Warning: watering my ferns from the bottom instead of the top stopped the yellow leaves in 2 weeks

I kept getting crispy tips on my Boston fern until I tried filling the saucer with water and letting it soak up from the drainage holes, and now the new growth is all dark green and healthy - has anyone else had better luck with bottom watering for humidity loving plants?

3 comments

3 Comments

julia_anderson1mo ago

Wait, you're actually supposed to water ferns from the bottom? I thought that was just for succulents and stuff. I used to think bottom watering was only for plants that hated wet leaves, but now I'm rethinking everything about my fern care. My Boston fern's tips always turn brown no matter what I do, so I might have to try this saucer method you're talking about. Honestly I never considered that the yellowing could be from watering wrong instead of not enough water.

milacraig1mo ago

Ugh, the brown tips are the absolute worst. It's like a constant reminder you're failing at something you thought you had figured out. I swear, half of plant care is just realizing you've been doing the opposite of what you thought for years. It reminds me of how people treat their relationships too, you know, you think you need to shower them with attention when really they just need a consistent, quiet support system.

wendyg431mo ago

Oh yeah, brown tips on Boston ferns are almost always a watering issue... bottom watering really is the fix for that. The way I do it is just set the pot in a saucer with about an inch of water and let it soak up for 15-20 minutes, then dump the rest out. Yellowing usually means you're keeping it too wet, not too dry... these plants like consistent moisture but they hate sitting in water. Try that saucer method and see if the new growth starts looking better, the old brown tips won't heal but at least you'll stop getting new ones.