Fern care
You can guess the sort of care that ferns adore by taking a close look at what conditions they thrive in their natural environment. Most ferns live in little pockets of soil in rock crevices or live off trees so whilst they adore humidity and moisture, they will only cope with frequent watering if they are planted in well drained soil. If the flower pot you pick has insufficient drainage holes, drill in a couple more to ensure that the poor thing doesn't just sit in the moisture day in day out and suffer from root rot.
Common pests that attack ferns
These would include mealybugs, scale insects, thrips, snails and slugs. Ants aren't a problem per se, except they seem to be the bringer of bad tidings as they are often the carriers of sucking insects to your precious ferns.
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Planting-Maintaining Ferns
Fern rhizomes should be planted so that the crowns are just below ground level. Keep newly planted ferns moist during the first year of growth. The fronds of some ferns can turn brown or break off as the season progresses. These can be removed without harm to the plant: compost them or lay them on the soil as part of a naturalized mulch program. Annual additions of acidified compost or mulch is recommended. When over-wintering potted specimens outdoors, set the pot into soil in a protected location and mulch heavily to prevent drying/freezing of the roots.
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