Ferns
Ferns are a very special group of plants, whose representatives can be called "living fossils" of the plant world. However, not only the antiquity of origin allows us to view them as something separate and different from all other houseplants: ferns have not only anatomy but also physiology( they do not need to know their physiology thoroughly, but remember that they differ even at this level, it is necessary, to understand: the ferns are not at all like the other indoor plants!).Even their reproduction is quite different - spore;"Fern flower" exists only in legends, instead of flowers on the underside of leaves, special formations-sporangia are formed, the shape and placement of which are important systematic features. In ferns, leaves with a special internal structure are called vayami. They look very diverse.
It is not surprising that the requirements for their content also significantly differ from the requirements for the content of other indoor plants.
Requirement for moisture: most ferns are very hygrophilous, they require copious watering, do not tolerate the drying of an earthy coma, spraying is necessary every day, in hot weather - twice a day. Water for irrigation and spraying should be soft.
Temperature conditions: most species do not tolerate a temperature drop below 13 ° C.Sharp temperature fluctuations are harmful. Skvoznyakov does not tolerate.
Light mode: very shade-tolerant, direct sunlight can not stand. Can grow with one artificial light. The northern exposure is optimal.
Requirement for soil: for young plants, a land mixture of peat, foliage and humus lands with sand in the ratio of 2: 2: 1: 1 is optimal;For adult specimens a turf land is added, then the ratio looks like this: 3: 3: 1: 1: 2.For the sprouts obtained from the spores, a third variant of the soil mixture is used: leaf land, peat, moss-sphagnum moss and river sand in equal proportions. The substrate for spore planting( the simplest variant) is a peat and sheet earth with sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.An increase in the share of peat is required for epiphytes.
In the period of active growth - alternating fertilizing with solutions of mineral and organic fertilizers.
Reproduction: division of rhizomes, brood buds( in "viviparous" species), which can be broken off together with a piece of vaiya during rooting and rooted in a loose substrate;disputes. For sowing spores use shallow containers, such as petri dishes. The above substrate is compacted and moistened with boiling water, after its cooling, spores are sown, wetted with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or quinazole and covered with glass. After the formation of the sprouts, the latter are transferred to large low containers with another variant of the substrate.
Features: when transplanting, it is necessary to remove the spoiled roots.