Quite often, floral arrangements of various kinds are used to decorate home and office interiors. Nephrolepsis (ferns) are extremely popular today, more often than others you can find Boston nephrolepis. This is a home look of fern, with which you can emphasize any stylistic direction of the interior. Such a spectacular plant not only performs a decorative function, but also has a lot of useful properties. About how to grow Boston nephrolepis at home (pictured), you will learn about caring for it from the material below.
Description
In Latin, the name of this culture sounds like Nephrolepis. This fast-growing perennial fern belongs to the davalley family. The genus has more than 40 species of ferns. Nephrolepises in the wild are found in tropical countries. In the natural environment, plants grow up to 3 meters in height; at home, growth is limited to 45-50 cm. Due to the bright green leaves (vayam) forming an openwork crown, fern has a special appeal. Vaya - this is the aerial part of the plant, which, just hatching, is very similar to a snail or a comma with a slight thickening at the end. Growing up, it gradually turns around.
The benefits and types of nephrolepis
Indoor nephrolepis cleans the air of various synthetic and chemical impurities, it is also believed that it destroys microbes. As indoor plants, only two species are grown, significantly different from each other: elevated and hearty. Next, we consider each of them in detail.
Exalted
An unusually beautiful ampoule non-flowering plant. This fern has a short rhizome. A rosette with bright green cirrus leaves no longer than 70 cm long. They grow in an arcuate fashion: young ones tend to go up, and grown up, on the contrary, fall to the ground. The segments are lanceolate, with small denticles along the edge. On their reverse side are soruses (a kind of germ cells), which contain spores of nephrolepis. Based on this species, many interesting varieties have been created. One of the most popular and especially spectacular is considered to be Boston nephrolepis, which has repeatedly dissected wavy veyi.
Hearty
This plant is distinguished by erect vayas that grow vertically upward. On the underground part of the shoots, small nodules form. Segments are round in shape, are very densely arranged. This species is often used for floristry.
Fern Nephrolepis Boston (Boston)
Got its name because of the city in the USA in which it was bred. Prior to this, nephrolepis was grown only in greenhouses, in normal room conditions it lacked heat. Boston is the first cold-resistant species of tropical fern. By the way, it was from him that other varieties of nephrolepis, having similar characteristics, went. This variety has long curved pale green (spring grass) leaflets with a wavy border.
Nephrolepis elevated Boston Blue Belle
This fern is another variety belonging to the species of sublime nephrolepis. It was recognized as a separate variety in 1860 in America. In the United States and Europe, it is considered one of the best ferns. Nefrolepis Boston Blue Belle owes its popularity to a high quality indicator, rapid growth, compact and dense form, which is characteristic of all Boston varieties. The plant has smooth leaves of saturated green color. All of these characteristics increase the decorative value of this fern variety.
Care Tips
Boston nephrolepis care at home is straightforward. This type of fern is considered an unassuming plant, well adapted for growing under ordinary conditions. But still, some requirements for caring for him must be met. Let's talk about them in more detail!
Lighting, location
This tropical flower does not tolerate direct sunlight. When growing it, it is necessary to use diffused lighting. The location on the east and west sides of the building is best. In the event that you want to place it on the south side, it is necessary to provide shading. Note that in summer the plant feels great in the fresh air, but provided that it is protected from direct sun, drafts and rain. In winter, Boston Nephrolepisis needs additional lighting. Fluorescent lamps, which are located at a distance of 50 cm from the fern, will perfectly cope with this task. Daylight hours should be at least 8 hours.
Temperature and humidity
In summer, this tropical plant prefers air temperature in the range +20 ... + 24 ° C. In winter, it can be maintained at the same level, but it is better if it differs from summer by 10 degrees
When carrying out Boston nephrolepis care, it is necessary to take care of optimal humidity: its best indicator for this type of plant is 50-60%. That is why the fern needs constant spraying. Such a procedure during the day must be carried out at least 1-2 times. Water must be settled and warm, this is one of the main requirements for care. For Boston nephrolepis at home, humidity can be increased in the following way: wet moss or expanded clay is placed on the bottom of the pallet and filled with water so that the water level in it is not higher than the bottom of the pot. Like other tropic plants, nephrolepis loves a warm shower. With it, dust is removed from the leaves and moisturized. Please note: with such irrigation, water should not erode the soil, so it is necessary to cover the pot with a film.
It is interesting
It is believed that nephrolepis is extremely difficult to tolerate relocation and adapts to a new location for quite some time. If, after some time after acquiring a flower, you notice that it does not look very cheerful, do not worry. In this case, it is very important to choose the right place for him. The best option is a well-ventilated bright and warm room. Note that the kitchen is not suitable for this plant: heat from the stove and stuffy air will negatively affect the health of the plant. If new vayi began to appear on the fern, the plant adapted.
Top dressing
What other features of the cultivation of elevated nephrolepis of Boston? Fern must be fed. Twice a month, in spring and summer, organic and mineral fertilizers are required. Gentle doses are chosen, that is, they take ¼ of the specified in the instructions. They do exactly the same when using complex dressings. When using home remedies, for example, chicken manure, they are diluted with water in a ratio of 1:50. Fertilizing in the winter is not required, they can cause diseases. Recently transplanted plants do not need additional nutrition, they do this only after their complete adaptation.
