American and southern maidenhair fern cultivation and fertilizing needs. Growing these fabulous ferns as house plants. Adiantum pedatum, Adiantum capillus-veneris and others.
Adiantums are amomg the daintiest of fern varieties with their thin black stems and delicate leaves.
There are about 200 members of this fern species. Some hail from the tropics and others are quite cold hardy. I am only going to mention a few of the most well known on this page.
Maidenhairs as Indoor Ferns
Maidenhair ferns can be somewhat difficult to keep indoors due to their need for humidity. They also dislike having their leaves sprayed so misting them won't usually work.
A terrarium is the perfect environment for them. Whatever you do, do, keep them away from heat vents during the winter.
They want light but can't usually cope with direct sun.
The tropical species should be kept above 59 degrees F. year round. If you are unsure which species you have, treat it like a tropical just to be safe.
Water these ferns with soft water. If they dry out, the beautiful fronds will turn brown very quickly.
If you forget and the peat moss becomes a little too dry, immerse the pot in a pail of room temperature water for an hour or two until you are sure it is moist all the way through. Then drain the excess away.
Keep them moist during warm weather and a bit less so in the winter unless you keep a very warm house.
Feeding Ferns
Use a balanced (8-8-8 or 10-8-6 or something similar) liquid fertilizer which contains iron, copper, zinc, and boron. It can contain other minor nutrients as well but these are the most important.
Mix the fertilizer up at half strength and use it to water the ferns every two weeks from spring to fall.
Potted ferns should be repotted every other spring. If they are getting too large or you wish to give one to a friend, they can be divided at this time.
The leaves of Adiantum raddianum exhibit a weeping growth habit and look good in romantic flower arrangements. Some varieties of this species are variegated.
Adiantum caudatum has a cascading form which looks marvelous spilling from baskets.
