Can you cut 1 Tonne of carbon pollution out of your life?
Take the challengePreviously we did a blog on Rayne Oaks; a model turned sustainable clothing activist, turned sustainable food movement activist, turned gardening extraordinaire that has close to 500 plants growing in her apartment.
Her place looks amazing, but not only that; the air quality must be through the roof!
That last point is important because poor air quality kills millions annually. Here's a few facts that might leave you gasping (get it?!)
If you don't have the space (or the know how) to keep 500 plants thriving then you can actually boost your indoor air quality by strategically placing three plants.
Oakes's Kitchen Image Credit: Erin Kestenbaum for 6sqft
Once you've got that sorted you can start to fill out your space with ferns. A quick check of social media will tell you that most people find keeping ferns alive not only laborious, but almost impossible
But it doesn't have to be that way! I have killed lots of ferns and have finally gotten to the point where I am capable of keeping them alive (I feel like that is the marker of a true adult).
Know your fern
There are countless varieties of ferns so get to know the one you've picked up. Do a quick Google search, chat to your horticulturalist or even check the small tag that comes on some plants (although they're pretty vague and not often that helpful). So, there might be some subtle differences according to the variety you've chosen but here are a few hard and fast rules I've learnt along the way.
Likes
Ferns love humidity, so if you have a bathroom with filtered light then they'd be happy there!
You can increase humidity by laying your pot on a tray of pebbles and pouring some water in, then placing the pot on top.
It's important that the pot isn't sitting in the water though as this will cause root-rot.
Feed your fern fertilizer. You can feed your ferns fertilizer about once a fortnight. I have a worm farm so I dilute my 'worm juice' until it's the colour of weak tea and water at the base of my fern.
Let the sunshine in! Ferns hate full sun but they also hate the dark. So bright, filtered light is needed to keep your fern happy and healthy.
Drink up! Ferns do not like to dry out (even for a few hours) so keep them well watered. A note on this; ferns prefer to be watered from the bottom.
Hates
As above, ferns hate full sun; even midday and morning sun can be too much.
Is it draughty in here? Ferns don't like the wind; so keep them sheltered and out of spaces like corridors that can create wind tunnels.
Wet feet: ferns love water but they hate being soggy (it's all a very delicate mix). If the leaves of your fern are yellow and wilted you're over watering them. Also, make sure that your pot has adequate drainage. Some cheap pots have one small or no holes, so the water gets trapped and then ferns can't adequately drain.
How to resurrect if dead
I'd like to say that no ferns were harmed in the writing of this article, but that simply isn't the case. It's very likely that your first fern (or three) will die. But. just like Jon Snow some ferns are never truly dead.
Your fern might be dry with brown fronds but it's not considered truly dead until there has been no new grown for 18 months, pretty cool. To give it a new lease on life:
Trim all fronds down to ground level
Re-pot the fern with quality, nutrient-rich soil. If you've got compost then mix it in.
Leave it outdoors in a sheltered shady spot and let it be for a few months (watering and fertilising regularly).
If your fern is not dead but on it's last legs you can try to salvage it by soak in water for 15 minutes, or bringing it the shower with you!
That's it! Goodluck and Godspeed…..
P.S if you can't seem to crack it then here's a list of houseplants that are really hard to kill. And if you're in Australia then these are some of our favourite natives for purifying the air.
Banner image: Shutterstock
Try this next: How To Make Kokedama
