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18 Feb 2020

Learn How To Grow Asplenium Nidus

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The birds nest fern the common name for Asplenium Nidus (As-ple-nium nidus) is an epiphytic fern species.

Despite harboring large glossy fronds, the Asplenium is a fern belonging to the Aspleniaceae family and Asplenium genus.

Native to southeast Asia, Malaysia, eastern Australia, and eastern tropical Africa, these plants enjoy and thrive well in tropical climates.

An interesting thing about the birds nest is that while it is epiphyte species, it can also survive as a terrestrial plant, growing in the land!

In its natural habitat growing in the rainforest on tree trunks, the glossy fronds work to form a funnel at the center to collect rainwater and other organic tidbits eventually turning into compost for the plant.

As an indoor plant, with its large leaves and popping green color, Bird’s Nest fern is the ideal plant to add a little color as well as a distinctive look to your house – even as a bathroom plant!

Bird’s Nest Fern Care Instructions

Size & Growth

Asplenium ferns enjoy the attention, and its effects can be physically seen.

Birds nest ferns are recommended for USDA hardiness zones 9-11.

With proper care, the fronds turn into its light green leaves and dark brown or black midrib can grow to up to 2′ feet long or more with a width of around 6” – 8” inches.

Bird nest ferns grow in size from the new leaves constantly sprouting from the middle of the plant.

This eventually adds height and volume to the plant.

Asplenium bird’s nest is not the easiest of the plant to grow. It requires some maintenance.

However, with proper attention and the right growing conditions, this plant will produce spore-bearing leaves.

The leaves act as the heirs and can be used to increase the family of plants.

Flowering and Fragrance

Like all other fern spec, Asplenium does not produce flowers and does not have a fragrance.

Light & Temperature

Bird’s nest ferns are a demanding houseguest.

It is a huge fan of shade but indirect light and cannot tolerate direct sun.

In fact, it is best to keep it away from the windows.

However, these plants enjoy warm temperatures and cannot withstand cold drafts.

During the summer, the ideal temperature range for epiphytic Nidus fern is in the lower 70° degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, during the colder months of the years, maintain the temperature around the upper 60° degrees Fahrenheit.

Humidity is another important factor.

These ferns require high humidity to thrive and flourish.

If needed, frequently mist the surrounding areas to make sure the atmosphere remains humid enough for the plant.

Watering and Feeding

Bird nest thrives on water and humidity.

It is advisable to water well, but never allow the bird nest to completely dry out.

The soil must remain moist at all times.

During the summer, it is best to water Asplenium weekly.

If outdoors plants may need more water.

As temperatures drop during the end of the year, reduce the frequency, water only when required.

Accompany watering with feeding. The rule of thumb is to feed bird’s nest with a balanced liquid fertilizer every third time it is watered.

This will ensure it receives all the nutrients required to thrive and flourish all around the year.

Keep in mind that while this houseplant loves water, it is important to avoid overwatering.

Make sure that the soil is not waterlogged. Also, any saucer beneath the pot should be drained regularly.

Soil & Transplanting

Coarse potting mix or soil with loads of organic material works best for these plants. Use organic matter like peat moss or leaf mold.

Make a simple potting mix using:

  • 2 parts peat moss
  • 1 part perlite

Since Bird’s nest fern Asplenium grows up quickly, it should be repotted at least once every 2- 3 years.

However, it is advisable to transplant younger plants every year.

The best time to transplant or repot is during the spring.

Grooming and Maintenance

While grooming is not absolutely essential, it is a good practice to remove old, unattractive leaves and remove any debris from the rosette.

Sometimes, the edges of the leaves can turn brown. When this happens, trim the edges or remove the leave if it does not add to the beauty of this handsome fern species.

Related Reading: Hart’s Tongue Fern Care the Birds Nest Cousin Asplenium Scolopendrium

How to Propagate Asplenium Bird’s Nest Fern

Propagating ferns is not an easy job and can be a challenge but fun.

Commercially propagation of most bird’s nest ferns is produced from tissue culture.

But many fern lovers grow new plants from spores.

If the plant is mature enough leaves bearing spores may appear on the underside.

Cut them off and dry them for about a week. Make sure the leaves are dry and the side harboring spores faces up so the spores don’t fall off.

spores on underside of Asplenium leaf

Once the leaves are dry, crush them and sprinkle them over a layer moistened peat moss.

Whether you use a tray or a pot, once you have sprinkled the crushed leaves, water gently and cover the container with plastic or glass.

Place it in a warm spot to encourage growth.

Allow lots of indirect light but make sure it does not receive direct sunlight.

Also, it is essential that the soil does not dry out.

Keep in mind that bird nest Asplenium propagates slowly. After about a month, small sporelings may appear.

