Description of the genus.
The genus name comes from "nephros" (Greek) - the kidney and "lepis" (Greek) - scales. And points to a form resembling a coverlet film, covering groups of spores.
Leaves pinnate, grow to a length of up to 3 meters, retain apical growth for several years. The stems of the plant are shortened and give horizontal thin shoots. Young shoots of leaves form on these shoots. At the ends of the veins are located srusy. They are round in shape, sometimes found stretched along the edge. The oblongata is oblong or round, attached along the base or fixed at one point. Sporangia in nephrolepis on the legs, within the 1st sorus are of different ages. Spores are small, with a less or more discernible feather bed.
Nephrolepis is able to absorb and neutralize the so-called pairs of toluene, xylene, formaldehyde - harmful substances. Thus, this plant can be called an "air filter". This kind of plant can neutralize substances that enter the room with people breathing air.
It is also believed that indoor plants nephrolepis are able in the air to reduce the concentration of microbes, which are carried by airborne droplets. You can say that if the room is growing nephrolepis, then breathe easier.
The leaves of the twice serrate nephrolepis are used by local residents of Guyana to treat cuts and wounds.
Nephrolepis is a beautiful fern, so you can place it alone in a room. The leaves of this fern are fragile, so it is advised not to place anything near it, so as not to damage the leaves.
This kind of fern will look good in the form of an ampelian plant, both in a hanging basket and in an ordinary pot. Fern can be grown on stairwells, in halls, in the bathroom near the window. The plant is able to grow under artificial light, so it is often grown in office premises. Artificial lighting can be done with fluorescent lights, which should burn 16 hours a day.
Care of the plant.
Nephrolepis are plants that prefer scattered light, but they do not withstand direct sunlight. Not bad grow on the east or west windows. Near the southern window, too, grow, but in this case, you need to create with gauze, tulles scattered light or place away from the window.
In the summer, the plant can be transported to the street in the garden or on the balcony, but care should be taken to avoid shading the sun's rays on the plant, protect it from drafts and precipitation. If the plant grows in the summer, then it should be ventilated regularly.
For the winter, the plant needs good lighting, which can be done with fluorescent lights. Lamps are placed at a distance of 50-60 cm, and burn at least 8 hours a day. Ventilate the room and need to fall and winter, but you need to monitor to avoid drafts.
In spring and summer, the optimum temperature is 20 о С, if the air temperature exceeds 24, then you need to increase the humidity of the air, because nephrolepis badly tolerates heat. In autumn and winter, the optimum temperature is 15 °, if the temperature falls by 3 degrees, then watering is reduced and watering the plant should be in small portions of water. Do not place the plant next to the radiators, since too much warm air can damage the plant.
In spring and summer, watering should be abundant, as the top layer of the earth's coma will dry up. In winter, moderate watering, after 1 day (minimum), after drying the top layer. The soil must always be moist, but not too humid. Do not allow the substrate to dry out, although this kind of fern may suffer accidental over-drying, but this can lead to the fact that young waii begin to dry.
Plants nephrolepis, like other ferns like high humidity, therefore, it is useful to spray them all year round. Spraying is carried out by filtered or standing water.
If the plant grows in a room with dry air, then sprayed is advised twice a day. Also to increase the humidity pot with nephrolepis can be placed on a pallet in which there is a wet pebble, expanded clay or moss. The bottom of the pot should not come in contact with water. From time to time, the fern can be placed under the shower and wash it, while you should make sure that the water does not get on the substrate (the pot can be covered with polyethylene). This will not only remove the dust from the plant, but also additionally moisten it with vai.
Feeding during growth is done every week. To do this, use a diluted fertilizer for ornamental plants (1/4 of the norm).
In the autumn-winter period, no additional fertilizing is required, since this can cause a serious fern disease.
A young fern replaces a year 1 time in the spring. Adult houseplants are transplanted in the spring after a minimum of 2 years. Dive the plant better in a plastic pot, as they, unlike clay pots, retain moisture better. Pots are best to choose low and wide, because the fern root system grows in breadth. If the pot becomes small, it immediately reflects on the plant: the vayas dry up, the young leaves grow poorly, the color turns pale. If the nephrolepis grows in a wide pot (twelve cm in diameter), the leaves can grow to a length of 45-50 cm, and in some specimens the leaves grow to 75 cm.
The soil should be light (pH up to 6.5) and include upper peat, coniferous and hothouse land (all taken in equal parts). For 1 kg of the composition, 5 grams of bone meal is added.
It is possible to use only peat for growing ferns, the thickness of which should be 20 cm. You can grow in such an earthen composition: deciduous earth (4 parts), 1 part of sand and 1 part of peat. Add charcoal to the ground.
Good drainage is mandatory, and although this kind of fern prefers wet soil, however, soil silt and stagnant water tolerate very painfully.
Propagates by spores (sometimes), by dividing rhizome (bush), by rooting pubescent shoots without leaves, some species by tubers.
It affects: whitefly, spider mite, scutellum, mealybug.