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Help with Bird's Nest Fern

13 years ago

Hey all- I've had this bird's nest fern for about a year now... Lately it's been looking somewhat leggy, upon closer inspection I noticed there are two 'birds nests' in the middle, so there are two plants I'm guessing. Might one be choking out the other- and whats the best way to separate them??

Here's some pictures

{{gwi:69557}}

{{gwi:69558}}

The other 'center' (I don't know what to call it- where the leaves come out) is tucked underneath the other in the 2nd photo.

Thank you for any advice- I love this plant and it's hard to come by in my area- I'm afraid I'll screw it up! :)

Comments (3)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years ago
Whether or not the plants are 'choking' each other would be a function of how congested the roots are in the entire soil mass. Root congestion restricts growth because the soil becomes packed with 'conductive' roots, roots the primary function of which is to move water and nutrients, rather than to gather them. This leaves a reduced volume of soil to support the fine hair roots that do all the real work.

The 'center' you refer to would be called the 'crown'. If the roots have filled the pot and are restricting growth, you should consider repotting/root pruning or separating and repotting the plants in the future, but winter is a poor time to consider work as major as that. Instead, wait until early summer when the plant(s) have gained some energy and they are better able to tolerate the stress.

If the smaller plant is an offset from the larger, you can simply cut them apart with a longitudinal cut so each has a healthy portion of the root system. Dust the cut with powdered sulfur if you want, to help thwart any rot organisms that might want to wreck your day. If the plants are individuals, tease or cut the root mass apart to separate the plants & repot.

Don't be afraid to cut the plants back and prune roots. This type of treatment forces growth from cells closer to the root systems, which are ontogenetically younger (juvenile) and more vigorous, which is where the term rejuvenation pruning comes from.

Al
aquadriac
Original Author
13 years ago
oh thank you so much! Instead of sulfur might I be able to use cinnamon powder? I use it on my orchids when I cut them to prevent infections... same deal right?

I will wait and divide them in spring/summer, they should have plenty of room in there for roots.

Thanks again!
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Not to worry - I don't think there was anyone confused by the title of your OP, Joe. The obvious choice, if there are only two plants involved that present little in the way of an imposition, is to entrust them to the care of a neighbor, co-worker, family member, friend ....... don't trust any herbivores though - no matter how convincing they might be ...... and please provide fool-proof watering instructions based on the plant's needs during the recent past. If that's not an option, ask & I'll share how to build a greenhouse with a kid's wading pool that will get you through - a LOT more effort than simply asking for help, though. I even entrust my wife with supplying water to my plants while I'm away. ;-) Al
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Well, the (possibly) bad news is that it isn't an asplenium. If you look at the stems and compare against asplenium pics, you'll see a totally different leaf shape. Probably someone jammed in a tag that was lying on a shelf without regard to what the plant actually was. The (hopefully) good news is that it looks like a peace lily (spathiphyllum), which are better at coming back from extreme heat than aspleniums. It sounds like you've done everything right so far. In fact, if you wanted to submerge the pot in a sink full of lukewarm water for an hour, that might accelerate its recovery. You'll probably lose some more leaves due to shock, but that's normal. Peace lilies are semi-aquatic and very difficult to over-water. You'll notice the leaves unfurl from the various stems in the general clump, rather than each new leaf growing out of the center of an asplenium's roseate. Avoid placing in direct sunlight. Leaves turn yellow with too much light. Don't fertilize for at least a few weeks -- that would be too much shock for the roots. Once it's healthy again, you can fertilize to make it bloom.
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These plants are naturally epiphytes/lithophytes growing on trees or rocks, not in soil. They live in higher rainfall areas and regularly get drenched but water drains away very rapidly. An epiphytic orchid mix , bark, or the like that will drain instantly is best so that you get air again around the roots afterwards. I regularly water mine from above to let water run over the leaves and down into the crown. With the very good drainage there's no problem with that as it keeps the root area moist and not wet. Another thing to look at is your water. Rain water is best, tap (town) water it depends on what the local authorities put into it and whether it naturally has a high mineral content.
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I have no idea what native potting mix is 🙈 Sorry, I do want to help, but that's hard if you don't understand bits of the question 😅
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
13 years ago
Cinnamon should work fine, though either would just be an added precaution. I use the sulfur mainly on cuttings of THICK cacti and succulents. Beyond that, I rarely bother. If your soil is well-aerated, the threat of rot issues are greatly reduced.

Take care.

Al

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