• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

House Plants Guide and Tips

houseplantsexpert.com

  • PLANT CARE GUIDES
    • CHOOSING PLANTS
    • WATERING GUIDE
    • LIGHTING GUIDE
    • PROPAGATING GUIDE
    • TEMPERATURE GUIDE
    • HUMIDITY GUIDE
    • POTTING GUIDE
    • FERTILIZING GUIDE
    • CLEANING GUIDE
    • POISONOUS FOR PETS
    • GROW LIGHTS GUIDE
    • VACATION GUIDE
  • PLANT GROUPS
    • PLANT SEARCH
    • COMMON HOUSE PLANTS
    • EASY TO GROW HOUSE PLANTS
    • FOLIAGE HOUSE PLANTS
    • FLOWERING HOUSE PLANTS
    • OFFICE PLANTS
    • INDOOR PALM PLANTS
    • EASY GROW FERNS
    • POPULAR INDOOR TREES
    • CACTUS HOUSE PLANTS
    • INDOOR HANGING BASKETS
    • CLIMBERS AND TRAILING PLANTS
    • BULB HOUSE PLANTS
    • SUCCULENT HOUSE PLANTS
    • UNUSUAL HOUSE PLANTS
    • LIVING STONE PLANTS
    • LARGE HOUSE PLANTS
    • AIR PURIFYING PLANTS
    • CHRISTMAS HOUSE PLANTS
  • A-Z PLANTS
  • GENUS
    • BROMELIADS
    • CALATHEA
    • DRACAENA
    • FICUS
    • ORCHIDS
    • PEPEROMIA
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT US
    • CONTACT US
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • DISCLOSURE
    • DISCLAIMER
Home » Cretan Brake Fern

Cretan Brake Fern

January 24, 2023 by Mary Lloyster Leave a Comment

The Cretan brake fern is one of the most popular grown indoors from the Pteris genus. These are fairly easy to grow indoors compared to other ferns.

Description

Green Cretan Brake Fern on a pot

The variety of Pteris cretica ferns that are cultivated display different shaped and colored fronds, but share very similar characteristics and care requirements. The P.cretica albolineata also called the variegated table fern is one of the most common that has broad green leaflets and a pale center. The P.cretica has slimmer green leaflets with serrated edges.

The growth habit (clump-forming) of this species is to produce wiry thread-like stalks from small rhizomes in the soil and the stalks produce pinnate leaflets in rows. In a way, they kind of resemble a palm to me in looks, although they do not have a main stem. I can’t really say this plant looks like any other, even other ferns are only similar because they have fronds, so you can completely disagree with the palm resemblance I see.

Care level: For a fern, they’re slightly easier to grow indoors than others, although they do still require high humidity levels. They do follow the same care conditions as other ferns but seem to be a bit more forgiving if a grower gets it wrong. During the warmer months in temperate regions, they can be placed on a balcony, porch, or patio, if it’s shaded enough.

Pruning is good for keeping the plant in good shape and looking healthy and will encourage new growth. Just cut back any dying or untidy fronds when needed by cutting with a sharp knife or secateurs as close to the bottom of the stalk as possible.

Facts

Origin:Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Names:Cretan Brake Fern (common). — Pteris Cretica (botanical/scientific).
Max Growth (approx):Height 1 – 2.5ft.
Poisonous for pets:Not known.
a green leaflet with its spores being visible

The picture above is a close-up of a leaflet displaying what is called spores. Don’t think this is any type of insect problem or any type of problem, it’s a sign the plant is in good health. Spores are a kind of seed that can be used to create more plants propagate.

Cretan Brake Fern Care

Temperature:The ideal temperature to provide is between 65-75ºF (18-24ºC) for this plant. The minimum is 55ºF (13ºC).
Light:The Cretan brake fern seems to prefer bright light without direct sunlight.
Watering:Like other ferns try and keep the soil moist at all times. This one does not give a grower such a hard time if the soil does dry out from time to time (some ferns die).
Soil:A peat-based potting mix is suitable for this plant.
Fertilizer:Feed from April – September with a diluted fertilizer once a month to encourage healthy growth. Use half of what the bottle instructions advise.
Re-Potting:I would say re-pot this plant once a year or at least every two years. Once it becomes too big for the pot you could divide the plant to create more ferns.
Humidity:As mentioned above this fern is no different than others in terms of its need for high humidity. Misting alongside placing the plant on a humidity tray, or double potting should do. To double pot have your plant potted and then the container it is to be displayed in will require peat moss to be placed inside – surrounding the inner pot.
Propagation:This is one of the easier ferns to propagate by division. Divide the plant and a section of the rhizome (by cutting with a sharp knife) during spring. You need at least two fronds and a section of the rhizome. This plant also produces spores on the underside of the leaflets which are a type of seed growing on the plant that can be propagated, but it is easier to follow the division method.

Common Problems

  • Insects: Insects such as scale, mealy bugs, and aphids can take a liking to this plant quite easily. Identify any strange-looking foreign matter (scale can be identified by its brown shells, for example) and take remedial action as soon as possible.
  • Dry air and lack of water: These are the two biggest requirements a grower must take care of with a fern. The fronds can die back, turn yellow (could also be warm air) or the tips turn brown when the air is too dry and the soil is dry.
  • Too much sun: Too much direct sunlight will turn the fronds pale or scorch their surface of them.
Mary Lloyster
Mary Lloyster

Mary is our ultimate indoor gardening oracle. After many years of watching her very own indoor expo bloom, Mary has found us and today she is actively sharing her experience with our readers on a daily basis. Mary is a Political Science graduate, but one who has found a beautiful way of merging her full-time job with a drop of relaxation: indoor gardening. If you have any questions for Mary about house plants, indoor gardening, or caring techniques, drop her a line in the comments sections!

Filed Under: Ferns

Reader Interactions

Popular Plants & Guides

Picture of flaming sword Bromeliad Bromeliads

Vriesea Splendens, Tillandsia, Billbergia, Guzmania, Aechmea Fasciata and others.

Picture of Calathea house plant Calathea

Calathea. Roseopicta, C. Zebrina, C. Crocata, C. Makoyana, C Lancifolia and others.

img-theme Dracaena

Dracaena Fragrans, D Braunii, D Marginata and D. Reflexa.

Ficus Benjamina plant Ficus

Ficus Pumila, Ficus Lyrata, F. Elastica and F. Benjamina.

Orchid

Cattleya, Lycaste, Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum.

Top 10 Air Purifying Plants

See house plants that not only spruce up the home but remove harmful toxins.

Temperature Guide

Temperature is an important factor for growth and varies from species to species.

House Plant Identification

Submit your house plant to the new forum and ask others for identification.

Repotting Plants

See the guide for repotting house plants with useful tips.




Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

ZZ Plant or Zamioculcas Zamiifolia

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Wandering Jew Plant Care and Growing Guide

Sago Palm

Weeping Fig Plant Care Guide- Ficus Tree

Footer

Facebook

facebook icon

Free Signup for Tips and Updates

Added Recently

Peperomia obtusifolia
Peperomia ferreyrae
Lithops optica 'Rubra'
Peperomia puteolata
Peperomia Plants

Admin Stuff

About Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Disclosure
Disclaimer

Copyright © 2013-2023 · Houseplantsexpert.com
Houseplantsexpert.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.*Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates. Additionally, Houseplantsexpert.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.