Botanical Identify: Microsorum musifolium ‘Crocodyllus’
Crocodile Fern has shiny, vibrant inexperienced fronds in a charming croc sample, making this tropical fern irresistible as a houseplant. Luckily for us, it is also one of many best varieties of ferns to develop indoors.
This Aussie native grows as an epiphyte (a plant that grows on bushes) within the heat, moist, tropical rain forests. Regardless of its tropical beginnings, Crocodile Fern adapts effectively to being a home plant. Place your potted fern the place it’s out of direct solar and away from drafts, which might scorch the fronds. Increase humidity and you will maintain it wholesome and thriving for a few years.
Good-looking, textured foliage give this fern its charming attraction. Picture ©RorygezFreshCrocodile fern grows in a whorl of vibrant, deeply veined, spear-shaped fronds, which attain about 2 ft (60 cm) in size. Put this eye-catching fern on a plant stand or in a dangling basket to point out it off.
Crocodile Fern Issues, Options and Solutions
As Crocodile Fern ages, the oldest, outer fronds will flip brown. That is regular. You’ll be able to lower them off to maintain your plant wanting its finest. Scorching, dry air may also trigger fronds to brown. Boosting humidity round it helps.
These upright fronds are typically dust-catchers. Hold the broad, shiny fronds dust-free by gently wiping them with a humid fabric. By no means use leafshine merchandise on ferns as a result of it might severely injury their delicate fronds.
Repot younger vegetation in spring, each couple years or when the roots fill the pot. When you discover that the roots are hooked up to the pot, run a knife across the inside to loosen them earlier than you may take away the rootball. It’s possible you’ll want to interrupt the pot to take away it. It is a good suggestion to use a container with drainage holes to keep away from soggy soil. Take care to not pack down the potting combine. An epiphyte in its native habitat, this fern likes a free combination.
Not many pests hassle this fern. Look ahead to scale bugs, that appear like small, brown discs on fronds. When you discover an invasion of those pests, spray with soapy water adopted by clear water. Do not use pesticides on ferns as a result of they’re simply broken by chemical substances.
Is Crocodile Fern cat-friendly? Sure, it isn’t toxic, so you may safely develop this fern indoors round your pets and children.
Crocodile Fern Care Suggestions
Origin: Tropical Australia
Top: Fronds can attain 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) lengthy when grown in a container indoors.
Gentle: Give your plant vibrant, oblique daylight. No direct solar, which might scorch the fronds. Give the pot 1 / 4 flip every week for even progress. If you do not have a spot in entrance of a window, a develop gentle works splendidly.
Water: Water calmly, but usually to maintain potting medium moist, however not soggy. Beneath-watering will trigger the fern to wilt, however an excessive amount of water could cause roots to rot and fronds to show yellow. Water much less in winter when progress is slower. Keep in mind to at all times use room-temperature water for watering tropical houseplants; chilly water is a shock to them.
Humidity: Give this tropical fern moist air. If the relative humidity drops beneath 50%, use a humidity tray or cool-mist room humidifier so as to add moisture to the air across the fern. Indoor air can develop into extraordinarily dry through the winter months; it is a good suggestion to make use of a humidity gauge fairly than guess. Brown leaf suggestions are a symptom of dry air.
Temperature: Common room temps (65-75°F/18-24°C) will swimsuit this tropical fern. Hold your plant away from warmth/AC vents, which might be drying to ferns.
Soil: Peat moss-based potting combine is good for this fern. Go away that miracle combine on the shelf — all that in-built fertilizer is an excessive amount of for ferns delicate roots.
Fertilizer: Feed each 2 weeks in spring and summer season with a balanced (comparable to 10-10-10 NPK) water-soluble fertilizer at half the quantity advisable on the package deal. Feed each couple months in fall and winter, when progress is slower. This fern just isn’t a heavy feeder — it is roots can undergo from chemical burn from an excessive amount of fertilizer.
Propagation: M. musifolium grows from semi-woody, branched rhizomes that may be divided in spring and potted individually. Do not bury them; cowl rhizomes with about 1-inch of potting combine.
