Question
Hi Richard,

I recently bought a Button Fern (Pellaea Rotundifolia).  I had never seen a button fern before and it intrigued me and I liked the looks of it.  After getting it home, I went online just to get some more info about it and realized that perhaps my button fern is sick.  It has dark leaves and red stems.  The pictures I've seen of Button Ferns online are bright green and the stems are not dark in color.  Is this color normal for a Button Fern?  Do I need to do something to help it?  I admit the darker color is what attracted me to it, but now I'm concerned that it isn't healthy.  What do you think?  Any special tips on how to care for it?

Answer
Lynne
Actually dark leaves and redish stems may be normal for the variety of Button Fern you bought (Pellaea rotundifolia (variety?)...More than one variety exist...Was a variety listed on the label with the plant?..I have seen numerous pictures of these ferns and some are darker than others (stem color varies also)...Light exposure and fertilizer (or lack of) could also account for color variations...
Either way the care would be the same...
They like bright light, but not direct sun (other than morning sun)...
Fish emulsion is a recommended fertilizer for ferns (available at your local garden center)...
They like to be spray misted a couple of time per week to keep the humidity high around the foliage...
Try watering this way...I water most of my plants this way...Water by weight...Check how much the plant weighs when thoroughly watered VS its' weight when it is ready to be watered again. Sometimes it helps to put a saucer under the pot and let the plant sit in water for 10-15 minutes. Pick the pot up (or lean it to one side) and feel how heavy it is after watering it thoroughly. Don't water it again until it feels considerably lighter and the top of the soil is light in color. Depending on plant types, sunlight exposure and pot size plants will need water at many different rates (1-2 times a day to once a month or more)...
Hope this helps...Let me know what you think...
Rick in southern NJ