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grabmebymyhandle

How to save a heart fern...

grabmebymyhandle
11 years ago

I was really taken with this little heart fern I found in a local greenhouse, a new plant to me, I generally not a fern person, too normal...but i bought this guy

SO its not in the best shape, It has over a dozen mature fronds that are still healthy, so I know it has a good chance, but theres over a dozen dead fronds that failed to unroll, just poking out of the crusty rhiozome...This indicated to me that it had not been watered enough. I know its humidity light and heat requirements had been met, but its in a 3 inch pot, that was in in a flat of victoria birds nest ferns and they had been covering it up, some of the small ferns here had been regularly missing the regular watering, and were clearly suffering for it. I think this fern was one of these that had been missing the watering but it was actually wet when I bought it so...it adds doubt that it was ever dry...

Any way, I got it home, did a better inspection, it had about 20 mealy bugs, 2 colonies, on 2 different leaves, I mashed them and inspected better, the roots look ok, there a mix of some dead roots, some old dark roots that look dead but are not and some fresh lighter roots, no bugs.
I promptly IDed it, read up on care and placed in its own vivarium, gave it a squirt of mist, and sealed it up...
Today was it second full day in being sealed it up, I took it out to check it out better and the new fronds that had seemed to be growing were dark and appear to be dead and mushy, i dont want to touch them and break one if they are in fact growing and ok, but I fear the new fronds are still emerging and dying...

What should I do besides be patient and wait more than 2 days to see if it recovers, I know time will tell, but if its suffering in the mean time... Id rather be doing it good than harm, I have high hopes for this plant...

Any advice would be great, like I said fern are not my thing but I know its a heat loving tropical fern that like to be evenly moist but no wet feet, bight inderict light, I read it almost requires a vivarium...its got one...what else can I do, or shoukd I do no more for now?

There atleast 5-8 more BRIGHT green fronds just breaking the soil on the outer edges of the rhiozome, I dont want them to croak too...sad day...

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