Kangaroo paw ferns (or Microsorum diversifolium) are an ornamental variety of the wild-growing Thai fern. Outwardly, it does not look like its closest counterparts. The Kangaroo paw fern leaves are wide, wavy, and have a shiny surface and the so-called “crocodile” pattern. But there are Kangaroo paw fern problems, and now we will talk about it.
Common Kangaroo Paw Fern Problems and Solutions: Plant Description
Plants go on sale under this name, denoting the method of propagation of ferns (small sorus from Greek). It is now known that the Microsorum diversifolium originated from different fern species, but the name given to the culture in 1833 is still allowed.
The Kangaroo paw fern is compact, with creeping scaly rhizomes, often crawling to the surface. The leaves (they are also called “vines”) move upward from the rhizomes, the young ones resemble a snail in shape, gradually unfolding.
On the underside of the leaf plates are sori (groups of sporangia), spores ripen in them. The development cycle is very different from ordinary indoor flowers.
- In the first case, the opened sporgonaria scatter spores on the soil to germinate, forming outgrowths. On the growths, gametes (eggs and spermatozoa) are formed, with the help of which fertilization occurs in water. A sporophyte, a new growth, grows from the embryo that has appeared.
- In the second case, the formation of young shoots from the rhizome occurs. Vegetative propagation occurs less frequently when daughter shoots form on the leaf plates.
Kangaroo Paw Fern Characteristics and Growing Requirements
Microsorum diversifolium belongs to the genus of centipedes, the birthplace of the culture of India and China.
- fern species –a perennial herbaceous plant with a massive creeping rhizome and sessile leaves;
- culture does not bear fruit;
- the color of the Kangaroo paw fern leaves is bright green, and the veins on the plant’s leaves are well pronounced;
- the need for the sun is high, but does not tolerate direct rays;
- size of the indoor plant is compact, 30-60 cm in height;
- Microsorum does not bloom;
- aroma – Kangaroo paw fern exudes a faint, pleasant smell if you touch the leaves.
Complete Kangaroo Paw Fern Care Guide for Healthy Growth
Microsorum is unpretentious, and therefore it is widely used as a decorative home culture, for landscaping in offices. The endurance of plants allows them to be grown by both experienced flower growers and beginners. Let’s talk about Kangaroo paw fern care.
Kangaroo Paw Fern Light Requirements: Bright Indirect Light vs Direct Sunlight
Kangaroo paw fern is a photophilous culture. Does it mean, that for the Kangaroo fern, important bright sunlight? No, it requires light lighting.
At the same time, it should be bright indirect light. Because the plant doesn’t tolerate direct sunlight. For the plant, a place is chosen on the west or east-facing window, and in winter, additional indirect sunlight is organized so that the plant develops at the proper level.
Ideal Temperature Range for Kangaroo Paw Fern Success
Kangaroo paw ferns are thermophilic – the minimum temperature in the room is maintained at least + 20 °C. Hypothermia is dangerous for ferns and leads to the death of bushes. If the window sill cools down a lot in winter, the earth in the pot loses heat with it – therefore, a special stand is provided for each instance if it stands on the window.
Bushes tolerate heat well. Recommended temperature regime is warm temperatures from +21 to +28°С in summer, not cooler temperatures than +10°С with indirect sunlight in winter. It is undesirable to transfer the plant to fresh air, even in summer, if it is cool outside. Airing the room, the bushes protect from drafts.
How to Water Kangaroo Paw Fern: Preventing Root Rot
Abundant regular watering is necessary for the Kangaroo paw fern, but waterlogging potting soil should not be allowed. Because it can cause root rot. A good drainage system with a big drainage hole is necessarily made in a pot.
There should be no standing water on the potting soil. A short drought will not prevent the Kangaroo fern from feeling good. And in winter, watering is carried out only when the top layer of the potting soil is completely dry.
For potting soil, use soft water collected during rain or obtained from melted ice, or defend tap water for at least a day.
Maintaining High Humidity for Kangaroo Paw Ferns
Kangaroo fern is a fan of high humidity, like most plants from warm tropical forests. The culture grows well both in special florariums and in pots with the soil moist on the windowsill if the right conditions are created.
Humidity in the room is increased with a humidifier, and if there is no such device, water is regularly poured into a wide pan with pebbles and moss. Another method is used during the heat – daily spraying of the bushes and making the soil moist with water while using a fine spray.
Best Fertilizer and Feeding Schedule for Kangaroo Paw Ferns
Top dressing is carried out only during the growing season when the Kangaroo paw fern is actively growing and developing – this happens from April to August. Fertilize Kangaroo fern once every 2-3 weeks, using either universal organic and chemical complexes, or special preparations designed specifically for ferns.
Fertilizers need to be given special attention. Preference is given to Micronutrient nitrogen supplements. The dose of mineral fertilizers is three tablets twice a month. Urea is applied in two tablets every other day per 100 milliliters of water.
The roots are divided into several parts so that at least three leaves remain on each of them. From each such transplanted part, a new plant will grow.
It is also possible to reproduce in another way: when the old foliage dries up and dies, the young Kangaroo paw fern breaks off and floats to the top. There it begins to grow its rhizome, under the weight of which it falls to the bottom.
There it is attached with the help of silt and continues to grow. Remember that the Kangaroo paw fern dislikes being disturbed around it. You may give it complete rest.
Transplanting Kangaroo Paw Fern and Choosing the Right Soil
A transplant of Kangaroo fern is carried out if the plant becomes crowded in a pot, and its root system ceases to fit in the soil. This usually happens every 2-3 years. The right time for the process is February-March, when active growth is just beginning.
The capacity for the Kangaroo paw fern is chosen low and wide, since the root system does not develop down but on the sides. As a pot, a low flowerpot with legs, or a hanging planter, a decorative stand is suitable.
Best Potting Soil Mix for Kangaroo Paw Fern
The soil for Kangaroo paw fern is purchased specially for ferns or prepared with your own hands, following the recommendations:
- prepare 1 part of sand, peat, and leafy soil;
- mix the ingredients, breaking up lumps;
- add a little charcoal or pine bark for looseness.
