Crocodile fern: Diseases and Remedies (Explained for Everyone)

NOTE: The terms Crocodile fern and Microsorum musifolium are identical in this text; in reality, Microsorum musifolium is Crocodile fern’s biological word.

The leaves of the crocodile ferns have a lot of personality and can be a favorite among fern lovers. The leaves of the ferns look like crocodile skin, which is how the plant got its name.

Why does my Microsorum musifolium roots have rot?

If left untreated, root rot on your Crocodile fern (Microsorum musifolium) can be fatal. For this reason, if the symptoms appear, we highly advise that you adhere to our recommendations to keep your plant alive: Blackened and softened roots.
Crocodile

Why does my Crocodile fern have gray mold spots?

A particular fungus that frequently affects flowers and spreads quickly is known as gray mold spots. This fungus is most likely to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. Don’t ignore these signs because doing so could cause your plant to die.

Our Solution

When you understand the root of the issue, the solution makes perfect sense. The majority of the time, it is caused by the Microsorum musifolium being overwatered. We urge you to cut off the infected roots and leaves, remove the affected sections of the plant, and then repot your plant in a fresh container with sterile potting soil.

Why does my Crocodile fern have leaf spots?

Leaf This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for Crocodile fern owners, we give you all the leads to spot and save your plants that present symptoms such as leaves that suddenly change color, or wilt/droop.

Why are my Crocodile fern leaves turning yellow?

This is probably the most common problem in the gardening world, yellowing leaves. There are 2 main reasons for this phenomenon, overwatering, or a lack of nutrients.

Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:

Here are some indicators of yellowing on the Microsorum musifolium brought on by its numerous flaws:

  • Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
  • Iron deficiency also shows as yellowing between leaf veins, but it hits young leaves on plant tops and branch tips first.
  • Sulfur shortage first affects the youngest leaves, turning them entirely yellow.
  • Insufficient potassium causes the leaf edges to turn brilliant yellow while the interior of the leaf stays green. Older leaves show the symptoms initially, and the leaf edges quickly darken.
  • Nitrogen deficiency shows up as a general yellowing. Older, inner leaves turn yellow first. As it progresses, yellowing moves outward, eventually reaching young leaves, too.

Our Solution

According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.

Is my Crocodile fern sunburned?

You can easily tell if your Crocodile fern (your Microsorum musifolium) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

The leaves of your Crocodile fern can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.

The bottom of the yellow leaves with a shaded area closer to the base can be examined to determine if they have been sunburned. If this part remains greener, the yellow leaf is most likely sunburned and not something else.

Why are my Crocodile fern leaves turning brown?

The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.

Should I leave my Microsorum musifolium in direct sunlight?

No! Don’t leave your Microsorum musifolium (or Crocodile fern) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.

Our Solution

As stated in the paragraph above, the cure is straightforward: simply position your plant’s Crocodile fern so that it is out of direct sunlight. With proper watering and this method, your plant should quickly come back to life.

Why are my Microsorum musifolium leaves drooping or wilting ?

In most cases, this happens when your Microsorum musifolium lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Microsorum musifolium plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in your plant’s pot is completely dry, you will need to start by moistening it so that the roots will also benefit from the water. A common mistake is to drown the Crocodile fern right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.

This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Microsorum musifolium

Water Occasionally

Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.

Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Microsorum musifolium is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Microsorum musifolium close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Crocodile fern Dust-Free

This one concerns indoor plants, just like on your furniture, dust is also deposited on the leaves of your indoor plants, the problem is that it can prevent them from receiving the necessary light, this would slow down (or even stop) the photosynthesis process, and eventually, they would lose their colors.

For your Crocodile fern, this would be a true descent into hell, and it would also appease the pests.

To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)

Keep drainage in mind

If you have a tendency to overwater, you need to keep an eye on your drainage, we advise you to opt for a pot with drainage holes if it is not already the case and a saucer.

In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)