How To Water A Birds Nest Fern

Water a birds nest fern slowly and allow the water to soak into the soil before adding more water. Try to water into the soil rather than directly on top of the plant in its nest.

How Often Should You Water A Birds Nest Fern

The frequency that you need to water your fern will depend on the climate you live in and the humidity in the air. However, a birds nest fern is a plant that likes to be watered regularly and responds well to being moist.

You only want to let the soil dry out slightly before watering your fern again. Do not allow the soil to become bone dry as this can cause damage to the plant. In summer you may find watering your plant once a week is sufficient but make sure you touch the top two inches of the soil to check the moisture before you water. If the soil is soaking wet then you can wait longer between waterings. Similarly if you check the soil midweek and it has dried out then you can increase the amount of waterings.

During the winter you should be able to water your plant less. However, with central heating many plants will dry out at a quicker rate than in the past so make sure you check the soil on a plant by plant basis.

If you struggle to gauge when to water your plants then consider investing in a moisture probe. This is a device that you can stick in the soil to check the moisture levels of your plant. The device has a display to show you how dry or wet the soil is so you can know exactly how much water your plant needs.

Can I Overwater My Fern?

Yes you definitely can. You can overwater almost any plant. Even though your fern likes it’s soil moist that doesn’t mean you want to let it sit in a soil that is wet. You need to learn the difference by touch. Picking up your plant pots and feeling the weight is also a good way to feel how wet your soil is. This might be something that is difficult at first but as you get used to the weight of your plant after a watering you’ll get to feel when it is very wet compared to when it is dry.

How Do I Know If I’m Underwatering My Birds Nest Fern?

Crispy brown tips is a useful indication that your fern is being underwatered. If you notice the leaves of your fern starting to crisp up and turn brown then you may need to water your plant more frequently. If this is the case then put your fingers in the soil and test out the moisture levels to find out if it needs a bit more watering.

How Do I Know If I’m Overwatering My Birds Nest Fern?

A sign of overwatering can be yellowing and wilting leaves. If this is mild then ease off the watering. However, if the wilting and yellowing is extreme then your plant may have a case of root rot and you may need to do some repotting in order to save it.

Ferns are plants that are incredibly common. You can find them everywhere and they often don’t need much encouragement to start growing. However, they aren’t that commonly bought as house plants compared to some of the more popular options like cacti or snake plants.

But we think that a Birds Nest Fern is a fantastic plant and here are some of the reasons why you should consider buying one as your next houseplant.

• Easy to take care of
• Tolerate low light
• Grow quickly
• Look attractive
• Purify the air

Let’s take a look at some of these reasons in more detail.

Birds Nest Ferns are relatively easy to take care of. They don’t require that much attention. They like to be misted and watered but apart from that you really shouldn’t have too much trouble with one. They’re easy to take care of and don’t really require that much attention from you.

Birds Nest Ferns Can Tolerate Low Light. As they’re used to receiving dappled light in their natural habitats, the Birds Nest Fern works well as a low light houseplant, making it the perfect green solution for those spaces in your house where light doesn’t really reach that well but you really need a plant.

Birds Nest Ferns Grow Relatively Quickly. Another great thing about this little plant is that they grow relatively quickly. So if you’re keeping them in the right conditions then you should see growth in a pretty short time. This is great for any plant owner and especially beginners who want a plant that is going to give them a relatively quick return.

Birds Nest Ferns Look Nice. Out of all the ferns, the birds nest fern has a very attractive shape. It doesn’t look like your usual fern and instead has it’s own features that make it very easy to identify and stand out from other species in the same plant family. It can look very attractive in a house and can really brighten a room.

They Help Clean The Air. Birds Nest Ferns are a great plant to have in your home to help purify the air. They filter formaldehyde, xylene and toluene and really clean up the air that you’re breathing. As more and more of us are living in cities and breathing in dirty air every day, having plants that have air purifying qualities are more important than ever. If you can’t control the air you breathe outside, at least try and control the air that you and your family are breathing in your home.

So there you have it, our top reasons why you should consider buying a Birds Nest Fern as your next houseplant. If you want a relatively easy houseplant that requires low light and will help clean the air in your home then the Birds Nest Fern is definitely the plant for you.

