overwatering and Button Fern
Quick answer
If overwatering is what's going on with your Button Fern, the most likely cause is: Button fern belongs to the Pellaea cliff-brake group, whose members prefer soil that is moist to slightly dry; wide fluctuations from bone dry to wet weaken the rhizome, and sustained overwatering can kill the plant by suffocating the roots and inviting rot.
Start here:
- 1. Water the button fern thoroughly but let the soil dry slightly between waterings, avoiding the bone-dry-to-wet swings that weaken pellaea rhizomes.
- 2. Grow the plant in a loose, humus-rich mix with ample drainage crocks in a large pot so excess water can escape and the fast-growing rhizome does not sit in saturated soil.
Why overwatering happens to Button Fern
Pellaea rotundifolia
Button fern belongs to the Pellaea cliff-brake group, whose members prefer soil that is moist to slightly dry; wide fluctuations from bone dry to wet weaken the rhizome, and sustained overwatering can kill the plant by suffocating the roots and inviting rot.
How to correct overwatering on Button Fern
- 1
Water the button fern thoroughly but let the soil dry slightly between waterings, avoiding the bone-dry-to-wet swings that weaken pellaea rhizomes.
- 2
Grow the plant in a loose, humus-rich mix with ample drainage crocks in a large pot so excess water can escape and the fast-growing rhizome does not sit in saturated soil.
Keep overwatering from repeating on this Button Fern
Plant button fern in a fast-draining mix of equal parts coarse sand and leaf mold or peat moss, keep it in open shade during summer, and maintain stable conditions rather than alternating drought and soakings.