New potted foxtail fern might be dying?

[blueflute07]

This is my first time ever taking care of a plant so please bear with me.

My dear hamster passed away but we don't have a garden for burial so I thought a potted plant would do. I went to a local garden shop and asked for a hardy plant. The gardener gave me some choices and in the end I chose what she called a native (not imported) foxtail fern, hence the sparse leaves (although feel free to correct me if the plant isn't a foxtail at all; please see attached pic).

It has been two weeks now since I got my plant and buried my beloved pet. It's kept in a lightly shaded area in our garage. I used to water it every 2-3 days. But since I've noticed that the stalks are turning yellowish brown (please see attached pic), I now water it every other day. The leaves are still green though, and there are 3 new shoots. Is the browning normal or is the plant dying? What should I do?

 

[Tetters]

Welcome to the forum @blueflute07 it`s nice to have you on board

Your foxtail fern is looking good. You know already that it doesn`t like the sun too much, although it does like to have some good light.

You were watering wisely at 2 - 3 days, and I think the reason for the stems changing colour will probably be because of the growing season. This is a natural thing for that plant to do, and soon you should see lovely new stems emerging.

It is plain to see that you are a very caring person, why not rescue another pet to love

 

[blueflute07]

Thank you, @Tetters (for the warm welcome and the friendly response)!

I'm so glad to hear that my plant is fine! I was worried that I was doing everything wrong. I'm going back to watering it between 2-3 days. Other than that, I don't have to do anything else, right (like maybe separate the stems, add fertilizer, etc.)?

Also, I'm actually planning to adopt a new pet in the near future

Thanks again!

 

[Tetters]

If you keep your fern in the garage, I wonder if it has enough light? Another thought I had was - when you water it every couple of days it needs watering well, not just a splash. A dose of all purpose fertiliser would certainly do no harm, and final thought is keep it away from your new pet, as I believe it to be toxic if ingested.
As an added thought, it would love to be misted - they thrive in humidity.

 

[blueflute07]

The plant is on the side of the garage where the sun hits it during early mornings, I think. But I will check to make sure! I will also keep it misted and try to give it fertilizer. Thanks so much! You've been very helpful

 

[Tetters]

You are so welcome

 

[cpp gardener]

Your plant is a species of Asparagus, not a real fern and wants as much light as you can give it and a good soaking once or twice a week. Skip the misting, light fertilizing is okay, but the hamster is providing plenty of nutrients right now.