Whisk Fern

Whisk Fern Care

Psilotum Nudum (l.) P. Beauv.

What is the plant

Psilotum nudum, known as the whisk fern, is a fernlike plant. Like the other species in the order Psilotales, it lacks roots. It is found in tropical Africa, Central America, tropical and subtropical North America, South America, tropical Asia, Australia, Hawaii, southern Japan, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand.

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Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Part Sun

Temperature

min 12°C

Hardiness zone

8a - 11

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings.
Pruning
As a rule, ferns don't really need pruning. Ferns in nature are generally self-cleaning and will release old fronds as they die. In the garden, occasional removal of dead fronds will improve the appearance of the plant, but it is strictly cosmetic.
Fertilizer
Fertilize monthly year-round with a half-strength liquid fertilizer. It's best to only repot when your plant is root-bound, and preferably in the spring. Repot in a rich, high quality soil, such as a potting soil amended with 25% compost.

Disease diagnosis

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Sunlight
Ferns require indirect sunlight.
Soil
Ferns prefer potting soil with good drainage and high organic content. A potting mix should have peat moss or sphagnum for moisture retention, sand or gravel for drainage, and sterilized bagged garden loam or potting soil.
Temperature
On the coldest end of the scale, hardy ferns can survive temperatures down to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Container
Use plastic pots, which don't dry out as quickly as clay pots. The latter are not recommended for many ferns indoors, unless you use the pot in pot method as described above. A clay pot surrounded by moss then the ceramic or plastic pot on the outside is probably ideal.
Additional
Enzootic hematuria, the most common form of bracken fern poisoning, primarily affects cattle and less frequently affects sheep. It is characterized by intermittent hematuria and anemia. Poisoning most often occurs during late summer when other feed is scarce, or when animals are fed hay containing bracken fern.
Popularity
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