I Bought A Kimberly Queen Fern This Past Late Summer/early…
Isaac Asked
I bought a Kimberly Queen fern this past late summer/early fall and it was doing great in the west window in my room; then in winter it slowed down so I devided the fern, took the two new shoots or tubers with roots, and currently it is not shooting forth new growth but it is still green. I was told it was in shock and to wait a while but it’s been a week and no new frowns are coming up. All my house plants have seemed to stop growing or slow way down. I have them in the right lighting, water them properly, and keep the humidity 50%. What am I doing wrong?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Isaac: From what you have described the behavior of your plants is perfectly normal this time of the year. The days are shorter and the light levels are much lower, so the plants are not going to be actively growing. This is especially true if any of these were outdoors before the cold weather arrived. Anytime we bring plants inside to over-winter, they rarely ever put on new growth. The idea is just to keep them alive until next spring when they can once again enjoy the outdoors. If these are intended to be year-round house plants, they will still react to the change of season. As long as your plants are still green and healthy, you should not be concerned that they are not putting on new growth. The Kimberly Queen ferns can benefit from being divided but do not be surprised if they even drop some of their foliage. They will probably not put on any new growth until next spring when the light levels increase. These ferns will be very happy to go outside after your frost-free date passes. Watering as well as fertilizing should be cut back at this time of the year since the plants are not actively growing; they do not need the nutrients or moisture they do during the growing season. It sounds like you are doing everything right.
