Red Fern

Red Fern Care

Didymochlaena truncatula

What is the plant

The attractive fern (Didymochlaena truncatula) is a tropical rainforest plant from the Amazonian regions of South America. It grows there in the humid conditions on trees and rocks - it is what's called epiphytic.

Didymochlaena is a genus of fern. It is the only genus in the family Didymochlaenaceae, and has only one species, Didymochlaena truncatula, also known under the synonym Didymochlaena sinuosa. Some sources place the genus in the family Polypodiaceae.

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Humidity

High

Lighting

Shade

Temperature

15°C - 15°C

Hardiness zone

9a - 11b

Difficulty

Hard

How to Care for the Plant

Water
The plant likes high humidity. It performs best when the soil is kept constantly moist during the growing season. Water less frequently in the winter. Only start again with regular watering and feeding in the spring with fertiliser for leafy plants.
Fertilizer
There`s no need to feed this plant too much - half the dosage you will see on packaging of liquid or powder fertiliser for leafy plants.
Sunlight
Unlike most ferns, this species prefers high light intensities. However, keep the plant out of direct sunlight.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
Plant this fern in soil that has a high organic matter content like a good peat moss mix.
Temperature
The plant can survive the temperatures which are as low as -6.7 °C (20 °F) to -3.9 °C (25 °F). Average temperature should never drop to below 15C.
Container
Choose any type of container with enough drainage holes.