How to Take Care of a Bird’s Nest Fern

how to take care of a birds nest fern

Asplenium Nidus, more well known by its common name, the Bird’s Nest Fern, is a houseplant known for its bird nest appearance. They have crispy wave spoon-shaped fronds or leaves that are around 2 feet long. The Bird’s Nest Fern is a straightforward houseplant to take care of on an everyday basis.

 

In this post, you will learn how to take care of the plant, how much sun it needs, and how much water it should get regularly. Also, you will learn about what to do with insects that might cause problems with this fern. Finally, you will learn how to fix common issues that the plant might experience over its lifetime.

 

How Big Will this Fern Get?

New plants tend to fall on the shorter side at around 8 inches, but proper care can grow this fern past 24 inches high.

 

What Soil Works Best?

Fertilizer plays a critical role in the success of your Bird’s Nest Fern. Consider adding fertilizer during the spring and summer months since that yields the most growth. You can use an all-purpose potting mix and a pot with holes to drain out excess water.

 

Can You Add Coffee Grounds to the Bird’s Nest?

No, ferns do not grow well with coffee grounds in their soil. Since coffee grounds are highly acidic, they can inhibit a Bird’s Nest Fern growth.

 

How Much Sun Does a Bird’s Nest Fern Need?

how much sun does a birds nest fern need

This fern only needs low to moderate sunlight, so you should put it somewhere in the house with half shade and half sunlight. If your pot is small enough, you can put it at a north-facing or east-facing window. Finally, this plant does best in hot and humid environments, so consider putting the plant in your bathroom if it has a tub or shower.

 

How Much Water Does a Bird’s Nest Fern Need?

Watering a Bird’s Nest Fern plant is very important. If you end up overwatering the plant, it could die. The rule for proper watering is to keep the half-inch top soil consistently moist.

 

Also, this plant enjoys humidity, so consider adding the plant to a pebble tray when you water the plant. When the water evaporates on the pebble tray, it creates humidity around the plant, which it enjoys. Finally, you can reduce the amount of water you give the plant during the winter since that is the slowest growth.

 

What to Do With Brown Leaves?

If the plant leaves start turning brown, don’t worry! Prune any brown leaves off the plant. Brown leaves are a regular part of taking care of any plant.

 

However, if your plant is starting to receive many brown leaves quickly, it might not be receiving enough water or humidity. If you can determine that the water levels or humidity or not issues, you may have put something in the soil or added a chemical that is not reacting well with the plant.

 

What To Do If Your Bird’s Nest Fern is Dying?

what to do if your birds nest fern is dying

If your leaves are turning yellow quickly, then you are likely experiencing root rot. The best way to fix root rot is to put the plant in a pot with drainage holes. If the pot already has drainage holes, make sure that they are not clogged up and causing excess water stress.

 

If the pot is not a problem, consider where the plant is currently at your home. For example, if you put the plant next to an AC unit, the plant will struggle with the cold environment. If that is the case, you should put the plant in a hot and humid climate, like a bathroom that has a shower or tub.

 

Finally, bugs and insects might be playing a role in your plant’s demise. Keep reading below to see how to fix the common problem for a Bird’s Nest Fern with scale insects.

 

Scale Insects

The primary bug to be aware of on a Bird’s Nest Fern are scale insects. These insects latch on to the leaves and suck the life out of the fern. If you notice these bugs are on the leaves, you need to remove them, or else they will kill your plant.

 

To remove scale insects from the fern, you should take a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and whip the bugs off the leaves. However, be careful not to apply horticultural oil on these ferns. After you have run a pass over the leaves, check back in over the next few days to ensure there are no more bugs on the leaves. If the bugs are still there after a few days, you need to repeat the rubbing alcohol process.

 

Conclusion – How to Take Care of Bird’s Nest Fern

In summary, a Bird’s Nest Fern is an unusual-looking plant that can give your home a lot of character. The ripple and glossy leaves give the plant a distinguished look from the rest. Next time you bring one of these ferns back to your home, now you will have some tips and tricks to take care of it effectively!

 

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