Leave them alone for a few months, allowing them to grow at their own pace.

Move the sporelings to individual pots, ensuring that the small ferns remain warm and have enough light.

The first real leaves will grow after about a month. With proper care, in just six months, you will have an entire collection of tiny ferns.

Bird Nest Fern Pest or Disease Problems

Asplenium is a fern susceptible to multiple problems. If the leaves of the plant are turning black, curling at the edges, maintain lower temperature and increase humidity.

This generally results from too much heat and lack of humidity.

Sometimes, brown or dark spots can appear on the leaves. This happens when the temperature is too cold or the fern is allowed to stand in cold drafts.

Again, try to maintain the appropriate temperature and move the plant away from the cold breeze.

Asplenium Nidus is also susceptible to scale insects that may cluster beneath the leaves.

The best approach is to use a toothpick to remove these insects as using an insecticide can harm the plant.

If the leaves start to lose their color, turning pale or white, the fern is probably not getting enough food.

It can happen if the plant receives too much light.

An easy way to tackle the problem is to move the plant to a shadier spot and add liquid fertilizer in the water.

Uses For Asplenium Ferns

The big glossy leaves make Asplenium Nidus an excellent indoor plant.

Moreover, it can be placed in darker rooms where many other plants are less likely to thrive.

Owing to its popping green color and large leaves, this plant looks attractive and can easily become the center of attention in any room or outdoors garden!

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03 Feb 2020

The Best Indoor Herb Garden Kits (Review)

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An herb garden is the perfect way to liven up your home, with the added bonus of providing ingredients that can be used in your recipes. Anyone, even new gardeners, can grow an herb garden with a kit. Everything from seeds to pots to instructions, is included. 

When purchasing an indoor garden kit, you have to consider the basics, like what plants you want to grow, how big you want the pots or planters to be, and what gardening tools you need included in the kit.

With all of the factors to consider and all of the options out there, you need a well-informed source to guide you through your shopping experience.

In This Article:

Gardening Know How has saved you the trouble of searching. We have selected the five best garden kits using a variety of criteria.

Review Standards

We used several factors to evaluate indoor herb garden kits and land our top picks. We considered price, expected life of use, brand trust, customer reviews, features, and more.

#1 Click and Grow Smart Garden Indoor Home Garden

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The Click and Grow Smart Garden Indoor Home Garden comes with technology to make gardening easy. All you have to do is fill it with water once a month and turn on the LED lights, and the planter does the rest. If you have any trouble with your planter, you can contact the company for a free replacement of any pod that doesn’t germinate.

This kit doesn’t limit you to only growing herbs. There is a large range of pod options, including smaller vegetables like tomatoes.

Key Features

  • 9 starter pods from a selection of 50 pod types
  • GMO, pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide-free pods
  • Three color options for the planter: beige, gray, and white
  • Self-watering
  • Energy efficient LED grow lights

The Click and Grow Smart Garden Indoor Home Garden has earned an average of 4.3 stars out of 69 customer reviews on Amazon.

On June 2, 2018, Yulia said: 

Wonderful indoor garden perfect for my dark open space kitchen counter. After I got it I stopped buying flowers as freshly sprouted greens fully covered my need in something bright on the counter. I’m month+ in owning this garden. We already ate the salad (it was good) and my tomatoes are already blooming! My morning routine now includes garden “inspection” where I note how much everything had grown and some “bee work” as I pollinate tomato flowers with a brush. I also used basil leaves that I got after first trimming on pizza and it tasted good, can’t wait till basil plants get bigger!

Go online to check the price of this high-tech kit.

#2 Home Grown Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit 

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The Home Grown Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit is all about a high success rate. It provides both peat discs and nutrition packs, while most other kits only include one or the other, to ensure that the herbs get all the nutrients they need to thrive.

The seeds have also been extensively tested in the United States to guarantee growth almost every time. If your seed still doesn’t germinate, the company will provide a replacement seed for free.

Key Features:

  • 5 herb seeds: basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, and chives
  • GMO-free seeds
  • 5 peat discs
  • 5 nutrition packs
  • 5 wood plant markers
  • 5 reusable, bamboo pots and drip trays
  • Planting instructions

The Home Grown Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit has earned an average of 4.1 stars out of 98 reviews.

On December 18, 2019, R. Bishop said: 

I’ve been wanting to start an indoor herb garden but figuring it out and getting it together just seemed like a hassle. This kit made it simple. It comes with everything needed, including cute little pots that take up very little space. I think it’s a great little starter kit. Maybe a little spendy but it is all inclusive.

Also, the day after it was delivered, the seller sent a “Planter and Germination” pdf. I thought that was a nice gesture.

Go online to check the price of this high-germination kit.

