Q and A: Growing ferns from spores (from the archive)

I am at a conference and will be sharing posts from the archive this week.

Question:
Is it possible to grow ferns from spores right in a terrarium? Would it have to be an open terrarium?

Answer:
It is absolutely possible to grow ferns from spores- but it is not always easy to achieve. You can collect fern spores by putting a fern frond in an envelope and waiting for the spores to dry and fall off. Sow the spores by sprinkling on top of sterilized damp soil mixed with some sphagnum moss, with a drainage layer below, in a container with a lid that can be removed or propped a bit for air circulation. I have found that misting the spores with distilled water can water the spores without washing them completely out of the soil. Fern spores require about 2-6 weeks to germinate and are extremely delicate in their "baby" phase.