Hate to say it but you're right about it looking bad. They don't normally grow like that so really you're going against its nature keeping it in a pot. These plants don't sit in soil so doing that to them makes them more susceptible to over watering and rot. Looks like you haven't compensated for that fact.

Thank you--I will remedy the situation and hope I can save the plant.

Hi

I find them easy to grow mounted but tough in a pot ,probably because of drainage . ?? One thing you can do if you are unable to grow it mounted ,is to use long fibered sphagnum moss . This is what the commercial nurseries use to start spores and they produce gazillions of them. If it were mine I'd mount it either on a board or to the outside of a mesh container using the sphag. gary

It has been a few months from the first post, and I hope your fern is doing better. I grow mine in a pot, but I have it planted in small wood chips that I use to make my gritty mix for my cactus and succulents. It grows just fine in its 'special' mix.