Am I Taking Good Care Of My Rabbit’s Foot Fern?

Did you placed your rabbit's foot fern somewhere in bright but indirect sunlight?

Did you planted your rabbit's foot fern in a well-drained soil mix?

Did you provide a warm environment (between 70-75°F) for your rabbit's foot fern?

Are you making sure that the soil is consistently and evenly moist?

Do you fertilize your fern during the growing season?

Do you repot your rabbit's foot fern when its rhizomes and roots start overgrowing the pot?

Do you keep your rabbit's foot fern free of pests and diseases?

Rabbit fern requires moderate to bright light to grow. You can place it on an east-facing window with bright, but indirect light. If you’re growing in a south-facing window, place it at least a few feet away so as not to expose it to too much light. Being a fern, direct light can lead to scorching of leaves, so make sure you choose the plant location carefully.

For ideal growth, use a soil mixture that’s high in peat and chopped bark. You may want to take a standard potting mix and add a 50% mixture of peat and bark to make a soil mix that’s perfect for your fern.

During the day, the ideal temperature for rabbit foot fern is between 70-75°F and a slightly cooler temperature range at nights. An important thing to remember is that rabbit fern is chill sensitive. So make sure the temperature doesn’t fall below 55°F.

As an epiphyte, it’s used to growing in quite a bit of water, so keep your soil moist throughout the plant’s life. Make sure to never let it dry out completely. You can even give it a “plant shower” by raining water from above, wetting the foliage, rhizomes, and soil at the same time. As fall and winter approach, water a bit less. Wait until the soil is dry to 1? before watering again.

During the growing season (beginning of spring to the end of fall), fertilize once or twice a month with a liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to 50% strength. If you plant stops producing new fronds, stop fertilizing it. Be careful not to over-fertilize, as the sensitive fronds can burn at the tips.

If you’re going to repot, which isn’t necessary too often, do it at the beginning of spring to a pot that’s 1-2? larger. It usually needs repotting when the rhizomes and roots start overgrowing the pot.

Good job! You are taking good care of your rabbit's foot fern.

Mealybugs and scales are common for rabbit fern. If you see the infestation worsening, you will have to cut off the entire frond. Using commercial pesticides is not encouraged for these ferns as they can damage the fronds. You can remove the bugs using cotton swabs dipped in alcohol, or read our in-depth guides for these two annoying pests.