Appreciation post for the guy who corrected my fern watering

I kept seeing people online say ferns love moisture so I was misting mine like crazy. An old gardener at the local nursery last Saturday told me that constant wet leaves cause rot and fungal spots. He showed me how to water the soil directly instead and keep the fronds dry. My Boston fern went from crispy edges to lush green in about 3 weeks. Has anyone else had to unlearn a common plant myth like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

flores.emma5d ago

My mom always said water plants "when they look thirsty" but nobody ever explained what thirsty actually looks like for each plant. It took killing three succulents to realize the internet makes everything sound way more simple than it actually is.

lunaw725d ago

Remind me to never TRUST random plant advice online without fact checking first. I had the EXACT same problem with my peace lily - kept hearing they love "low light" so I shoved mine in a dark corner and wondered why it never bloomed. Turns out "low light" means bright indirect light for most houseplants, not a dim hallway. Moved it closer to a window and it flowered within a month. That nursery worker sounds like a real one.