Why not learn more about this plant by reading our article and improving your general plant knowledge: Are birds nest ferns poisonous?

Repotting your birds nest fern can be a great way to encourage new growth in your fern and see how it’s getting on in general.

What Size Pot Does Your Fern Need?

A useful thing to know about a birds nest fern is that they usually prefer to be in a smaller pot than a larger pot. This is because in their natural habitat they are used to competing for nutrients in the soil as they grow in close proximity to other plants.

The only issue with this is that if the fern becomes too leafy up top compared to the size of the pot it can topple it’s pot. To counteract this and weight your pot down you could try placing decorative stones on top of the soil or even opting for a heavier pot rather than a lightweight plastic one.

How Often To Repot A Birds Nest Fern

Before we go about the how or repotting your fern it’s important to know how often this needs to be done.

Your fern shouldn’t need repotting too often as it shouldn’t be growing at a rate quick enough to outgrow it’s pot in a year. And if we remember from the point above, your fern also likes being kept in a slightly smaller pot. A good rule of thumb is to wait approximately two – three years and when your plant is appearing a bit worse for wear you can repot it.

How To Repot Your Fern

Now let’s take a look into the how. If your birds nest fern has been in the same pot a long time you might find it difficult to get out. Tease away the soil at the edges and if your plant is still in its plastic pot you can gently squeeze the pot while holding it a downward facing angle to edge your plant out of the pot. Be careful to guide it with your other hand so you don’t drop it or damage any leaves.

Now onto repotting. Once you’ve selected your pot make sure you have the appropriate potting soil for your plant. A well-draining soil will work for your fern.

Pot your fern in its new container with the well-draining soil, give it a drink of water and you’re good to go. You shouldn’t need to repot your fern for another couple of years.

Repotting Alternatives

If you’re feeling a bit adventurous or creative then there are other techniques you can use to pot your fern. Rather than a pot your fern will be able to grow on pieces of wood which can make beautiful wall displays.

Birds Nest Ferns are a popular houseplant because they are not poisonous plants.

This means that if ingested they are not toxic to humans. Obviously you shouldn’t be eating houseplants as they’re not good for your digestive system but they aren’t toxic plants.

Birds Nest Ferns are also not toxic for dogs and cats. So if a pet wandering around the house will affect your decisions on which house plant to buy then this one could be the perfect one for you.

Again just like for humans you don’t want your pets to be eating your house plants but if they take a nibble it shouldn’t be dangerous for them.

In addition to not being toxic to ingest, touching a birds nest fern and handling the foliage shouldn’t do any harm to your skin or cause flares up in eczema or other skin conditions.

Many plants in the fern family are also safe houseplants to have around with babies and pets which is what makes them such good plants to get started with.

How To Stop My Pets Eating My Plants

So your birds nest fern isn’t toxic to your pets but you still don’t want them being eaten and ruining the foliage.

Don’t worry, they are some things you can do to make your plants seems less appealing to your furry friends without damaging them.

First of all, one thing you can do is to change the placement of your plants. Cats can climb on shelves and jump onto windowsills so finding somewhere out of the way of your cats might seem impossible but what a cat will struggle to get to is a hanging basket.

Try using hanging baskets or wall brackets to place your plants out of reach of your pets but without giving them the chance to climb on something.

Another thing you can do is to hide the soil. Cats might be attracted to your plants for the pleasure of digging in the soil. If this is the case them make the soil unappealing. A way you can do this is to add rocks on top so the cat can’t access the fun soil underneath.

Finally change the taste of your plants. If your cat likes to nibble away at your plants then this could be because they like the taste of the leaves. If you change the smell and taste of your plants this could be enough of a deterrent. Choose something with a strong scent that will not damage your plant and add it to a bottle of water. Then mist your plants with this scented water. This should act as a good deterrent for your hungry cat.

So even though these plants aren’t poisonous hopefully you now have a useful way to stop your pets from eating your plants, because even if it’s not harmful to them, you still don’t want a plant full of tiny teeth marks or to lose leaves victim to another hunting from your cat.