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You don’t want to crop the top of the plant when pruning Boston fern. Instead, trim off the side fronds at the base. Also remove old, discolored fronds near the soil to allow new growth to come through. Remove the unsightly stems to the base as well.
Should ferns be cut back?
Cutting Back Your Outdoor Fern Outdoor evergreen ferns should be cut down every year. Using sharp pruners, cut the fern fronds down to the ground. Late winter or early spring is the best timing, before the new fronds start to emerge. I usually cut them down sometime in March.
How do you maintain a Boston fern?
Situate Boston ferns indoors in bright, indirect sunlight away from drafty doors and heating vents. Provide as much humidity as possible and carefully monitor the soil to ensure plants stay consistently moist. You can set the plants on pebble trays filled with water, so long as the pot does not sit in standing water.
How do you trim a fern houseplant?
If you don’t like the way your fern is shaped, simply trim the outer edges until it’s to your liking. Use sharp scissors or kitchen shears to do the trimming. It’s best to only trim the outer edges after you’ve removed yellowing or dead fronds. Keep in mind that the tips turn brown if you clip off the edges.
How do I take a cutting from a Boston fern?
When propagating Boston fern plants, simply remove the Boston fern runner from the base of the plant, either with a gentle tug or cut with a sharp knife. It isn’t necessary that the offset have roots as it will easily develop roots where it comes into contact with soil.
Do Boston ferns grow back?
Like many other varieties of semitropical plants, Boston fern grows as a perennial in warm climates, but won’t overwinter in areas that experience freezing temperatures. In cold climates, you must bring this type of fern indoors or grow it as an annual.
How do you make Boston ferns bushy?
An ideal time for pruning is during repotting, when plants can be dramatically cut back. In fact, Boston fern responds well to severe pruning, which encourages more prolific, bushy growth and corrects dull, leggy growth. When pruning Boston fern always use clean, sharp pruning shears or scissors.
How do you rejuvenate a Boston fern?
Trim the drooping fronds back to about 2 inches long and leave any healthy upright fronds in the center of the plant intact. If all fronds are drying and dying, trim them all to 2 inches. Clean out the dead leaves and check the soil for offsets — baby ferns — which can be separated and planted in their own pots.
Should I cut the dead leaves off my fern?
To improve their appearance, you should prune out any brown or yellow fronds from indoor ferns. Pruning out these dead fronds also improves airflow around the plant, which helps reduce fungal or mold problems.
How do you make a fern greener?
Most ferns grow best in full or dappled shade. Adequate shade will produce lush, dark green foliage. We recommend 65% to 75% shade, depending on your location. (Less may be needed in the winter when the days are shorter.)Jul 15, 2010.
Should I prune a Boston fern?
Boston fern plants do need to be trimmed now and then. These plants grow naturally in a lovely shape and don’t need to be pruned for shape at all. Most of the trimming of a Boston Fern is simply removing the least-healthy foliage. In general, any foliage that is dead, diseased, or damaged should be removed right away.
Do you need to trim a Boston fern?
Yes, you may prune your lovely Boston ferns (botanical name – Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’) and in fact, they may appreciate a light fall pruning to enhance their vigour. Avoid pruning the top of the plant but clip off older side fronds which are shading the new growth, again at soil level.
What do you do with Boston fern stolons?
Propagating Boston ferns takes one of two forms: runners, or division. Runners will extend out from the plant and will gradually develop roots. These runners are called stolons. You can remove these at the base of the old plant and repot them in sterile potting soil.
Can you cut a fern in half?
Division of Ferns The best time to divide ferns is in the spring. When separating a fern, you first need to remove it from its old pot or dig up the clump. It may not be much, as ferns tend to have very tight, interlocking root balls. Next, use a long serrated knife to cut the root ball either into halves or quarters.
Can you propagate Boston ferns from cuttings?
Ferns can be grown from clippings, also known as cuttings. Place a 1-inch layer of sand in the bottom of a small pot for drainage. Plant the fern clipping 1 inch below the surface and lightly cover with dirt. Do not pack down the soil.
How do you root a fern cutting?
Propagating ferns from cuttings Fronds can be bowed over and pegged down on the surface of a tray positioned next to the mother plant, then detached once rooted. Fern fronds can also be removed then placed and pegged to encourage rooting (facing upwards) on the surface of a tray of compost.
How big can Boston ferns get?
The species Nephrolepis exaltata is a tropical species of sword fern (in the family Lomariopsidaceae), native to humid forests from northern South America through Mexico, in Florida and the West Indies where it can grow up to 7 feet tall. The plant called Boston fern – N.
Can I cut back my Boston fern for the winter?
Pruning a Boston Fern way back in fall means far less space is needed for over-wintering. It will gradually put out new growth, but it won’t grow out as quickly during winter as it would after a spring trim. By spring, the foliage will be large and full again.
How do you take care of a Boston fern in a hanging basket?
Ferns in hanging baskets tend to dry out quickly and require more frequent watering, especially during the summer months. Be careful not to overwater during the winter. Feed a fern in a hanging container every month during spring and summer using a balanced, water soluble fertilizer mixed to half strength.
