# keeping birds nest ferns



## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

mum gave me her one and since iv had it for a few days its gone funny and dosnt look very helthy 

its not in a viv atm was going to put in with my whites but desided to keep it for my fbt's 

has any one got any advise or tips on keeping thes 

this is what it looks like


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

blimey. Overwatering it?


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

all i do is give a spray with a spray bottle


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

soils damp from from wen i sprayed it this afternoon but not wet wet


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

How often do you do that? Is it in the light?

I water mine like once a month.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

iv don it a couple times sincs iv had it iv only lightly sprayed it i havent waterd it as such 

it buy the window but to the side not in full light my mum had it out side in garden pot 

so how am i spose to put it in my viv with frogs if it dont like light or water


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

They love light. High levels of watering will kill it though.
Maybe the outside temperatures damaged it?


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

god nows 

how can i get it to recover


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

some of the leaves have brown bumps on the under side

dont think im going to bother with one in a viv thought they were easy to keep


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

stewie m said:


> some of the leaves have brown bumps on the under side
> 
> dont think im going to bother with one in a viv thought they were easy to keep


They are. Probably one of the hardiest plants I've ever encountered.


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## ilovetoads2 (Oct 31, 2008)

The brown bumps are on all ferns. They are supposed to be there. Just leave it be for a while and see how it goes. If you find it perks up with dryer soil, all you have to do is make sure that the plant is going to be well drained by adding something to help, such as small stones. 

If I have plants that are not looking so good I remove them and just place them in a bright room out of direct sunlight...with plants, it is usually too much or too little water that kills them...good luck!


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## matt_mcmahon77 (Dec 3, 2009)

and apparently bloody impossible to get one. i cannot find one anywhere.

Harvey does anywhere in the Isle of Wight have one, i can pick one up there on Sunday!!!!


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

matt_mcmahon77 said:


> and apparently bloody impossible to get one. i cannot find one anywhere.
> 
> Harvey does anywhere in the Isle of Wight have one, i can pick one up there on Sunday!!!!


B&Q blud.


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## matt_mcmahon77 (Dec 3, 2009)

ipreferaflan said:


> B&Q blud.


Awesome, B&Q didnt have them near me :cussing:


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## jaykickboxer (Feb 11, 2008)

matt_mcmahon77 said:


> Awesome, B&Q didnt have them near me :cussing:


B and q never has any ferns homebase always has a few,


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

i had troble finding one so mum said i could have her one could not find one any were

i was told the were easy the care sheets online are :censor::censor: 

should imove it in to more light my rooms not the lightest of rooms evan if i have to stand it in the viv in the pot

it cant be over waterd surly all iv done is gave t a couple of sprays


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

The bumps could just be spores.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

what dose that mean 

iv put it on the window sill see if that helps


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

stewie m said:


> *what dose that mean *
> 
> iv put it on the window sill see if that helps


Ferns are primative plants in that they don't produce flowers and seeds, but reproduce by fine particles called spores (the life cycle is a bit complicated to explain here, but that's basically it). The brown or black 'lumps' on the underside of most fern fronds are the spore-producing organs.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

o think i get it 

there like long go from the middle out


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

cant find now proper care sheets on thes 

think i found 2 that said the compleat opersit of each other


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

what ealse can i do 

its been moved on to the window sill soil is a tiny bit damp on top


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

I would repot it into a larger pot with more compost and wait to see if it recovers. I see its at the moment standing in a plant saucer which could mean that it has continually been watered and left sitting in water and rotting away from the base upwards.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

its only been in that a few days my mum gave it to me out the garden i havnt waterd it that much just gave it a spray a couple of times as i keep saying cant be that over waterd soil is only a tiny bit damp 

i could try a biger pot but hows that going to make a differnce 

might just give up and bin it 

so much for easy to keep theres isnt any care sheets online or any thing


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

right of re potted and waterd were should i place on the the window sill


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## detail3r (Jul 13, 2010)

stewie m said:


> right of re potted and waterd were should i place on the the window sill


Well yes of course you should, to maximise its exposure to light.

You will only have to remove it from the viv eventually anyway as it will outgrow it for sure.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

yeah i now arnt they slow growing tho and cant u trime them down

how much and how often should i water


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## ilovetoads2 (Oct 31, 2008)

I would put it on the bathroom window sill if you can. two reasons, one light, and two will get exposure to the humidity slowly and this will help it before being moved to your tank.


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

If its only just been dug up from the garden recently thats probably why its looking like it does.

a) It might not have liked being disturbed;
b) The roots may have been snapped/cut and its slowly dying (but can be saved);
c) Wonder what it was like when it was in the ground outside?

It can be saved and you have now repotted it so keep it on a window sill where it can get some light, but turn it daily so it doesn't grow lopsided.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

it was ok out side 

woundering if i put in to a pot to small a sufercated the roots so to speack 

what about watering tho how much how often


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

dont worry im a compleat ameture with plants 

all my pothos heatleaf climbers calatheas and snake skin are doin great its just this bugger


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

stewie m said:


> it was ok out side
> 
> woundering if i put in to a pot to small a sufercated the roots so to speack
> 
> what about watering tho how much how often


Nearly all ferns tend to drop their leaves when conditions change- they can't renew them like higher plants. They do regrow, though.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

i hope it recovers 

cant find a nother one any were


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

i think it started to recover a couple of the leves have started to lift up and they feel a lot helthyer


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## RhianB87 (Oct 25, 2009)

Have you thought about the vets?!?! It needs treatment!! Its obviously not a happy plant!!!


