Killed my prized fern by overwatering it in a heatwave

I was in my apartment in Austin last July and noticed my big Boston fern looking droopy. Thought it was thirsty so I gave it a ton of water, but turns out the roots had already started rotting from the heat and humidity. By the time I realized my mistake, half the fronds were dead and I had to trim it way back and repot it in dry soil. Has anyone else cooked their plants by trying to help them during a hot spell?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliot_harris251d ago

Huh, I actually see it a little differently, but your mileage may vary. In my experience, ferns are pretty resilient if you catch the problem early enough. I've had a Boston fern look totally dead on top only to bounce back from the roots after I cut everything back and let it dry out for a week or so. The key for me has been to check the soil moisture with my finger before watering, especially during a heatwave when everything's already humid. Take this with a grain of salt though, I'm in Georgia so our heatwaves come with 90% humidity and that changes things compared to Austin.

oscarwilliams1d ago

Yeah totally hear you on that. The humidity difference is real, I'm up in the Pacific Northwest and our heatwaves are dry as a bone, so ferns turn crispy fast. Glad yours pulled through though, that's a win in my book.