Nephrolepis - Fern

These plants are easily increased by runners, which are formed abundantly by most kinds and by division. Spores are another way to produce more Ferns, but are rarely used because the other ways are much easier and more dependable. The spores can be sown as soon as they are ripe in the summer, or they can be stored in seed packets and sown at a later date. Young rooted plants that are formed on runners may be taken from old plants in the spring and potted individually in a sandy, peaty soil mixture in small pots. They should be kept in a humid atmosphere with a temperature of 60-70 degrees until they are well established. Most of the Nephrolepis with crested and plumose fronds are propagated by runners, as they don't produce fertile spores and vegetative reproduction is necessary to preserve their special features. There are several methods of obtaining rooted layers. The easiest is to fill a number of 3-inch pots with compost and arrange them around the old plant. The tips of the runners are pressed down into the small pots and when enough roots have formed, they're detached and treated as separate plants. Those kinds that don’t produce spores or runners can be propagated by division, which can be carried out at repotting time in late winter or spring. The more zealous, outer portions of the plants should be used for replanting, rather than the worn-out central parts. The plants are taken out of their pots, and the compost is removed with a pointed stick. They're divided with a sharp knife and each division, consisting of a portion of the rootstock with roots and fronds attached, is potted in a small pot. http://www.botany.com/nephrolepis.htm