Transplant and pruning
Ferns need to be replanted every 1-3 years. For this purpose, use wide, but not very deep pots. At the bottom of the tank must be placed drainage material. For small plants, it is not recommended to use too large a capacity, because of this, the soil may become acidic or root rot may develop. Soil requirements are as follows: lightweight structure and good breathability. The composition of the soil may include components such as coniferous soil, greenhouse soil, peat slices - in equal proportions. Deep landing is not recommended: part of the rhizome and root neck should remain on the surface.
The beautiful emerald foliage of Nephrolepis Boston is beautiful in itself, therefore it does not need molding. It is only necessary to carry out sanitary pruning on time and remove dry yellowed leaves.
Watering
Particular attention should be paid to watering Boston nephrolepis. At home, fern prefers moist soil and does not tolerate the drying of an earthen coma. However, it should be noted that stagnation of water causes diseases and root decay. The best option for irrigation is considered rain or melt snow water. In summer, watering should be carried out daily, in autumn - half as much, in winter should be watered no more than once a week. But at the same time spraying should be carried out in the same way as in the summer.
Rest period
In the natural habitat, the plant does not have a rest period. But when grown indoors, it begins in mid-autumn and lasts almost all winter. Florists associate this with a decrease in daylight hours and humidity. For this period, Boston nephrolepis is placed in a cool, bright room and maintain constant humidity in it. During the winter, it is extremely important to preserve the leaves grown on plants for the whole time.
Spore propagation
There are two methods for propagating Boston nephrolepis: spores and vegetative methods. The first is a rather laborious and lengthy process, therefore it is used extremely rarely. In addition, most decorative varieties are sterile and therefore cannot produce viable offspring. If propagation by spores is implied, the sheet on which mature sores are cut off is cut off with a spoon, and spores are cleaned onto a sheet of paper. They are dried in a dark place at room temperature, and then sown in the soil. It is best to use a small greenhouse for this. It is filled with peat, pre-treated with boiling water. Disputes are placed on the soil, they are not sprinkled on top, the soil is sprayed from the spray gun. They are placed in a room with high humidity and an air temperature of +25 ° C.
After 10-14 days, green thickets will appear, very similar to moss. Later, at a sufficiently high humidity, the seedling is fertilized. After 2 months, full-fledged young ferns will develop. They must be carefully transplanted into separate containers, but not more than two or three plants in one. Further cultivation must be continued in a warm, humidified place.
Vegetative propagation
On the flexible antennae of the plant, small shoots with buds are constantly formed. The process is not separated from the mother plant, we drop it into the soil to a depth of 8 mm. Rooting lasts one to two weeks, after which the children are separated and grown independently.
During spring planting, overgrown bushes can be separated from each other. The plant must be completely removed from the pot, freed from excess land. Using a sharp knife, divide into parts (each should have 1-3 growth points) and plant them in separate containers. When growing Boston nefrolepis fern, it is necessary to create increased humidity and air temperature up to +18 ° C. Planted plots grow very slowly: first they grow roots, only then release new vayi.
Questions and Tips
It is not difficult to create all the conditions for the nephrolepis to look beautiful and spectacular. People involved in the cultivation of this culture, note that often fern is capricious. Consider the most common questions that arise when caring for a fern, and the recommendations of experienced gardeners.
The tips of the leaves darken
If brown spots begin to appear on the tips of leaves even of young plants - this is a sure sign of a plant overflow. Before you start watering the next time, you need to make sure that the soil is dried out and that the green pet really needs watering. Only water at room temperature is used; due to cold water, plants begin to hurt!
New waiy dry up
First of all, this could happen during transportation of the plant or due to mechanical damage during transplantation. If the top of the young vaya has damage, its growth stops and the new shoot dries up. Therefore, it is recommended to handle this flower as carefully as possible.
There are several more reasons: a pot too tight, lack of water or nutrients in the soil, poor maintenance, and too dry air. It happens that old and young vayas curl, darken and dry out. The main reason is low temperatures and cold watering.
Leaves are falling
Very often, owners of Boston nephrolepis, as well as other species of fern, are concerned that leaves are dying. If this applies to old leaves, and new ones continue to grow, then this is a normal process.
Anxiety should be shown if the fern begins to “bald”. This is probably due to the fact that in the room where the plant is located, the temperature is too high (above +25 ° C) and low humidity.
New waiy do not grow
This may be due to a lack of free space. If the pot is too small, plant diseases are possible. In this case, the fern loses old leaves and does not grow new ones.
Pests and diseases
A tropical plant is very sensitive to parasites. The first sign of damage to plants with scabies is the yellowing of the youngest, not yet developed leaflets. Fern growth retardation signals the nematode population. The main reason is watering with cold water. In a too dry atmosphere, thrips and a spider mite quickly develop.
It is very difficult to get rid of parasites that settled in the lush crown of a fern, and it is completely impossible to get rid of a nematode. The methods of control are as follows: you can wipe the leaves with alcohol, soapy water, spray with Karbofos or Actellik.
The most common diseases are fungus and gray rot. The blackened leaves of the plant indicate that due to too much watering, a fungus has started in the roots. It will be quite difficult to cope with gray rot; transplanting nephrolepis into loose soil may help. But first you need to carefully inspect all the roots and remove the damaged parts. Place the slices sprinkled with crushed activated carbon.