The Crocodile Fern, Microsorum musifolium ‘Crocodyllus’, is admired for its distinct, textured fronds that resemble crocodile skin. This article focuses on propagating this unique fern, a straightforward process that allows home growers to expand their plant collection.
Why Propagate Crocodile Ferns
Propagating crocodile ferns offers several advantages. It allows you to increase your plant collection, share plants with others, and rejuvenate older or overgrown plants. Propagation can also help save a struggling plant.
Best Time to Propagate Crocodile Ferns
The optimal time for propagating crocodile ferns is during their active growing season, typically in spring or early summer. Propagating then allows new divisions to establish before winter, as increased light and warmth contribute to successful rooting and establishment.
Propagating Crocodile Ferns by Division
Propagating crocodile ferns through division is the most common method. Before beginning, gather fresh, well-draining potting mix, small plant pots, and clean, sharp pruners or scissors. A suitable potting mix often includes peat moss, perlite, and orchid bark, providing good drainage and aeration.
Carefully remove the mature crocodile fern from its current pot, minimizing root damage. Gently brush away soil from the root ball to expose the plant’s natural divisions. Identify sections that can be separated, ensuring each division has several fronds and a healthy root system.
With clean, sharp tools, cut through the roots to divide the plant into sections. If necessary, gently pull divisions apart at the crown, using scissors or pruners for stubborn roots. Each division should possess a portion of the rhizome, the horizontal stem from which leaves emerge.
Once divided, immediately pot each new section into its own small pot filled with fresh, well-draining potting mix. Ensure divisions are planted at the same depth as in the original pot. After potting, water each plant thoroughly to help settle soil around the roots and eliminate air pockets.
Caring for Your New Crocodile Ferns
Newly propagated crocodile fern divisions require specific care for establishment. Place potted divisions in a location that receives bright, indirect light, avoiding direct sunlight which can scorch fronds. A north or east-facing window is often suitable, or a spot several feet from a south or west-facing window.
Maintain consistent soil moisture, keeping it evenly moist but not soggy. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, using room-temperature water. High humidity is important for these ferns; consider placing pots on a pebble tray or misting leaves regularly. Ideal temperatures for ferns range between 18-24°C (65-75°F), and they should be protected from cold drafts.
Troubleshooting Crocodile Fern Propagation
Even with careful propagation, issues can arise with new divisions. If divisions show signs of wilting, it could indicate insufficient watering or transplant shock; ensure consistent soil moisture without overwatering. Yellowing leaves often point to overwatering or poor drainage, requiring adjusted watering and potting mix checks.
Brown edges or crispy leaves signal low humidity. Increasing ambient humidity through misting, a pebble tray, or a humidifier helps alleviate this problem. Slow growth or lack of new foliage might occur with too little light; brighter indirect light promotes vigorous development. Lastly, if the center of the fern becomes black and mushy, this is rot, often caused by water pooling in the rosette; water around the plant rather than directly into the center to prevent this.