Planting and Growing Ferns: A Greenwood Nursery Guide for Lush Foliage
Create a cool and verdant oasis in your garden with beautiful fern plants from Greenwood Nursery, your premier online plants nursery. These elegant foliage plants thrive in shady conditions. Follow our guide for successful planting and care.
Choosing the Right Spot & Soil:
Plant fern plants in lightly shaded to fully shaded areas. They prefer moist, rich humus soil with a slightly acidic pH range of 5.3 to 5.5. Enhance your soil by incorporating sphagnum peat moss to retain moisture and increase acidity as it breaks down. Aged compost mix and aged manure mix are also excellent additions for improving soil structure and fertility from your trusted online nursery.
Spacing Your Ferns:
- The smaller ferns, such as Maidenhair fern, can be spaced about 18 to 24 inches apart.
- The larger growing Ostrich, Christmas, and Royal Ferns grow much larger and should be planted no closer than 24 inches apart.
Planting Container-Grown Ferns:
- Dig holes 8 to 14 inches wide and approximately 12 to 14 inches deep or at least several inches deeper and wider than the container.
- Pour water into the hole until it is about 2 inches deep. Allow the water to soak into the soil.
- Gently tap the container bottom, support the plant's base, and tip the container to carefully slide the root ball out.
- Gently tease apart any tightly circling roots to encourage them to spread outward into the surrounding soil.
- Place the fern in the hole with the base slightly above ground level. Fill the hole with soil, pressing lightly around the roots every few inches.
- Water the newly planted fern again with an amount similar to the initial pre-watering.
- Apply a 2 to 3 inch layer of shredded bark mulch or aged compost mix around the base, forming a well to help retain moisture.
Planting Bare Root Ferns (Tubers):
- Look for a visible tip or emerging root hairs to determine the upward side of the tuber. If unsure, planting sideways won't hinder growth.
- Position the top of the tuber approximately 1 to 2 inches below the top of the ground.
- Lightly cover the tuber with aged compost mix to keep the soil cool and moist. Keep the soil lightly moist (not wet) to encourage new growth. Note that late-season planting may result in no top growth until the following spring.
Ongoing Care for Your Ferns:
For the first month, water every 2 to 3 days, adjusting for rainfall. Gradually reduce frequency, allowing the plant to establish. Water more often during hot, dry periods. Top with a good layer of mulch (shredded bark mulch, aged compost, or aged manure mix) or a light layer of straw for added moisture and to keep the ground cool. Water as needed to keep the soil moist. As the ground warms in late spring, the fronds will begin sprouting. Cutting the fall die-back to the ground and applying a fresh layer of mulch or straw will help to protect the fern tubers from popping out of the ground over winter freeze and thaw cycles as well as from squirrels or other critters digging up the bulbs for winter food.
Explore our Garden Ideas page for more shade garden plants. Find a wide variety of ferns and other perennials at our online nursery.
