Care Of Boston Ferns In Winter

Care of boston ferns in winter

Find a Spot: Basements, garages, barns, a cool corner of a room would all be good locations for overwintering your ferns. Ferns need moderate, indirect lighting. Keep them away from a southern facing window, as the harsh light can burn the edges of the fronds.

Can Boston ferns stay outside all winter?

In USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11, Boston ferns can be grown outdoors year-round. During the dormant season, their need for supplemental irrigation and fertilization will be greatly reduced.

When should I bring my Boston ferns inside for the winter?

Before the first frost of the fall is the perfect time to bring potted ferns indoors for the winter.

Can potted ferns survive the winter?

Bring the Plants Indoors Ferns grown in containers outdoors may survive the winter in very cold climates if you bring them indoors.

Do you cut back Boston ferns for winter?

Ferns do not need to be cut back for the winter unless you are bringing a potted fern indoors to grow during the cold weather season. Your fern has most likely grown fairly large during the summer. It is a good idea to cut back the plant before you bring it indoors.

Where should I store my ferns for the winter?

For best results, you need to find a location that is cool, but protected from freezing conditions. For many, a basement works great, but a garage, or even a corner in a cool room in the house works well too. Ferns do not require full sun or bright light to survive through the winter months.

What is the lowest temperature a Boston fern can tolerate?

One of the oldest plants in the world, Boston Ferns like bright but indirect sunlight and optimum temperatures of 60°F – 75°F /15°C – 24°C but will tolerate temperatures as low as 50°F /10°C.

How do you keep a Boston fern alive indoors?

Situate Boston ferns indoors in bright, indirect sunlight away from drafty doors and heating vents. Provide as much humidity as possible and carefully monitor the soil to ensure plants stay consistently moist. You can set the plants on pebble trays filled with water, so long as the pot does not sit in standing water.

Do ferns need to be cut down for the winter?

Pruning evergreen ferns To avoid a mish-mash mess, cut all of the fronds from your fern to the ground late each winter or early each spring. Once all of the fronds are cut down, each plant should look like a tiny, curled fist on the ground.

How do you move a fern indoors for winter?

Windows that do not face the south can work well for ferns, but again, indirect lighting a bit away from any window is the best choice of all. Water your ferns through the winter only when the soil completely dries out. Ferns suffer more from over-watering than under-watering.

What does Epsom salt do for ferns?

They help in chlorophyll production, healthy plant growth, and resistance against diseases and pest. Both of them are required if you want to grow Lush and Green Ferns.

How cold is too cold for Boston ferns outside?

Boston ferns thrive in temperatures in the 60s and 70s but can tolerate an occasional blast of cold air of 40 to 50 degrees for a few hours.

Can Boston ferns be cut back in the fall?

Yes, you may prune your lovely Boston ferns (botanical name – Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis') and in fact, they may appreciate a light fall pruning to enhance their vigour. Always disinfect your pruning tools to prevent the transmission of plant diseases such as fungi, viruses and bacteria.

Can I cut my Boston fern all the way back?

Also remove old, discolored fronds near the soil to allow new growth to come through. Remove the unsightly stems to the base as well. The remainder of the plant can be clipped along the outer edges to the desired shape. Likewise, you may choose to cut the entire plant back to the base if necessary.

Can you put ferns in garage for winter?

You don't have to provide your ferns with a light source (even a dark spot is okay), and you don't have to give them any special care. Because they'll simply go dormant for the winter. Just find a spot in your basement or garage that doesn't get below 45 degrees, and your ferns should overwinter beautifully.

What temperature should you bring your ferns inside?

These plants do best when the daytime temperature ranges from 65-75°F, and about 10° cooler at night (as low as 55°F). Most ferns you'll find as houseplants hail from tropical or sub-tropical regions, so they'll start to suffer when temperatures dip lower than 50°F.

Are ferns OK at 32 degrees?

If a fern is hanging on a porch, you need to move it where it is under the overhang so it won't become frostbitten. Sheltered this way, you can leave a fern out when it's 28 to 32 degrees.

Can Boston ferns be left outside?

Can a Boston Fern be Grown Outside? Although Boston fern is often grown as a houseplant, it thrives outdoors in warm, humid climates in USDA zones 9 to 11. With adequate moisture, the plant may tolerate drier climates. Frost may kill the fern to the ground, but it will rebound in spring.

Can Boston fern survive winter indoors?

Just make sure you bring those pots indoors before a harsh frost. Boston Ferns can only survive temperatures down to around 20-40 degrees and can only survive the high end of that range when handing in a pot.

Should I spray water on my Boston fern?

Boston ferns like their soil damp almost all the time. Water yours at least once a week, but be sure to do a soil touch test to determine how frequently yours actually becomes thirsty. If the soil is dry, give it a bath with a spray hose.