Asplenium (Spleenworts): How to Planting, Growing and Care it at Home
In a very lush bush, Asplenium (Spleenworts) attracts with its solid, wavy foliage. Its rich, dazzling green color completely transforms rooms and offices, creating a unique atmosphere in the workplace. Despite its complex characteristics, it is one of the most reliable species of indoor ferns. Asplenium flowers are happy with regular care and can forgive minor lapses. The main thing is to provide it with really comfortable and humid conditions. You will learn how to grow Asplenium plants in ThumbGarden’s article.
ASPLENIUM (SPLEENWORTS) PLANT DESCRIPTION
The genus Asplenium (Spleenworts) are scattered on all inhabited continents and are popular as both garden and houseplants with very dense rosettes of leaves. The folk name “Spleenworts” is as popular as the official name. Despite some variation in foliage, Asplenium (Spleenworts) is always easily recognized by its bright green color.
Asplenium (Spleenworts) ferns are compact representatives of the evergreen, long-lived and striking indoor ferns. Their superficial, creeping, powerful rhizomes enable them to proliferate in dense populations. The leaves grow in a crown-like rosette (or nest) that forms a densely arranged bowl of fronds. Asplenium (Spleenworts) leaves are no more than 27.5 inches (70 cm) long, and most cultivars are 12–20 inches (30–50 cm) tall. Asplenium does not grow quickly but almost is uninterrupted and can remain decorative for decades under the right conditions.
The sword-shaped, lance-shaped leaves of Asplenium (Spleenworts) are unusually hard, almost leathery, with a wavy surface, often resembling the curve of a cloth. The leaves grow almost straight, bending only when they reach their maximum length and mostly along the edges of the bush. The prominent brown median veins seem unusually raised, and the rich green color always stands out among other plants.
Most aslenium leaves are solid and wavy, with serrated edges rather than pinnately divided lace. The leaves are strikingly brittle for the first few weeks of growth, and then they don’t like to be touched. But most importantly, these leaves are surprisingly glossy in a way that ferns are not expected to be. The spores are arranged in peculiar “stripes” along the veins on the back of the leaf, creating a strictly patterned effect. Because of the sporangia pattern, this fern is affectionately known as “Centipede.”
TYPES OF INDOOR ASPLENIUM (SPLEENWORTS)
The most unpretentious and popular species is Asplenium (Spleenworts) nidus, which forms dense, ornate bushes with leaves that protrude upward in a wavy pattern. Many Asplenium (Spleenworts) varieties vary in size, leaf color, and growth rate. Particularly popular are ‘Cristata’ with a fruiting core and ‘Crispa’ with a floral pattern. Slightly more capricious and moisture-loving ‘greenhouse’ species.
Asplenium bulbiferum is a lively fern with three layers of feathery leaves with fleshy buds sprouting from them.
Asplenium antiquum has broader leaves up to 35 inches (90 cm).
Asplenium scolopendrium is known as deerleaf, or deer tongue, with its long, smooth, solid black leaves in thicker shrubs.
GROWING CONDITIONS OF ASPLENIUM (SPLEENWORTS) INDOORS
Asplenium is not tolerant of direct sunlight at all, and in too much light, they become weak and wither before their eyes. They need shaded diffuse light and are best placed not on a windowsill but 8–11 feet (2.5–3.5 meters) away in an indoor space. If you plan to decorate your windows with ferns, facing north is the only viable option. Many Aspleniums grow very well in light shade. Unfortunately, this plant does not tolerate extra artificial light — the light must come only from natural sources.
Asplenium (Spleenworts) prefers to grow year-round at 64–75 °F (18–24°C) Asplenium (Spleenworts) nests at a minimum temperature of 60 °F (16°C), and only Asplenium (Spleenworts) and other water-loving species prefer to nest at 53–59 °F (12–15°C) in cooler climates. Do not rely on daytime, but rather a nighttime temperature, especially in winter. Heat affects leaf attractiveness and requires more humidity, so the more stable the conditions, the better.