:whistling2:


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## Jazzy B Bunny (Jun 21, 2007)

FallenAngel said:


> Have you thought about the vets?!?! It needs treatment!! Its obviously not a happy plant!!!
> 
> 
> :whistling2:


:lol2::lol2:


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

FallenAngel said:


> Have you thought about the vets?!?! It needs treatment!! Its obviously not a happy plant!!!
> 
> 
> :whistling2:


???????????????


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

i think its going to recover


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## detail3r (Jul 13, 2010)

stewie m said:


> ???????????????


Its called sarcasm.

lol.


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## richie.b (Oct 27, 2008)

I could be wrong but that picture looks like a harts tongue fern (asplenium scolopendrium) which is a native fern that grows outside in cool damp shady areas, if so that might be why its dying. What you need for a viv is birds nest fern (a. nidus) which is tropical and grows much better in viv conditions. These are the ones you would find in the house plant department, not outside in the garden centre.
Below is a picture of birds nest fern (a. nidus) got from b&q last week


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

i did compear it with pics but it looked so simler so i asumded it was a birds nest 

i cant find them for sale any were nere me


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## detail3r (Jul 13, 2010)

stewie m said:


> i did compear it with pics but it looked so simler so i asumded it was a birds nest
> 
> i cant find them for sale any were nere me


Have you actually checked B+Q yet? Theres loads at all the branches in Derby!


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

just googled harts tongue fern (asplenium scolopendrium) and i think u might be right :blush::blush::blush::blush::blush::blush::blush::blush:


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

detail3r said:


> Have you actually checked B+Q yet? Theres loads at all the branches in Derby!


yes a few times looked again today while i was in there


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## richie.b (Oct 27, 2008)

stewie m said:


> just googled harts tongue fern (asplenium scolopendrium) and i think u might be right :blush::blush::blush::blush::blush::blush::blush::blush:


It just looked to dark a green and thick from the picture that was all, ive got both, harts tongue growing next to the stream in my garden and birds nest in my vivs, they look similar untill you put them side by side thats the only reason i know :lol2:


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

i feel a compleat dohnut now:blush::blush:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

stewie m said:


> i did compear it with pics but it looked so simler so i asumded it was a birds nest
> 
> i cant find them for sale any were nere me


If you have any temperate (unheated) tanks, it should do fine in there.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

no not really


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

stewie m said:


> no not really


Then get some salamanders! Or some green toads. Or some midwife toads. Or some European firebellies...

LOL:lol2:


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## richie.b (Oct 27, 2008)

stewie m said:


> i feel a compleat dohnut now:blush::blush:


Dont worry we all got learn these things, ive been keeping amphibians for well over 30 years and im still just stratching the surface :gasp:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

richie.b said:


> Dont worry we all got learn these things, ive been keeping amphibians for well over 30 years and im still just stratching the surface :gasp:


*Utterly* true! I can't even begin to list the things I've learned from this site!:2thumb:


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Stewie don't feel foolish we didn't twig it as scolopendrium untill Richie posted....DOH we spent 2 years working at a fern nursery tell you what mate ferns are SO difficult to ID even in the hand let alone from pics....our bosses used to have fights over which is which and they'd worked with the ruddy things for years.....Stu


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

soundstounite said:


> Stewie don't feel foolish we didn't twig it as scolopendrium untill Richie posted....DOH we spent 2 years working at a fern nursery tell you what mate ferns are SO difficult to ID even in the hand let alone from pics....our bosses used to have fights over which is which and they'd worked with the ruddy things for years.....Stu


Were they fun fights? Did they include custard pies?:lol2:


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

yes with little silver cases that they used ala frisbee...though to be fair some of the fights were all out bloody war...i wore camouflage......easy to hide when...........:2thumb::lol2:


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

i am a compleat novice with plants never keep them till now :lol2:


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

stewie m said:


> i am a compleat novice with plants never keep them till now :lol2:


It's worth getting hold of a basic houseplant book- _The Houseplant Expert_ by D G Hessayon is a classic, available everywhere and pretty cheap. It's handy for identifying commonly available plants and finding out how to look after them.


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

Ron Magpie said:


> *Utterly* true! I can't even begin to list the things I've learned from this site!:2thumb:


 
You're welcome.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

Ron Magpie said:


> It's worth getting hold of a basic houseplant book- _The Houseplant Expert_ by D G Hessayon is a classic, available everywhere and pretty cheap. It's handy for identifying commonly available plants and finding out how to look after them.


i will look out for that 

as for the fern more of the leaves have started coming back up iv put it back out side


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

how hard can i be getting hold of a birds nest fern my local garden center dont do them eaither


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## Jazzy B Bunny (Jun 21, 2007)

weird.. I got mine reduced to £1.50 in b&q... have you asked the people who work there?


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

no but i had a really good look round the plants yesterday wehile in there i mean a really good look felt like police forensics looking for cluse

as for wilko all they do are fake plastic crapy bunchs


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

Have you tried a Garden Centre or a Nursery? -B&Q and Homebase both have large plant areas, but ferns are probably a bit too specialised for them (presumably as some have them it depends on their suppliers' locality and availability). 

Wilkinsons wouldn't sell them - they just seem to sell bedding plants, conifers and everyday type shrubs.


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## stewie m (Sep 16, 2009)

tride my garden center b and q and homebase niether have any


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