Had to pick between two ferns for my dark corner

I spent 20 minutes at the nursery last weekend deciding between a Boston fern and a maidenhair for my bathroom that barely gets light. Picked the Boston fern since I read it can handle low light better, but after 4 days the fronds started turning yellow. Turns out the soil was staying too wet. Should I try the maidenhair next or just give up on that corner entirely?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia6706h ago

Wait have you actually checked if the corner gets enough light for either fern? A dark corner might just be a no go no matter what you put there. Boston ferns do like moisture but they also need some indirect light to process it. I tried a maidenhair in my low light bathroom and it turned into a crispy mess within a week. Maybe try a snake plant or a ZZ instead those things will survive in a closet.

the_oliver4h ago

Yeah the "crispy mess" part really got me. I used to be one of those people who thought ferns could just live off bathroom steam and prayer but I tried a maidenhair in a north facing window and it looked like burnt lettuce after two weeks. Your snake plant and ZZ suggestion makes a lot more sense now. I guess some corners just aren't meant for ferns no matter how much you want them to work there.