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The Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) looks beautiful in hanging baskets and is ideal for both indoor and outdoor decoration.
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FERNS BEAR no flowers or fruits but the beauty of their foliage makes them ideal for both indoor and outdoor decoration. The Boston fern Nephrolepis exaltata, for instance, looks superb in hanging baskets.
It has pale-green pinnate fronds, which are about 40-45 cm in length and 10 cm wide at the base and 1 cm at the tip. The fronds rise from an upright rhizome, the top of which is visible as a short thick stem. Each long arching frond is divided into many narrow pinnae, which grow alternately on either side of the midrib.
On the underside of each pinna there are two rows of kidney-shaped, brown spore cases, one on each side of the central vein.
The Boston fern likes a damp organically-rich growing medium. It thrives in the shady humid atmosphere at the base of trees or at ground level where there is adequate supply of leaf mould enriched soil, which allows the roots to grow. Keep the soil moist throughout the year and to maintain humidity, place the pots on pebbles standing in a shallow tray of water. The evaporating water will humidify the air. Mist-spray the foliage daily. Fertilize the fern regularly to ensure luxuriant growth — use any nitrogen rich liquid fertilizer. Re-pot Nephrolepis when the roots fill the pot.
Propagation is by division of rhizomes. Cut through about 5 cm from the tip and plant it in a pot. Treat it in the same way as a mature specimen. Spore propagation of this fern is difficult.
Never allow the fern to become dry at the roots. When the plant is too dry the leaves will turn yellow. Gently snip off the yellowing tips on the fronds with a sharp knife. This will keep the plant looking tidy and encourage healthy new growth.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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