NOTE: Japanese painted fern may be referred to as Athyrium niponicum in this article, in fact, those are the same plants, Athyrium niponicum is the botanical name for Japanese painted fern.
A lot of gardeners are familiar with the interrupted fern, but it is not the same as the Japanese painted fern. The Japanese painted fern is more colorful and offers triangular, silvery leaves that sport an arching habit. As if that weren’t exciting enough, they also have grayish-green in them, as well as purplish midribs. The fern is a slow-growing plant that adds about 12 inches to its overall size each year.
Why does my Athyrium niponicum roots have rot?
Root rot on your Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum) can be dangerous if left untreated. In order to keep your plant alive, we strongly suggest that you follow our advice if the signs start to show: blackened and mushy roots.
Why does my Japanese painted fern have gray mold spots?
Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.
Our Solution
The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Athyrium niponicum. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.
Why does my Japanese painted fern have leaf spots?
This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for Japanese painted 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 Japanese painted 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:
Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Athyrium niponicum in question, here’s how to spot them:
- Magnesium deficiency starts as yellow patches between leaf veins on older leaves. Veins stay green as yellow moves from the leaf center out. Leaf edges turn yellow last.
- Yellowing between leaf veins is another sign of iron shortage, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are initially affected.
- The newest leaves are first affected by sulfur deficiency, rendering them completely yellow.
- Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
- A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.
Our Solution
You only need to respond to the signs mentioned above. A gardening store expert will be able to provide you advice on how to purchase a specific soil to treat a potassium or nitrogen deficiency. Additionally, you can reduce how often you water your plants.
Is my Japanese painted fern sunburned?
It is simple to determine whether your Japanese painted fern (your Athyrium niponicum) has sunburn. Your plant will change color in this instance, beginning to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.
The leaves of your Japanese painted fern can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.
However, there is a way to tell if it is sunburn; look at the bottom of the yellow leaves, the ones that have a shaded area closer to the root, if this area stays greener, it is probably sunburned, not something else.
Why are my Japanese painted fern leaves turning brown?
A plant’s browning leaves are typically a symptom that it has been sunburned and has been exposed to excessive amounts of direct sunlight. Don’t worry; your plant probably won’t perish as a result, but its growth will be negatively impacted.
Should I leave my Athyrium niponicum in direct sunlight?
No! If your Athyrium niponicum (or Japanese painted fern) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Japanese painted fern is in such a state!
Our Solution
The remedy, as said in the paragraph above, is simple: just move your plant’s Japanese painted fern out of direct sunlight. Your plant should swiftly re-grow with this strategy and appropriate watering.
Why are my Athyrium niponicum leaves drooping or wilting ?
This typically occurs when your Athyrium niponicum gets dehydrated. Large plants are more at risk since they naturally require more water than smaller plants.
Whether your Athyrium niponicum plant’s pot appears light, the soil and roots are likely fairly dry and need water, so you can readily tell if it needs to be hydrated.
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 Japanese painted fern right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.
This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Athyrium niponicum
Water Occasionally
Water is essential to the survival of your plant, however, it is important to balance the rate of watering. As we explained above, overwatering could have fatal consequences for your Athyrium niponicum.
You can tell if your plant needs water by touching the soil; if it still feels damp, it’s usually preferable to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
It is also a good idea to keep your Athyrium niponicum at a stable temperature (especially if it is kept indoors!). At GreenShack, we generally recommend staying in the 65 and 85 degrees F range. Of course, do not place your Athyrium niponicum near a source of hot (or cold) air such as A/C units, radiators or the like.
Keep your Japanese painted fern Dust-Free
This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.
This would be a true journey into hell for your Japanese painted fern and would also satisfy 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 tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.
You can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the interim if your pots don’t already have holes in them. This will help to form a channel so that the water doesn’t pool there for too long (preventing the rot of the roots!).
