Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Blue Rabbit's Foot Fern (Davallia griffithiana)— schedule & NPK
Also called Griffith's Davallia, Blue Rabbit's Foot Fern.
More about blue rabbit's foot fern
About Blue Rabbit's Foot Fern
Davallia griffithiana · also called Griffith's Davallia, Blue Rabbit's Foot Fern · houseplant
Davallia griffithiana is a rabbit's foot fern prized for the silvery, blue-grey furry rhizomes that creep over the pot rim and for finely divided, lacy fronds. The fuzzy surface rhizomes do the water absorbing, so it suits hanging baskets and shallow pots. Easy and forgiving, it likes bright indirect light, steady humidity, and a never-soggy mix.
Growth habit: Epiphytic to lithophytic fern with creeping, hairy surface rhizomes that trail over the pot, bearing finely divided, triangular fronds; naturally cascading.
What fertiliser blue rabbit's foot fern actually wants — and why
Blue Rabbit's Foot Fern is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for blue rabbit's foot fern: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed blue rabbit's foot fern, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For blue rabbit's foot fern:
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. Ferns dislike salt build-up, so dilute well and flush the pot occasionally. Pause feeding in winter. Treat that as monthly between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when blue rabbit's foot fern is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for blue rabbit's foot fern
Half strength is the safe default for blue rabbit's foot fern — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water blue rabbit's foot fern first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the blue rabbit's foot fern watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding blue rabbit's foot fern
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for blue rabbit's foot fern:
- Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering.
- A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim.
- Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops.
- Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered.
Signs you are under-feeding blue rabbit's foot fern
- Uniformly pale or yellow-green leaves, oldest first.
- Noticeably small new leaves and stalled growth in good light and season.
- A generally tired, lacklustre look despite correct watering and light.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full blue rabbit's foot fern care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
Flush the pot of blue rabbit's foot fern with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for blue rabbit's foot fern
Organic options
A diluted seaweed or worm-casting feed, or fish emulsion if you can tolerate the smell indoors. UK: Westland or Baby Bio Organic, dilute seaweed; US: Espoma Indoor! or Neptune's Harvest fish & seaweed. Slow, gentle and hard to overdo.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A general-purpose houseplant liquid at half strength — UK: Baby Bio, Westland Houseplant Feed or Phostrogen; US: Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food or Schultz. Convenient and fast-acting; the only risk is overdoing it.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising blue rabbit's foot fern — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does blue rabbit's foot fern need?
A balanced general houseplant feed (roughly even N-P-K) is exactly right — it is grown for foliage, so steady, moderate nitrogen for healthy leaves is the goal, not a bloom or root formula. Blue Rabbit's Foot Fern is an easy, light foliage feeder — a half-strength balanced liquid feed through the growing months keeps it green without forcing weak, sappy growth.
How often should I feed blue rabbit's foot fern?
Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. Ferns dislike salt build-up, so dilute well and flush the pot occasionally. Pause feeding in winter. Feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. Ferns dislike salt build-up, so dilute well and flush the pot occasionally. Pause feeding in winter. Treat that as monthly between spring through early autumn (roughly March to September); ease off in autumn and stop entirely in the low light of winter.
What strength of feed for blue rabbit's foot fern?
Half strength is the safe default for blue rabbit's foot fern — houseplant feeds are formulated strong, and the diluted dose is gentler on the roots while still ample for foliage.
What does over-feeding blue rabbit's foot fern look like?
Brown, crispy leaf tips and edges with no sign of underwatering. A white, crusty salt deposit on the soil surface or pot rim. Weak, pale, stretched new growth that flops. Lower leaves yellow and drop while the soil is correctly watered. Feeding blue rabbit's foot fern year-round on a fixed schedule, including dark winter months, is the most common mistake — it cannot use the nutrients in low light and the surplus simply burns the roots and crusts the soil.
Should I flush the soil of blue rabbit's foot fern?
Flush the pot of blue rabbit's foot fern with plain water until it runs freely from the base every couple of months in the feeding season — it washes out the fertiliser salts that cause brown tips.
Keep reading
- Blue Rabbit's Foot Fern care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water blue rabbit's foot fern — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise snake plant
- How to fertilise dracaena
- How to fertilise peperomia
- All 2464 fertilising guides in the Growli library