If you have any shady, damp areas, Boston ferns are an excellent option to give some color to these areas. For instance, both the Dallas and Whitmanii cultivars can be suitable options for people who can’t keep up with the humidity levels since they can tolerate drier conditions.

Boston Fern - The Spruce How to Grow and Care For Boston Fern - The Spruce

Similar to 'Golden Boston,' Nephrolepis exaltata'Rita's Gold'also grows yellow, almost chartreuse, fronds. As well as being a popular house plant option indoors, this evergreen fern is a popular outdoor plant. In fact, somewhere out there in Virginia, a family managed to keep their Boston fern thriving for a whopping 114 years! Mist frequently until you see the prothallia sprout, and then water the seedlings on a regular schedule to maintain moist soil conditions.

You can use a garden trowel to separate indoor plants, and a spade shovel to carefully pull apart outdoor plants. This condition can be treated naturally by simply repotting the plant in a sterile container and discarding the diseased soil in the process. Feed the plant with either a water-soluble fertilizer or add a slow-release fertilizer in the spring.

How to grow Boston fern - BBC Gardeners World Magazine How to grow Boston fern - BBC Gardeners World Magazine

However, Boston fern care indoors—in low-humidity air-conditioned or heated homes—can prove challenging. Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Provided that you use a slightly acidic soil mix rich in organic matter, you’ll only need to use fertilizers sparingly. Don’t get a much larger pot than your current one because the excess potting soil could cause too much moisture retention that leads to root rot. Boston Ferns need consistent water to thrive, and it’s important to make sure this plant’s soil never dries out completely.In your home garden, you’ll need to mimic that by providing around two hours of indirect sunlight every day. If you’re not sure where your city lies in terms of hardiness zones, you can always check out the ranges on the USDA map. Meanwhile, you can move it a little further from the window when the sun gets more intense in the summer to avoid over-drying the soil and burning the leaf tips. Sprinkling coarse substances over the soil, such as eggshells or diatomaceous earth, is another solution.

Boston Fern Care Guide (Everything You Need to Know) Boston Fern Care Guide (Everything You Need to Know)

For instance, if you have begonias growing somewhere in your backyard, you can pair them with the fern. If you have plenty of patience, you can try cultivating the spores on the undersides of the leaves – wait until they are brown are crispy, then place on top of a tray of moist compost, misting them to keep them moist. The bushy fronds help warm up the roots during the winter and provide shade during the scorching summer.The division method works best for potted Boston ferns because it requires removing the plant from its medium. Outdoor care of Boston fern differs in zones where it is perennial, since ferns growing in fertile ground generally don’t require feeding. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. It looks especially good in a hanging planter or on a plant stand, where it can cascade over the sides. Like several other fern species, Boston fern is a slow grower and is best planted outdoors in the fall or spring or indoors year-round.