The Rabbit Foot Fern (Davallia species) is a popular houseplant known for its delicate, lacy foliage and distinctive furry, creeping stems. These stems, called rhizomes, grow across the surface of the potting medium and often spill over the sides of the container, giving the plant its common name. The most effective technique for increasing your collection is through the physical separation of these rhizomes. This method allows the home gardener to easily multiply the fern, ensuring each new plant is genetically identical to the parent.
Preparing for Division
The optimal time to propagate the Rabbit Foot Fern is during its active growth period, typically from early spring through the summer months. Dividing the plant during this phase provides the new cuttings with the longest possible season for root establishment and new frond development, capitalizing on the plant’s natural vigor.
Gathering the correct materials beforehand streamlines the process. A well-draining, airy potting mix is required, ideally peat-based and amended with ingredients like orchid bark, perlite, or coarse sand. This specialized substrate mimics the tropical environment the fern prefers and ensures proper aeration around the new rhizome sections.
Use a clean, sharp cutting tool, such as a sterile knife or shears, for the separation. Sterilizing the tool with rubbing alcohol prevents the transfer of pathogens.
Prepare a few small, shallow pots with drainage holes. Water the parent plant thoroughly a day or two before propagation to ensure hydration and resilience.
Step-by-Step Rhizome Propagation
Begin the process by gently removing the mature fern from its container, supporting the trailing rhizomes. Shake off any loose potting mix from the root ball to expose the structure of the rhizomes and attached roots.
Observe the parent plant to identify natural points of separation, or select healthy, well-developed rhizomes. To create a viable new plant, each section cut must be between two and four inches in length and must include at least one healthy frond or a distinct growth point (node). This inclusion ensures the cutting has the capacity to sustain itself and initiate new growth.
Use your sterilized cutting tool to make a clean, swift cut through the rhizome. Ensure the remaining piece on the parent plant is also healthy. If dividing the main root ball, cut straight down through the mass of roots and rhizomes to create two or more separate clumps, making sure each has an equal distribution of roots and foliage. You may allow the freshly cut ends to air-dry for a few hours to form a protective callus, which can help reduce the risk of rot.
Place the newly separated rhizome section on the surface of the fresh potting mix in its new container. The rhizome must not be buried beneath the soil, as this leads to rot. Instead, the rhizome should rest directly on top of the soil, with its small, adventitious roots barely touching the medium.
To maintain contact between the rhizome and the soil surface, use a piece of bent wire, a bobby pin, or a small garden staple to lightly secure the section in place. This prevents the rhizome from shifting as new roots anchor into the potting mix. Position the fronds upright.
Ensuring Successful Growth
Once the new rhizome cuttings are potted, their immediate environment needs careful management to encourage successful rooting. The primary requirement for a newly propagated fern is a high level of ambient humidity, ideally maintained between 50 and 80 percent, which mirrors the moist air of their native tropical habitat. Placing the pots on a humidity tray filled with water and pebbles, ensuring the pot bottom does not sit in the water, helps create this necessary localized moisture.
A simple yet effective technique for increasing humidity is to enclose the entire pot and plant within a clear plastic bag or a transparent dome, forming a miniature greenhouse. This method traps moisture, providing a consistently saturated atmosphere. Maintain the soil consistently moist but never soggy, as waterlogging will quickly negate the efforts to prevent rhizome rot.
Position the newly propagated ferns in a location that receives bright, indirect light, such as an east-facing window or several feet away from a south-facing window. Excessive direct sunlight will scorch the delicate fronds and dry out the sensitive rhizomes, hindering the establishment of new roots.
The plastic covering should be removed gradually once you observe the first signs of new frond growth, which signals that the cutting has successfully rooted and can tolerate lower humidity levels.
Do not apply fertilizer until new growth is clearly visible and the plant is actively developing, as fresh cuttings are sensitive to concentrated mineral salts. Consistent moisture and high humidity are the focus during this establishment period.