water at room temperature or a few degrees higher. In winter, watering should be reduced to once every 10-20 days.
- During the period of active plant growth (from April to June), it is advisable to carry out abundant watering every 3-4 days.
- The plant needs a daily spraying of the leaves.Water should be at a temperature of 3-5 ° C above room temperature. In the case of a hot summer, the number of sprayings can be up to 3 times a day.
- The soil for the plant consists of earth and peat, mixed in equal proportions. Drainage is desirable, but not required, a few holes in the bottom of the pot are sufficient.
- Reproduction and transplantation of the plant are carried out as the old pot is filled with roots. It is best to do this in the spring, but you can also do it in the summer.
- Regular top dressing for pteris is made only during the summer. Every 15-20 days it is necessary to apply about half of the recommended rate of complex fertilizer for ferns under the plant.
- It is also recommended in early April to feed the plant once with organic fertilizers. At other times, fertilizers are not applied.
Cyrtomium
Shield fern originating from Southeast Asia. The family includes about two dozen species suitable for home breeding. Almost all of them are rare species and replenishing their collection with them is the dream of many gardeners.
Despite the magnificent appearance and decorativeness, these ferns do not have practically any requirements for care, we can say that the cyrtomium grows by itself, with minimal effort on the part of the owner. Their growth rate is low, and even with the use of top dressing in the form of growth stimulants, it is hardly possible to achieve the appearance of new shoots in the amount of more than 2-3 pieces per year.
Cyrtomium sickle
- The plant is moderately spreading and dense. Height can reach up to 60 cm, diameter - up to 50 cm. The leaves are somewhat reminiscent of bay leaves, but more elongated, with a glossy sheen. The sporangia are black in color, their number is quite large.
- The main requirement that a plant places on breeding conditions is their stability. When you change any of the parameters (temperature, humidity, lighting), some adaptation time passes, while the growth of the fern stops.
- However, at the end of this period, everything returns to normal. Perhaps only the temperature is critical for growing: it should not fall below + 13 ° C, the rest practically does not matter.
- Cyrtomium will survive and grow under any conditions, however, in order for it to retain its attractive appearance, some requirements still have to be met.
Cyrtomium fortune lacking watering: no gloss on leaves
- Watering for normal growth should be plentiful and frequent. The plant does not need good drainage, moreover, it is desirable that the soil be moist.
- At the same time, air humidity does not play any role for cyrtomium; it is not necessary to spray it.
- Once a month, you can feed the plant with a complex mineral fertilizer with a concentration 2-3 times less than the usual norm for ferns.
- Lighting can be any, although species with dark leaves do not tolerate direct sunlight.
- Reproduction is standard, carried out together with transplantation by dividing the bush; can be done at any time of the year. As such, the cyrtomium does not have a rest period.
Centipede
It is also called "sweet fern". Grows in temperate climates of both Hemispheres. Most often grows on stony soils along with mosses. It is a rare species. It can grow as an epiphyte with a partial root location outside the soil.
centipede
- The height of the fern rarely exceeds 25 cm. The root is creeping, which will require pots of a characteristic shape (relatively narrow and long, up to 15 cm deep).
- The plant is winter-hardy, adapts well to any type of soil. There are no requirements for air temperature and humidity. Watering is moderate, in hot summers frequent (up to 2 times a week).
- The soil can be any, but the centipede feels best on slightly alkaline and soft soils. It can be grown on loams, it is desirable to lime the acidic soils with wood ash.
- It is indifferent to top dressing, because it has a fairly high growth rate. Reproduction is by division of the root. It is best to produce it in early May.
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Thank you very much for the article. I didn’t know that there were so many varieties of fern.