this website. This beauty features dark green, fine-texture, dainty-looking fronds and fuzzy rootlike stems (rhizomes) that creep down the side of its pot or along the soil. That's because they love lots of moisture—water and  humidity. Jay Wilde, 9 Indoor Ferns That Will Turn Your Home into a Tropical Paradise. The 10 Most Popular House Styles Explained, A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To, Call Your Stylist: These Hair Colors Will Be Everywhere This Spring, 7 Small But Impactful Ways to Fit Self-Care Into Your Day Right Now, Luna, Bella & Lily Top This Year's List of Most Popular Cat Names, 8-inch Hanging Basket, $32.95, The Home Depot, Potted 4-inch, $7.50, The People's Plants, letting the soil completely dry out between waterings, Potted 5-inch, $22.97, Wilson Bros Gardens. From the view of decorative foliage plants, the great fern is one of the main contributors. They're essential to holidays and casual gatherings. Leathery fronds with wavy edges radiate from the center of the plant to create a striking vase shape that vaguely resembles a nest. Start Slideshow. Spruce up your outdoor space with products handpicked by HGTV editors. Learn simple techniques for taking care of indoor ferns. Indoors, give your fern a medium level of indirect light, no additional fertilizer and a bit less water than you gave it during the growing season outdoors. Each frond has several slender leaflets with a pale silvery strip down the middle. In fact, too much light through a window can actually burn the plant’s foliage. GROWING FERNS SUCCESSFULLY INDOORS. Ferns can add a tropical look to your home. We'll show you the top 10 most popular house styles, including Cape Cod, country French, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, cottage, Mediterranean, ranch, and contemporary. Ferns can be grown easily indoors with minimal lighting. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. So it’s important to have a nutrient rich substrate that can retain moisture well, so the shallow roots can find it. As long as the plants are re-planted into a good quality, light potting mix, most will take hold to their new surroundings quickly. Green up your home with a graceful, tropical fern. Ferns prefer lots of humidity and temperatures around 70 °F, so try to keep the temperature and humidity levels consistent if you're growing your plants indoors. Check the soil every other day to ensure it remains moist. When it comes to moisture, watering is really no big deal, but humidity is another issue. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. It can tolerate less humidity than most ferns and is forgiving if you occasionally forget to water. Don't miss HGTV in your favorite social media feeds. This can apply to ferns as well, but it would be even better to water your fern when the surface of … It takes its name from the small, round “buttons”—or leaflets—on its slender stems. © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. If you’re a beginner baker who’s just starting out (or a master chef looking to declutter), start with this list of baking tool must-haves. Like rabbit's foot fern, it features thick rhizomes that may creep down the sides of its container. In general, ferns like to be kept on the moister side. Brie Passano. Here are nine favorites to get you started. That said, there are some general rules you can follow to avoid common indoor plant problems and to help keep your ferns alive, and thriving. So they don't need to grow in a pot of soil like other plants do. You can also group ferns and other houseplants together to raise the humidity or keep your plant in the bathroom or near the kitchen sink. Many make wonderful, low-maintenance houseplants, as long as you're careful to provide the right amounts of light and moisture. Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata), sometimes called sword or ladder fern, was as popular with Victorian gardeners as it is today. Although most ferns like to stay evenly moist, don’t let them get soggy. Crocodile ferns make quite a statement when full grown, often reaching 2-3 feet long. Growing Conditions: medium to bright light and average humidity, Buy It: 8-inch Hanging Basket, $32.95, The Home Depot. We've got the low-down on how to make sure everything from your perennials to your roses are ready when the snow flies. Average homes are much drier, especially when the heat is running in the wintertime. Maidenhair fern (Adiantum) earns a spot on our list because of its lacy, airy foliage and slender, black stems—but it needs constant moisture and can be tricky to grow indoors. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. This plant is cute as a button with its tiny, golden-green, rounded leaflets (that give it the namesake buttonlike appearance). Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. We love the two-tone foliage on this eye-catching plant, which also goes by the names silver lace fern and slender brake ferns. This is the name of one of the largest European deciduous ferns. Here are a … Ferns can be fertilised with either a liquid, such as Searles Flourish, or a slow release fertiliser. If your space is limited, look for a dwarf cultivar. Some varieties stay small (like 'Cotton Candy', shown here, that we love for its extra-fine, feathery fronds). Keep ferns away from radiators, bright, hot, sunny windows, and use a pebble tray (right) to add moisture. Growing Conditions: medium to bright light and high humidity, Buy It: 6-inch Hanging Basket, $9.00, Walmart. Since it grows just 12 to 18 inches tall, it’s a good choice for gardeners who don’t have much room. Indoors, though, ferns are often used to bring a touch of “exotic permanence”. For those who already own these tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to toss that never-been-used soufflé dish. Privacy Policy. To care for Boston ferns, keep them in cool spaces that receive indirect light. Most ferns require high levels of humidity to grow green and lush indoors. Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space. These tropical toughies add exotic beauty both indoors and out. The best ferns for indoors are: Adiantum, Pteris, Dryopteris, Phlebodium, Davallia and Blechnum. They thrive in the filtered light, temperate climate and high humidity of forests. Buy It: Potted 5-inch, $22.97, Wilson Bros Gardens. This plant draws attention for two reasons: their namesake forked fronds that look a bit like antlers and their unique growth. Keep this moisture-loving fern happy by never letting the soil completely dry out between waterings. Here's how to tell the differences between each architectural style. In the past we’ve tried overwintering our ferns by bringing them indoors and placing them near a window, but that was always a huge fail. Enter the ferns with their often delicate, always beautiful foliage which provides the perfect backdrop to a long session of gazing out the window at the trickling rain and brilliantly colored trees. At home, try to mimic the blue star fern’s natural habitat by providing a moist environment with medium indirect lighting and a suitable soil type. Tips for Growing Ferns Indoors There are a lot of species of tropical and subtropical ferns, but there are also a lot of ferns that are native to more temperate climates. Another fern that is easy to grow indoors is the Royal fern (Osmunda regalis). If the plant is allowed to dry out, its fronds will wilt and die. These adaptable plants will thrive indoors with the right amount of humidity. Its strappy, leathery fronds emerge coiled up from the center of the plant. Many ferns will thrive in the great indoors while adding a lush look to any room. Silver Brake (Pteris cretica) is a low-maintenance plant with attractive, silvery stripes on its fronds. This can be a challenge, especially in areas where heat is provided by a furnace, which can dry out indoor air. As they unfurl, they create a vase-like or bird’s nest shape. Touch the soil and water your fern if the top feels dry. Grab a glass of milk because we're about to dunk peanut butter cookies, oatmeal-raisin cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, and many more of our all-time favorite cookie recipes. Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata), sometimes called sword or ladder fern, was as popular with Victorian gardeners as it is today. Grayish white hairs cover the rhizomes that inspired the common name. Name: Microsorium musifolium 'Crocodyllus', Growing Conditions: medium to low light and high humidity, Buy It: Potted 4-inch, $7.50, The People's Plants. 1. All rights reserved. Caring for Ferns Indoors. There are a number of species that will thrive indoors and outdoors. Compared to most other ferns your going to find this plant a lot easier to care for in regards to light, humidity levels and propagating (see care instructions below). By Dr. Leonard Perry. Show off (or even pet) those rhizomes by growing it in hanging planters. Change the way you look at this most ancient flower-free plant family. If the soil feels dry, water once or twice weekly. Many still have a typical root ball, these can be planted as you would any other plant. 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