Types of outdoor ferns

Many indoor fern varieties are easy to grow and care for. Ferns are a great type of leafy plant and their green leaves can add beauty to any room as well as help to clean the air. Ferns planted outdoors are great for ground cover in the right conditions.

Fancy Fern (also known as Dryopteris intermedia) is hardy down to zone 3 and has a classic, all green appearance. It grows from 18 to 36 inches (46 to 91 cm.) and prefers partial shade and neutral to slightly acidic soil. Male Robust Fern is hardy down to zone 2.

Normal Cold

Ferns will die back when it gets cold in winter, but they will begin to grow again in spring. The ostrich fern species can actually sprout again in fall, after the previous fronds have dried up.

Evergreen ferns are so named because they stay green in the winter providing they are growing in suitable zones. Their green foliage will actually die back in the spring. Depending on the variety, they may thrive in zones 3 through 10. Often, these ferns are used in flower arrangements to provide needed greenery.

Cut back to the base if desired.

If you are not liking the look of your plant at all, you can cut it down to just above the crown, much as you do with an outdoor fern. Use sharp, clean scissors to cut off the fronds. The fern will grow back from the crown, if you let it remain.

Ferns – Epsom salts work wonders on ferns as a liquid fertilizer helping the leaves have a rich, deep dark green color. Elephant ear plants are another plant which benefits from the extra magnesium.

You may see brown tips on garden ferns if the soil becomes too dry. When it feels dry to touch, water slowly and deeply. Stop watering when the water runs off instead of sinking into the soil. If your fern has brown tips because the humidity is too low, it’s best to choose another plant for the location.

When pruning Boston fern always use clean, sharp pruning shears or scissors. Since pruning can be messy, you may want to move the plants outdoors or place an old sheet in the area to catch the cuttings. You don’t want to crop the top of the plant when pruning Boston fern. Instead, trim off the side fronds at the base.

Many gardeners claim to dislike ferns because they “look messy” or are “hard to prune“. To avoid this mish-mash mess, instead cut all of the fronds from your fern to the ground late each winter or early each spring. Once all of the fronds are cut down, each plant should look like a tiny curled fist on the ground.

Ferns (Pteridophyta) are perennials that date to prehistoric times, placing them among the among the oldest living plants on earth. Once established, they live for many years, and unlike other types of plants, they create more of their own kind by means of spores rather than seeds or pollen.

Sunlight. A limited number of ferns tolerate full sunlight; however, frequent watering and consistently moist soil is critical. Sun-tolerant ferns include cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) which reaches heights of 24 to 36 inches and grows in USDA zones 2 through 10.

Ferns can multiply naturally via two mechanisms, vegetative and sexual. Vegetative reproduction occurs by producing new plantlets along underground runners, or rhizomes. Sexual reproduction occurs via the production of spores, which lead to the production tiny plants that make both eggs and sperm.

Considered perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, they may stay out all year where temperatures seldom drop below 45 degrees F, but must be brought indoors if threatened by frost.

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. A few ferns—such as ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)—can grow in full sun if adequate water is provided to prevent drying out.

Outdoor Ferns

As a rule, they prefer 1 to 2 inches of water a week, but this also depends on the soil and the growth rate. Ferns grown in light, sandy soil require more frequent watering than those grown in dense clay soil.

Hang the fern in a bright area where it receives indirect light. Harsh, direct sunlight can damage the fern fronds. Keep a fern in a location between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit when possible.

Additional Pests

Aphids can infest almost any type of plant, including ferns. Rinse your fern plant under running water to dislodge the aphids. Scales, a microscopic and hard to detect insect, can also infest your fern plant and cause it to die back. Soap sprays can eliminate thrips from your ferns.

While many plants release carbon dioxide, not oxygen, at night, having a few plants in the bedroom will not release enough carbon dioxide to be harmful at all. In addition, certain plants also filter harmful formaldehyde, benzene, and allergens from the air, improving air quality in our homes.