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Posted 2M ago by @SmartNectarine

Please help my Boston fern

I have no idea what has happened but all of the leaves are shrivelling up and dropping. I recently repotted so I know the roots are okay but I’m not quite sure what to do #BostonFern #help
5” pot with drainage
Last watered 1 month ago
I don’t have any ferns, however I have their cousin! Have you fertilized at all? 1-1-1 potentially? I had the same occurrence when I brought mine home! I put her in bright direct light and fertilized her 3 times. She’s blown up now!
@Prentyce are we in afternoon sun at all? That might be burning your leaves!!
@Prentyce I haven’t fertilised since I’ve had it. I did consider it but everything I look at says not to fertilise in winter. Do you think this would be okay?
And the last potential option, do you have a humidifier by chance? I use one and that has also made the world of difference. Ferns love humidity:) best of luck!!
@Prentyce no I get very little light through my window as it is northeast facing. Definitely no direct light
@SmartNectarine yes!! Greg has been telling me to fertilize. I’m getting incredible results as well. I have new growth on every single plant!! :D
@SmartNectarine do you by chance have a grow light or lamp you could supply? This would help create a fuller plant! She’d be so happy :)
@Prentyce I don’t but I was thinking about getting one
@Prentyce I do have a grow light for my lavender and I have moved my fern closer to it
@SmartNectarine So I have a massive Boston fern. A northeast window should be fine and preferable for it. It cannot tolerate any direct sun even in an east window. I would not use a grow light, it could be too much as they are shade plants. Fertilizer is good any time of year imo, if it needs it. But here are a few things:

They do best when they don’t completely dry out. They like to stay moist but not wet. They do need well draining soil because of this.

They don’t like drafts and it shows up on their leaves. High traffic as well if it creates gusts of wind by a door etc. I recently had to have mine in that situation for a week or so and it showed up on the leaves. I do mist the leaves every few days in winter as the central air is drying.
@SmartNectarine oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to treat for fungus. The moisture in a fern can breed it.
@TheOddAsity thank you for the advice! I now have a humidifier to create a more humid corner for some plants. I’ve been moving the plant around a lot so I think that might have had an effect and I didn’t realise that touching the leaves could also damage them further because i’ve been touching the leave to inspect them but I think I just need to pretty much leave it alone now πŸ˜‚ ive moved it away from the grow light but still on the windowsill. Hopefully leaving it alone with the humidifier by the window will make a difference
@SmartNectarine mine is about 15 feet from a window with no humidifier (and I live in the desert). So don’t stress about humidity, but I think your plan of not touching her will definitely help! Good luck. πŸ€
@TheOddAsity thank you for your help!