Question
Two questions please:  First, I bought an adorable "Button Fern" in a 4-in pot 3 mos ago.  It is surviving, but not thriving.  I water it only when it is dry on the surface, have placed it on a humidity (pebble) tray, and even have it in my bathroom for gosh sakes!  Still, no thriving.  The center has a few new fronds growing out of it, but most of them are brownish.  The older leaves, though, remain green and healthy.  (By the way, it gets curtain-filtered light).  I've given this fern more attention than my 5-year old lately!  What else can I do???  I've never had luck with ferns; I thought this time I'd do everything right and have success.

Also, my daughter has a syngonium (Arrow plant) which is 6-7 years old.  Though it is in bright light, it is not thriving, either.  What can she, or I do for it?  I would like to see lovely green arrow-shaped green leaves sprouting, with some bushiness, if possible.  One thing Amy has done wrong, I suppose, is to never prune or cut back the plant when it starts to "branch out".  Rather, the branches grow long and even "root" themselves at some point. Some are 5 feet long!  In other words, she has too many BRANCHES and not enough ARROWS.  Many thanks for reading my long questions, and thanks in advance for your kind suggestions.

Answer
Hi Patricia,

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your breezy, yet heartfelt questions. I was tempted to answer that you should go back to your 5 year old and forget the button fern, but that would not be a kind suggestion. Just kidding, of course.

Ferns are difficult houseplants for anyone, including me. They require lots of bright, but indirect light, high humidity, and constantly moist but not soggy soil. They are not very forgiving, meaning that there is little margin for error, especially in regard to light and soil moisture. I do believe you are doing everything right, given the circumstances. But do remember that you are not living in either a tropical rainforst or a greenhouse where ferns thrive. Survive may be a more realistic goal for a houseplant fern.

The curtain filtered light may not be quite enough, depending on the direction the window faces and the weight or transparency of the fabric. If you have better light elsewhere in the house, its OK to move it out of the bathroom. Bathrooms are overrated as to humidity because the humidity dissipates pretty rapidly after the shower is over.

Have you repotted it? If so, give me the particulars. Do you have a photo that you can send me? My address is below.

If you had a question about Amy's syngonium, you seem to have answered it very well. If you want her to maintain it as a full, bushy plant, then she will have to prune it back. The cuttings can be rooted at the base of the plant or separately.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

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