I have to take care of a fern at work.....yikes...it is big and seems to be drying out?

It was someone elses responsibility and now it is mine and it has been with the office forever and I got delegated. How do I do this. Does it need much sun and or water. I gave it a good soaking before leaving for the weekend because it seemed very dry. Crazy i know but hey you do what ya gotta do right?

I have to take care of a fern at work.....yikes...it is big and seems to be drying out?
Maybe take it home for the weekend and leave it in the bathroom - the steam from a shower will help it. Also you have to water it and mist it a lot.
Reply:Ferns don't like direct sun or wet roots, so don't put it in a window %26amp; don't give it a good soaking.



Instead, go to the dollar store %26amp; get a spray bottle. Fill it with water %26amp; spritz the leaves of the fern at least every other day. At the end of the week, stick your pinky into the soil. If the soil is dry up to the first joint on your pinky - water the plant with what's left in the spray bottle - but do not soak it. Refill the spray bottle for the next week.



Buy some liquid plant food (the Schultz brand is good) %26amp; follow directions on the bottle to mix it with water in another bottle. Just use this bottle with the plant food once every 5 to 6 weeks to water the soil, instead of using just plain water.. During the winter, do NOT use any of this mixture - just plain water - on the soil.
Reply:I am a Certified Master Gardener, and Horticulture was my major in college. Also, I do volunteer work at a local university botanic garden.



About the office fern . . . .



Make sure the fern receives indirect light only. No full sun at all. If it is very dry, and also rootbound, it needs to be divided and the four sections repotted into pots that give about two inches of soil space between the rootball and pot interior wall.



1) Divide it into four sections (cutting through rootball) by using a large butcher knife. It won't hurt the fern. You are simply dividing an old fern.



2) Plant each section in a separate pot. Use a high-quality potting soil such as Kellogg's or Scott's Professional.



3) Water thoroughly twice a week. Apply a teaspoon of Osmocote fertilizer granules (which are effective for about six months). Osmocote is excellent, and is a complete fertilizer. You won't need to apply anything else..



4) Mist the four divided ferns if you can, or rinse off the dusty fern fronds once a month, and let it stand in a sink of about 6 inches deep water over the weekend, twice a month, there at the office.



Your four divided ferns will thank you with lush, new, fresh growth, and the people at the office will call you THE PLANT DOCTOR. (smile)



I sincerely hopes this helps.



PAMELA J.
Reply:Ferns typically grow in moist, shady areas--so that should tell you what you need to grow one successfully indoors. It will probably get enough light no matter where you put it--that covers the shady part--but you will need to put a little effort into the moist part.



You could mist the fern every day to give it the moisture and humidity they like, but that is time-consuming and it can also ruin the floor and furniture around the plant. An easier solution is to find something to go under the plant, such as a big saucer, a boot tray, even an old baking pan will do if it will be hidden by the foliage. Put a layer of pebbles in the bottom of the tray and then water the fern thoroughly--until water runs out of the bottom. That water will collect under the rocks and gradually evaporate, creating a humid microclimate for the plant. Water the plant regularly and also keep adding water to the tray every few days or whenever it dries out.



Good luck!
Reply:My ferns I keep in indirect sunlight and some what cool. Ferns like to be misted with a fine spray once a day is enough watering once a week durning the summer but not too much and not more than twie a month or less in the winter. Sounds like it may need a little plant food... Go to your local nursery and see what they recommend for they type of plant you have.. take a stem so they will know what it is..
Reply:it needs more misting