Sudden fluctuations in conditions, draughts, changes in location, unnecessary exposure are all things Asplenium does not like, and it is best to protect it from any stress.
ASPLENIUM (SPLEENWORTS) CARE AT HOME
This is not the most capricious of ferns, but it is only for those prepared to maintain high air humidity and constant soil moisture.
Watering and air humidity
Preferring high and constant soil humidity does not mean that Asplenium tolerates standing water well. Only the top of the substrate can dry out between waterings, but the water should not stagnate in the tray. Asplenium can be easily watered by soaking until the substrate is saturated with water, then draining off the excess water. The classic watering method also applies, but it is best to water more often, but not too much. Approximate watering frequency. 2–3 times a week in summer, 2 times in spring and autumn, 1 time in winter.
Water should be carefully chosen for the plants — soft, long-drained, melted water, rainwater, filtered water, at room temperature.
The higher the humidity, the better. However, spraying Asplenium is allowed only in summer — carefully, without flooding the socket, with a sprayer. A comfortable indicator for Asplenium (Spleenworts) nesting is a 60% level and for other species a 70%+ level, which is easier to maintain using a humidifier (or even wet moss in a dish.) Asplenium grows well in bathrooms and greenhouses, where increased humidity is natural.
Asplenium does not like to touch the leaves. Clean them of dust with a mild shower of warm water and protect the center of the bush (tilt to drain water).
Feeding and fertilizer composition
Use a complete, balanced houseplant fertilizer or a special fern fertilizer with a special balance of micro-nutrients. Do not over-fertilize: one application per month is sufficient. From November to March, feeding should not be interrupted and should only be reduced to once every 6 weeks (and in half amounts).
Pruning and shaping Asplenium
Damaged leaves should be cut to the base. The oldest and largest leaves can be selectively cut back for renewal and thickening. If older plants are severely wilted, sometimes all leaves should be cut back to encourage new growth.
Transplanting, containers and substrates
Asplenium is epiphytic and can be grown not in pots, but on branches and twigs, in hanging arrangements, in botanical gardens and aquariums. It is best to transplant ferns every year in January or February before the new leaves grow (to avoid injury and touching).
Choose a unique, slightly acidic, humus-rich soil mix (pH 5.0–6.0) for Asplenium. The best choice is a special fern substrate or at least a multi-component orchid mix, but a nutritious, loose, coarse soil that includes equal parts leaf, sod, and peat soil, plus some sand is fine. The addition of peat soil, coconut fiber, or at least perlite is a must.
Light-colored but wide enough containers are best for this fern. A high drainage layer of 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) should be placed when transplanting. Transplant the fern carefully, taking care not to injure the fronds. The substrate should not be compacted but should be jacked up as it shrinks. Asplenium prefers to be mulched (e.g., with bark or sphagnum soil).
After transplanting, the fern should be kept in high air humidity and soft light. Water the ferns gently, not too much.
Diseases, pests and cultivation problems
Poorly maintained, contaminated, and neglected Asplenium lose their enviable resistance to scabies, spider mites, and thrips. These pests can be detected externally and by the rapid browning and drying of the eyes. A combination of increased humidity and insecticide treatments should be used to control insects.
Dried-out leaves and brown spots always indicate a watering problem. Water loss or deformation of the leaves is a sign of low temperature, and discoloration and burning are signs of too much light.
Propagation of Asplenium (Spleenworts)
Growing Asplenium “from scratch” by itself is not an easy task. Sowing spores requires patience and care. They are sown shallowly in spring in moist soil, under glass, and kept at a stable substrate temperature of 68–71 °F (20–20°C) for several months.
Asplenium can also be propagated by separating fleshy shoots from a single leaf and rooting them like cuttings in consistently moist soil. However, these ferns are usually divided into groups during growth, separating the larger parts with strong root systems and rosettes.
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Author: Ms.Geneva
Link: https://www.thumbgarden.com/how-to-planting-asplenium-spleenworts/
Source: ThumbGarden
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