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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.
Can Boston ferns be cut back in the fall?
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 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.
How do you take care of a Boston fern indoors?
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.
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.
How do you prune a fern plant?
To prune ferns, use sharp pruning shears or scissors to cut fronds at the base. For a regular pruning, target dead or yellowing fronds. For a heavier pruning (cutting back ferns in spring and summer), focus on the sides rather than the top of the fern and make sure you don’t cut back too much of the plant.
Can you split a Boston fern?
Propagation may also be achieved by dividing Boston fern plants. First, allow the fern roots to dry out a bit and then remove the Boston fern from its pot. Using a large serrated knife, slice the fern’s root ball in half, then quarters and finally into eighths.
How do I keep my ferns from growing back?
Controlling Your Best Garden Ferns One method is to remove the fronds just after they have appeared but before they let the spores loose to wander. The drastic measure is to mow them down, but the more civilized way to protect your garden’s landscape is to manually cut the fronds before they can propagate.
What are the tendrils on a Boston fern?
A tendril is a modified form of a stem or petiole or, most often, a shoot. Usually it is thin and elongated. Tendrils are used by plants to lift themselves higher, toward the sun, usually by clinging to some support.
How do you make Boston ferns greener?
Here are a few of the factors that may cause them to turn yellow. Ferns can stay lush and green all year round! Boston Ferns love shade and moist soil. Epsom salt has minerals perfect for fern growth and fern care. Ferns love shady spots in the yard. A little Epsom salt every month will keep them healthy.
Why are the tips of my Boston fern turning brown?
Boston fern browning may be caused by poor soil, inadequate drainage, lack of water or humidity, too much light, excess salt, or simply mechanical injury. If your cat tends to chew on the leaves, the tips will turn brown and die.
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 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.
Where should I place my Boston fern?
Boston ferns do best in bright, indirect light. Too much shade can result in sparse fronds that aren’t their typical bright color. And too much sun can burn the fronds. So both outdoors and indoors, make sure direct sunlight won’t hit your plant.
How long do Boston ferns last?
If your plant becomes infested, make sure to treat the plant as quickly as possible to keep it healthy. Boston fern care is as simple as making sure that the plant is in the right environment. If you make sure that your fern is getting the right care, your plant will live for many years to come.
What are the long strings on a Boston fern?
What Are the Strings Growing Out My Ferns? The “strings” that are growing out of your ferns are called stolons. Stolons have the ability to form new growth if they are placed in soil.
What are the long strings on ferns?
A second way to propagate ferns is by planting the stolons—long, fuzzy string-like structures growing from your fern. These are stolons or runners, and you can propagate ferns by layering them on the soil.
