Who do my fern leaves keep going crispy?!

[RobertDeNiro]

I’m on my third fern house plant. The new one is only a week old. It’s akready going brown on the ends despite watering and misting. It doesn’t feel overwatered at all. What do I do?

Well, "fern plant" is a bit vague - do you know what this fern plant is? Ferns love a humid environment, and maybe, in spite of your misting, it's still suffering from a dry atmosphere - especially at this time of year with central heating. One way to up humidity is to stand the pot on a saucer of small pebbles, kept damp, but not allowing the bottom of the pot to be constantly wet. Also, they usually prefer cool conditions - not the warm rooms that we prefer, so try placing somewhere a bit cooler.

No sadly I don’t know the type of fern. Perhaps it’s too warm where it is, I’ll try moving it.

no help but ive killed many ferns,ive always wanted a lush looking plant which never happened

ive given up now

Is it the Boston Fern? I keep having the same problem.

They also do better in the shade away from direct sunlight.

Misting doesn't approximate humidity, you'd have to be doing it 20 times a day.
Ferns are tricky buggers, the maidenhair especially.

I had a Maidenhair one, it died in about five mins. Urgh. Yes it’s a Boston fern! I need some more easy to keep plants instead.

Is your Boston fern new? I found mine looked like it was dying a death a few weeks after I got it so I took it outside and chopped all the brown bits off down to green and after that it has been so happy! I wonder if they need a settling down period?
Mine is in a very light spot (huge window) but gets no direct sunlight at all (north facing).
I never mist mine!

@katealexander ah that’s interesting! I’ll prune it tomorrow, hopefully that’ll help!

There are loads more easy to keep plants than ferns.
Fittonia (nerve plant) is really easy as it wilts a bit when it needs to be watered and quite easy to come by and really beautiful.
Or spider plants if you like large hanging plants.

Or the birds nest or stag horn ferns are slightly easier than the Boston fern.

I have left to of ferns which are limping along but those two are doing ok

My mother inherited her grandmother’s Maidenhair fern we reckon about 40 years ago; a huge, impressive and very lush looking thing. The secret to keeping it so happy? Apparently granny used to empty the tumbler of water she kept her teerh in overnight into the plant pot each day. I think you can assume from this ferns like water little but often, and should never be allowed to dry out.

Yes to lifting it up on a bed of stones, they like to be misted A LOT and no direct sunlight indoors. Keep as far away from central heating as possible. You can keep it as cold as you like, they can resist frost.

Damp but not soggy soil.

Ferns are the bane of my life at work. They are the singularly most returned plant, with people telling me I sold them a duff one. Errr no, you just didn't care for it properly.

Phlebodium aureum are an easier care alternative if you like ferns.

I've killed three too they looked so lovely for aontj or two then went brown and died:(

'For a month or two argh darn no edit option

@ladyofthecanyon ooh do you work in a garden centre? Can I ask you something- on my monstera it’s growing loads of new leaves but the old ones are going yellowish. What should I do?

@LadyOfTheCanyon that advice makes a lot of sense. I moved my maidenhair into the loo and it's stopped going crispy (I wouldn't say it's thriving but it's not rapidly dying anymore).
It's the only room in the house without a radiator and it's quite dark.
I love his process of slowly figuring out what you're doing. It's frustrating but so gratifying when they grow.
Thanks for the tips :)

I was given a baby offcut Boston Fern by my brother. It lives on the corner of the West facing bathroom window and is growing madly. I assume it likes it being cool, bright and humid whenever the shower is on.

Owner of three dead, one now alive and regrown twice! maidenhairs here. I’ve finally cracked it:

1. As PPs have said, they need humidity. Bathroom is the best place, kitchen at second choice.
2. Water them every few days by taking the inner pot out, running the tap into the pot and letting the water drain through and out the bottom. Not too much, lukewarm, let drain then put back in pot which must have separate bottom for rest of water to drain off into.

THIS IS THE KEY.

Haha excellent perseverance @ItsLikeRain
They will not win!

OP, I’ve got a cheese plant, when the leaves started going yellow I googled, it’s a sing of overwatering apparently.
I kill ferns, sorry, can’t help

Ah thanks @8fencingwire!

@itslikerain excellent perseverance!

*@RobertDeNiro
*
Near enough, I'm a florist!

First thingI thought was that you need to either change the soil or more easily, start using a Nitrogen based feed like Baby Bio. Plants quickly use up the nitrogen in soil, and it needs to be replenished ( more in summer, less in winter).

You could give it a dose in the next two waterings and then leave it for a couple of months and see if it perks up. The yellow spots won't disappear but you shouldn't get any more. No more feed in the water till about March, then feed every two weeks till October.

If you already use a Baby Bio type feed then they are either scorch marks from being in too much sunlight ( they can tolerate some direct sun but a bright shade position is best) or its been over or underwatered. Underwatering, and the tips tend to turn brown first. Overwatering is usually indicated by limp yellow leaves.

You can mist any aerial roots that are present - a sign of underwatering in Monstera is when they start to shrivel at the tips.

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much!!