My neighbor told me my old potting mix was killing my ferns

She pointed at my Boston ferns last spring and said, 'That dense garden soil is holding too much water, their roots are drowning.' I switched to a 50/50 blend of peat moss and perlite for all my indoor ferns. The difference after two months was huge, with way more new growth. What specific mix do you all use for moisture-loving plants?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.jamie12d ago

My aunt swore by adding a handful of orchid bark to her fern mix for extra air pockets. She had these monster staghorns that looked fake they were so perfect. I tried it once and ended with a gnat problem for months because I didn't let the bark soak first. It's a fine line between well-draining and a bug hotel.

dylan41311d ago

My mom's peace lily got the same treatment last year. She used fresh orchid bark straight from the bag, and two weeks later it looked like the soil was moving on its own. We had to quarantine the whole plant on the porch. That "bug hotel" line is too real, it was a full-on gnat rave in there.