Christmas Fern Plant - Learn About Christmas Fern Care Indoors And Out

Christmas ferns do best in front of a window that receives morning sun and afternoon shade. Place your fern in a hanging basket or fern stand for best results. When considering Christmas fern indoor care, keep the soil evenly moist but not overly saturated and mist plants once a week to increase humidity.

Do Christmas ferns spread?

Provide the right conditions and your Christmas fern will quickly grow and establish itself. But, unlike most rhizomatous plants, it does not spread too much or naturalize.

How do I keep my ferns happy indoors?

Mist your ferns as often as practical, preferably in the morning. Keep a spray bottle handy and train your family members to use it whenever they pass by the fern. Stand the pot on a tray of pebbles or clay granules and keep those wet. This increases the humidity around the plant without keeping the roots soggy.

How do you take care of a fern indoor plant?

Location: A medium to brightly lit area out of direct sunlight. Watering: In summer keep the soil moist, but don't let it get water-logged. In winter you can let the top layer of soil dry out a little between waters. Size: Can grow to around 45-60cm tall.

How often do you water an indoor fern plant?

You need to water your ferns whenever the top 3 inches of soil feel dry. This may be once a week, or may be every day. Check the soil frequently to determine how often you need to water them.

What eats Christmas fern?

During the winter, the evergreen fronds of this fern are eaten sparingly by White-Tailed Deer. In addition, young fronds may be eaten by such upland gamebirds as the Ruffed Grouse and Wild Turkey.

How tall do Christmas ferns get?

Size Notes: Normally 1.5 to 2 feet, occasionally 3 feet tall.

Should you mist ferns?

Misting is good for broad-leaf ferns and those of simple-leaf forms. Use less spray on crinkled varieties, which tend to collect moisture and hold it, contributing to development of fungus. Humidity can be increased in the vicinity of the plants when pots are set on trays of moist pebles or on damp sand.

Do ferns like coffee grounds?

Coffee grounds are highly acidic, they note, so they should be reserved for acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries. ... And if your soil is already high in nitrogen, the extra boost from coffee grounds could stunt the growth of fruits and flowers.

Do ferns need sunlight?

Ferns Need Plenty of Indirect Light

Most ferns prefer indirect light, which means you should avoid placing them where sunlight will hit them—their leaves can get scorched if you do, resulting in a dry, crispy plant.

Can you overwater ferns?

Over-watered ferns may drop their leaves or the foliage may yellow. You may notice a green, mossy growth on the top of the soil or gray fungi may form. Over-watering ferns poses the risk of root rot and other fungal diseases.

Why do my indoor ferns keep dying?

Some ferns prefer very wet soil while others like less moisture, but all need good drainage and slightly dried out soil between watering. Too much water and the plant will develop yellowing or droopy fronds, a sign of root rot. Too little water, and the fern's fronds will also begin to droop.

How long does a fern live?

Some types of ferns can live up to 100 years.

How do you over winter ferns indoors?

Trim the fern, removing the shoots at the outside of the pot and keeping only the most upright shoots in the middle. ...
Bring the fern inside and place it in a bright, sunny room where the temperature will stay between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. ...
Water the fern once a week. ...
Withhold fertilizer during the winter.

Do ferns like to be root bound?

Fern plants don't like containers that are too large for their size, but they can become pot-bound as the roots grow and develop. ... It's possible to salvage a pot-bound fern, either by division or by transplanting it to a larger pot.

How can I make my ferns grow bigger?

Repot the ferns into large planters or hanging baskets. The ferns we buy always come in the plastic hanging baskets. ...
Fertilize. Ferns don't require much fertilizer… ...
Water frequently, but water the right way. ...
Cut off any brown fronds. ...
Choose the right light. ...
Rotate occasionally. ...
Don't toss the metal basket!

Is Christmas fern deer resistant?

Just as most ornamental grasses are deer resistant, ferns aren't usually bothered by deer. Ferns grow well in shady spots and add texture to those areas.

Do deer eat Christmas ferns?

Christmas fern inhabits riverbanks, ravines, woodlands and hillsides. ... Typical forest grazers (such as deer) do not like to eat Christmas fern because of its specific chemical composition. As a result, Christmas fern can easily occupy new areas and prevent growth of other plants.

Is Christmas fern edible?

They are sometimes eaten by gamebirds, such as ruffed grouse and wild turkeys, but are avoided by deer and rabbits. The Christmas fern fiddleheads should not be eaten by humans.

What is a frosty fern?

A frosty fern is a petite, desktop size plant now just few inches tall. Its fronds have creamy white naturally 'frosted' edges. The newest leaves are pale and grow. at the edges of the branchlets. This gives the plant its frosted appearance.

How do you separate Christmas ferns?

When separating a fern, you first need to remove it from its old pot or dig up the clump. Once it's out, brush off and shake loose as much soil as you can. It may not be much, as ferns tend to have very tight, interlocking root balls. Next, use a long serrated knife to cut the root ball either into halves or quarters.

What ferns can be planted outside?

Types of wood ferns ideal for outdoor growing include the autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora), crested buckler-fern (Dryopteris cristata), leatherleaf fern (Rumohra adiantiformis), and marginal wood fern (Dryopteris marginalis).