A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Help! Help! Help! My poor ferns!!!!

I don't know what is happening! As some of you know I am the plant caretaker at my university's library. Recently, the library director purchased six enormous ferns and put them in the library (w/o consulting me, of course), but the poor dears are suffering. Something is up.

well, for starters, your poor ferns are probably suffering from lack of humidity. what i call "pebble trays" sound like they are in order. put the pot on some pebbles that are in a tray of water. water the tray every time you water the fern. just make sure the fern's pot is not sitting in the water, but rather over the water. the evaporation will help keep the ferns humid enough.

secondly, all ferns will "shed" the fronds they have when their conditions change. what you need to do is check to make sure you have new growth. if you do, then it is just a patience issue while it grows in fronds that are suitable to its new environment.

no, your green thumb didn't die overnight!!

I'll bet those ferns came from a nice humid greenhouse.The pebble trays are a very good solution.
My ferns are in hanging baskets.I mist them twice a week when they have to come inside.


Sorry,they make quite a mess when they shed their fronds.
Don't give up on them though.They are tough and will bounce back.

Good luck.