Fern woes...

I recently purchased a small fern (4 inch pot). Pteris Cretica is the name on the card. It said to put it in a room or patio with medium light, so I put it on my shaded porch. At first, it perked up and was beautiful. Then I noticed some of the leaves turning brown on the edges, so I thought it may be getting too much sun. I moved it to a new location, and noticed that the new growth is leggy. Now I fear it's getting too much shade. I just brought it in the house, but my house is not very light. Is it normal for new growth to start out leggy, then fill out? Was too much sun the reason for the brown edged leaves? I wish I had a camera to show you. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jennifer

Most Pteris are very particular regading moisture. If they dry out they brown up quickly, often not comming back.

They are naturally kinda lanky, bet to keep them shaded... I would have them on the porch for the moment, in the shadier of the two spots.

best of luck
drew

Be careful not to overwater, too. I had one in a pot with no drainage and after a heavy rain I forgot to drain out the excess water...it died off very quickly. By overwatered, I mean soggy, flooded, submerged. It will like evenly moist soil and high humidity.

well, I don't know of but a handful of ferns that could tolerate such a condition Toxicodendron....

Thank you all for responding. I think maybe I need to water more often. I went out of town for a get together with my 3 sisters, and when I got back, the fern was dryer than it should have been. Maybe that's the reason for the brown leaves. I really want it to grow, because I love ferns. I never got one, because I'd heard they were a bit of a hassel to care for, and I'm new at this. I wanted to wait until I got a little more experience before buying one, but I saw this little 4 inch one, and it was so cute I couldn't resist it.

Not sure what you mean, Deeproots. I have several ferns that love growing in standing water. Which ferns are in the handful you mentioned...I might want some of them. Or were you just making a satirical remark that most ferns like high humidity and evenly moist soil? (Some folks don't know as much as you do.)
Thanks, Susan

no, I was being serious.
I was just trying to stress not letting a fern go soggy.
well, sittin in 1cm of water until it is absorbed is different than being submerged :-)
Most of the ferns I grow tend to be very sensitive to waterlogging and high salt content in the soil.

re-overly wet conditions
there are many marsh/swamp ferns Toxi, certain Osmundas when full grown can handle VERY wet conditions, Ditto with certain Thelypteris... and of course there are floating/aquatic ferns like genus's Azolla, Marsilea, and Salvinia.

drew

Thanks for the info...I already grow some Osmundas and I find that Onoclea sensibilis and even Matteucia struthiopteris can take bog conditions. But I don't have any Thelypteris, so that might be a new one for me.
As for the Pteris, I think it is more sensitive to overwatering than almost any fern I have ever grown, that is why I made the remark. (I tend to overwater, so cacti, succulents, etc. are very sad to find themselves living with me.)
I'll check out the floating ferns you mentioned, too.