I had mine 2 years and finally pitched it. Inside, outside, plenty of water, no water, more sun, less sun, no matter where I placed this fern it had those rotting edges. Maybe it doesn't like humidity? I never figured it out. I also tried cutting off the rotten edges but that didn't help so I surmise that it may be a cultural problem rather then a fungus. I hope someone answers this for you as I'm still curious.

Well, the problems I have seen with 'Birds nest ferns' (Asplenium nidus(aust.)) have been a misunderstanding of their culture. They are epiphytic. That is they grow in the trees. I have been able to grow them in the ground in So. Cal but not in Houston. They prefer bright light but can tollerate very low light. Direct sun wil burn them up. Over watering will drown them. If grown in a pot they prefer to be underpotted. I grow most mine on a board like a staghorn fern.

When I bought mine I remember someone saying it was an epiphyte as are some of the orchids. To be quite frank I didn't know how to translate that into how to water them ( I don't grow orchids). Do you just mist them? I also read that they are difficult to grow and thought "no kidding". And the fact that high humidity Houston didn't suite them makes me think again that maybe they just aren't suited for the south.

Helloooo maryllll. Birds nest ferns do just fine in the south. They like the heat and humidity. You just can't treat them like plastic plants.

I had almost the exact same thing happen. I had a bird's nest fern for a long, long time. It was out-growing the pot, It did well in winters underneath the oak so I thought, "Why not just plant it under the oak?" I did so and mine started to follow the same path as some of those discussed above. After watching it get worse and worse, I finally lifted it and replanted it into a new, larger pot. Almost immediately it started to get better. So ever since, it lives in a glazed pot under the oak. It sure didn't like being in the ground - or at least, my ground.

Carol in Jacksonville