Learn the secrets of growing ferns in your own home garden!

Ferns are a fascinating plant, and very popular indoors as well as out!

Most ferns are easy to grow, provided their basic needs are fulfilled. Most like shade, some like some sunlight. All like plenty of water in hot weather. The maidenhair fern is one of the most preferred, especially for indoors. It is a surprisingly hardy plant, but sun or windburn can damage it severely. There are several cultivars available.

There are many hardy species that grow well in the garden. All ferns dislike wind. Again, if you think about where ferns grow in the wild, it’s in a sheltered wet position, and most often in a colony. Ferns like company, if not their own kind, they like to be in amongst other similar plants.

There are climbing ferns, and groundcover ferns, and tree ferns, so there are plenty of varieties to choose from. Mostly ferns like heavy soil with lots of humus. Again, think of where they grow in forest, with lots of leaf mulch, and moist roots.

When deciding on a site in the garden for a fernery, it must be sheltered from the wind. Drainage is also important. In hot sunny areas, shade is essential in summer. Air dryness can also take its toll on ferns in such weather. Ferns like high humidity. In cooler areas, ferns do well under deciduous trees, because winter leaf fall allows the sun to keep the ferns warm in the colder weather.

When planting ferns, try to shelter the smaller ones with the larger plants, and ensure you provide enough room for spreading ferns such as tree ferns. Blood and bone is the only fertiliser needed. Water well, and mulch heavily.

Hardly any maintenance is needed with ferns, other than to trim off any dead or dying fronds. Overhead sprinklers, or better still misters, are great for watering, as they keep the air cool in hot weather. The ground should be kept damp at all times. A yearly sprinkle of blood and bone is all that is required for ferns, especially if you keep them well mulched.

DirectGardening.com - Offers quality plants at great prices, come see what we mean! If you are growing ferns inside, watch for aphids and scale insects. Outside, windburn and frostburn can cause serious damage. Bathrooms are a favored spot for indoor ferns because of the high humidity. In hot climates, double potting is sometimes used to ensure the fern gets plenty of water, and stays cool around the roots. The outside pot is filled with spagnum moss.

Epiphytic ferns grow on trees, just like orchids. They can be potted into a course potting mixture, and they will often die if planted in soil. They also do well in hanging baskets, but the secret is to have a well drained course potting mix. Of course, good watering is essential in hot weather. They also must be hung in a sheltered position. Most well known of the epiphytic ferns is probably the staghorn and elkhorn.

Fern propagation is usually done by root division. Layering is possible with some species, and many are now grown, with some difficulty, from spores. With root division, the roots are simply cut with a sharp knife or spade into the required size, and replanted or repotted.

If you grow the species of ferns that are native to your own area, and keep them well watered, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. As usual, when buying ferns in pots, check carefully for pests or any sign of disease. Don’t buy a fern that doesn’t look healthy.

Happy gardening, Patrick.

ps If you plant a green tree in your heart, a singing bird may come!

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