#3 Spade to Fork Organic Non-GMO DIY Kitchen Grow Kit 

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The Spade to Fork Organic Non-GMO DIY Kitchen Grow Kit prides itself on being environmentally friendly. Each piece of the kit, from the seeds to the soil discs, are certified organic to ensure that no damage is done to the environment with the product. 

The family-owned farm that sells this kit wants to stay in touch with you throughout your growing process, offering free replacements of seeds that don’t germinate or a full refund.

Key Features:

  • 5 herb seeds: basil, cilantro, parsley, sage, and thyme
  • 5 compostable peat pots
  • 5 soil discs
  • 5 wood-burned plant markers
  • Growing guide

The Spade to Fork Organic Non-GMO DIY Kitchen Grow Kit has earned an average of 4.3 stars out of 329 reviews.

On December 7, 2018, emmaleigh 3 said: 

What a fantastic kit! The packaging and presentation is beautiful — you can tell there was a lot of thought and care put into it; it would make a great gift. I love that the soil is packaged so you can do just one or two pots if you prefer not to do them all. We just put all the soil pods into a large bowl and added the recommended amount of water, then filled each pot (directions say to do one at a time). I did this with my kids and they LOVED it. The small seed containers made it very easy for them to plant the seeds (vs. dealing with individual seeds or a giant packet). We put the pots on a tray on the counter. There are printed instructions that detail how to care for each plant.

Go online to check the price of this eco-friendly kit.

#4 Garden Republic Garden Seed Starter Kit 

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The Garden Republic Garden Seed Starter Kit, created by a family-owned business, is tailored for tea lovers. The kit comes with four types of seeds to create the main ingredients in four common teas.

You can not only grow the plants, but also turn them into tea yourself. The kit comes with pruning shears and a stainless steel tea infuser, perfect for the first-time gardener who doesn’t already have these tools in their collection.

Key Features:

  • 4 tea seeds: chamomile, mint, lavender, and lemon
  • GMO-free seeds
  • 4 burlap grow bags
  • 4 peat discs
  • 4 bamboo plant markers
  • Pruning shears
  • Stainless steel tea infuser
  • Wooden gift box that doubles as a planting box
  • Instructions via a handout and CD

The Garden Republic Garden Seed Starter Kit has earned an average of 4.7 stars out of 111 reviews.

On August 22, 2019, Krickett said:

I have never gotten a set as cute and complete as this one. The large wooden box that is comes in is beautifully made. It has four cute burlap sacks that sit in the box that holds the potting soil and seeds after they have been planted. Not only that but it also comes with little clippers for the plants to clip for homemade tea. It has a round seeple for the plants to soak in hot water for tea. That is not all, it has a small guide to help you successfully plant your seeds and register them if they do not come up. You can’t go wrong with this adorable set. It would make a great gift for tea lovers, herb lovers and gardening lovers.

Go online to check the price of this tea-focused kit.

#5 Planter’s Choice Herb Garden Growing Kit & Comprehensive Guide

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The Planter’s Choice Herb Garden Growing Kit & Comprehensive Guide contains all the fundamental items to start an herb garden. Not only does it include pots, drip trays, soil, and markers, it also has the seeds of four herbs that are staples in any herb garden: basil, parsley, chives, and cilantro.

The kit is geared toward a beginner crowd with its moisture meter that tells you how much water to give each plant. If the water-measuring tool still doesn’t help you yield good results, the company offers a full refund.

Key Features:

  • 4 herb seeds: basil, parsley, chives, and cilantro
  • 4 reusable pots and drip trays
  • 4 soil discs
  • 4 bamboo markers
  • Instructional guide
  • Moisture meter to determine how much water to give

The Planter’s Choice Herb Garden Growing Kit & Comprehensive Guide has earned an average of 4.6 stars out of 14 reviews.

On December 17, 2019, Try it! said:

Great way to grow herbs. Very simple and all you need is right in the box. My herbs are already growing.

Highly recommended.

Go online to check the price of this water-measuring kit.

Things to Consider When Buying Indoor Herb Garden Kits 

What plants do you want to grow?

If you have preferences about the type of plants you want in your indoor garden, look into a kit that contains those seeds.

Do you plan on gardening in the future?

If you want to continue growing, consider buying a kit with reusable pots or planters.

Are you environmentally conscious?

If you prefer environmentally friendly products, choose a kit with GMO-free seeds or an all-organic kit.

What is your gardening skill level?

If you are new to gardening, consider a kit that comes with gardening tools you won’t already have, such as a water measurer or pruning shears.

How much space do you have for the plants?

If you want the plants to only take up a small area, such as a windowsill, choose a kit with small, individual pots.

What kind of company do you want to buy from?

If you like to support small businesses, buy a kit that you know was handcrafted by fellow gardeners like you.

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