Q&A – How do I take care of Boston Ferns especially in the winter?
Question:
I have several Boston ferns hanging from my front porch. How do I take care of Boston Ferns? Do they need to come indoors for the winter?
Answer:
In the South (zone 7 and higher) you can keep Boston ferns out most of the winter. Alabama A&M University Extension Specialist Rudy Pacumbaba says if it is going to freeze you should bring them in. He also says that the soil in the pot needs to stay moist. Rudy says you need to keep up with them and remove the brown fronds or they will create litter. Indoors the ferns will just survive, not do any serious growing. They should not be fertilized while indoors. UT Extension Horticulture Specialist Carol Reese does not like ferns but she says if she did keep one, she would probably bring it into the garage for the winter then in the spring cut off all the fronds when it went back outside.
Related Videos:
Propagating Ferns from Spores
Why are my fern fronds dying
Related Resources:
Boston Fern, Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’
Growing Ferns
I have several Boston ferns hanging from my front porch. How do I take care of Boston Ferns? Do they need to come indoors for the winter?
Answer:
In the South (zone 7 and higher) you can keep Boston ferns out most of the winter. Alabama A&M University Extension Specialist Rudy Pacumbaba says if it is going to freeze you should bring them in. He also says that the soil in the pot needs to stay moist. Rudy says you need to keep up with them and remove the brown fronds or they will create litter. Indoors the ferns will just survive, not do any serious growing. They should not be fertilized while indoors. UT Extension Horticulture Specialist Carol Reese does not like ferns but she says if she did keep one, she would probably bring it into the garage for the winter then in the spring cut off all the fronds when it went back outside.
Related Videos:
Propagating Ferns from Spores
Why are my fern fronds dying
Related Resources:
Boston Fern, Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’
Growing Ferns