birds nest fern help

Discussion in 'Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, Ferns and Bulbs' started by weaver7175, Jan 12, 2006.

  1. weaver7175

    weaver7175 Member

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    my plant started out great but now isnt doing very good.
    it's still a young plant.. the fronds,(leaves) that come up are long and skinny
    what type of fertalizer should i use..and what type of light does it need i
    can post a pic if it will help
     
  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Difficult to tell what the problem is from the little information you've provided. However Asplenium nidus or Bird's Nest Fern prefers shade to filtered light and high humidity. Since there is new growth its roots must be healthy and my guess would be it's suffering from low humidity. If so the older leaves will have brown tips and edges. Use the plant's latin name to google for more cultural information. Also look closely to make sure the problem isn't caused by pests such as scale.
     
  3. weaver7175

    weaver7175 Member

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    i live right next to the river and everything is damp in my house so i think
    the humidity isnt a problem and there isnt any pest's on it i have moved it so it's
    in semi shade i was wondering if maybe i should change the type of soil or give
    it a differant kind of plant food right now im using 'shultz 10-15-10 plant food plus'
     
  4. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I see what you mean - anemic growth. My guess, as I don't have experience with this plant, is it needs some fertilizer. I would not use a 10-15-10 however as that's more for flowering plants but instead opt for a balanced formulation such as 20-20-20 at half-strength and see what happens. Keep in mind most plants have little activity at this time of the year. One book suggests feeding at low strength but with increased frequency during periods of active growth.

    The plant appears to be in a shallow dish. I suggest easing the plant and soil out of the dish as one to make sure the roots aren't crowded. The soil appears to be porous judging by the perlite visible on the top. Keep it moist but not wet.
     
  5. weaver7175

    weaver7175 Member

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    thanks for your reply i'll switch fertalizer, and wait till spring to really start to much
     

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