Rovingginger
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Ostrich fern has sad, blackened/wilty fronds. Help!

I have an ostrich fern that I keep potted(I don't have a yard). Recently some of the fronds have become black and wilted at the ends. I had heard it was nearly impossible to overwater these but maybe I managed to do it? You can see in the attached photos how miserable it looks.

I am pretty new to any sort of greenery so any advice is greatly appreciated!
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applestar
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How long have you had it and how big is the container? Ostrich fern is a big plant and likes to spread, so I wonder if it might be getting pot bound?

Rovingginger
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I have had it probably a week or so, and it had what looked to be a pretty big pot for its size. However it did have a small offshoot that sprouted too.

I repotted it into a self-watering pot that's probably 50% bigger -- hopefully this helps? I was worried it could be root rot but the roots did not smell, although they were brownish.

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applestar
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Was it freshly dug? Maybe it's just losing frond tips that had been supplied by the roots that got cut off....?

Rovingginger
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It probably was relatively freshly dug, I got it at a plant sale. Is that normal if roots are disturbed/broken?

Rovingginger
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Sadly it seems like the cause was root rot. When I looked closer at the roots they were all dark brown or black -- basically indistinguishable from the dirt around them. I did cut off an offshoot that had enough of its own root system that I'm hoping it lives.

Silly question: there is at least one earthworm that came with the plant in its pot. Can I put it in another plant pot without it spreading the root rot fungus?

Rovingginger
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And it lives!!
image.jpg
I can't believe it. I left it in the pot for a while after chopping its fronds. I thought I saw signs of life so on a whim I repotted. Few days later... I understand why these are invasive.

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applestar
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Yay! :clap:



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