Don’s Expert Answers: My silver lady fern has a yellow /white waxy substance at the base and the leaves are fading to yellow or just dying

Question From:
in Forster, Forster New South Wales

Nature of problem:
My silver lady fern has a yellow /white waxy substance at the base and the leaves are fading to yellow or just dying

Type of Plant (if known):
Silver ladt ferm

Symptoms of Plant Illness (please try NOT to diagnose your problems yourself):
Yellow/white waxy substance at the base. Leaves fading to pale yellow or drying up and dying

Soil Type (e.g. sandy, clay or loam) OR Potting Mix Type:
Potting mix with blood and bone added

How often do you water the plant:
Weekly or put out in the rain

How many hours of sunlight does the plant get each day:
Arbout an hour of first morning filtered sun

How long since you planted it:
Almost one year

Have you fertilised? If so, with what and when:
Only twice with diluted seasol

Is the plant indoors or outdoors:
Outdoors

Is the plant in a pot or in the ground:
In a pot

What other treatments have you given the plant:
No treatment yet as only noticed the problem three days ago

Upload photo if available:

Other Comments:
The fern has been growing well and doesn’t seem to have any bugs on it. It does not touch other plants around it. The other plants are growi g well without seeming to have any problems other than the occasional slug.I have a worm farm and was going to give all of my plants a treatment of worm tea but I am not sure if this will help or hinder the problem. Thank you for any advice you are able to help with

Answer:
Hi Marilyn, Can’t tell much from the photo. Tip it upside down and remove it from the pot. I suspect that the root ball will be very dry – IE water repelling. Buy some Seasol Super Soil Wetter, dilute it and immerse the root ball in this for 30-40 minutes. Then back into the pot. Good luck,

Don