If you notice signs of infection, you can try removing the snails, worms, and slugs by hand. Meanwhile, diluted isopropyl alcohol and neem oil can help with mealybugs and scales. How to Care for Boston Ferns in Hanging Baskets There are two ways that you can grow Boston ferns in the ground. Choosing between them depends on the available space and whether you want to keep companion plants in the same spot. Similar to 'Golden Boston,' Nephrolepis exaltata'Rita's Gold'also grows yellow, almost chartreuse, fronds. It shimmers in the sunlight and compliments impatiens and begonias in a container setting.

Garden Guides | How to Care for a Hanging Boston Fern Garden Guides | How to Care for a Hanging Boston Fern

The best soil to choose here is something with a lot of organic matter content, high moisture retaining power, but just enough drainage to keep mold and mildew away.

Brown spots on the undersides of the leaves are naturally occurring spores and nothing to worry about. It’s best to prune your ferns before wintertime. Leave only newly sprouted fronds on your plant; this is especially true if you bring your plant inside because it prevents your plant from dropping all of its old leaves.

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

Anyone can grow Boston ferns outside in containers. You still need to follow the same recommendations as growing them outdoors, but you can bring the plants inside as houseplants for the winter or allow them to die and start a new plant next year. If you don’t have room to display your fern indoors and merely want it to remain semi-dormant but alive until spring, you can place it in a bright location in a seldom used room, setting the thermostat in that room to between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. That should keep the humidity higher and the necessity for frequent watering lower. However, some cultivars, such as ‘Dallas’ and ‘Kimberly Queen,’ tolerate low humidity better than the original Boston fern does. Propagating Boston FernGrowing on pebble trays and using manual misters once or twice every week are also possible fixes, but they rarely suffice on their own. Some people might even use the natural humidity around kitchens and bathrooms to boost the plant’s growth. 4 – Boston Fern Watering Needs: Moderate For instance, the Florida Ruffle will appreciate a higher humidity level than the Dallas Jewel cultivar. However, 50% is usually a good place to start with tropical plants. Start by preparing your workspace – I like to do this outdoors, but you can also cut a plastic garbage bag and work there. Remove your fern from its cover and inner pot, and place fern-side up on your work surface. Slice into the root ball like a cake, using a sterile, serrated knife, and divide into the desired number of sections. Re-pot your new ferns in new containers with fresh soil, and water thoroughly. pruning 🌿 Instead, you can lift the basket up with your hands to see how heavy it is. A soil mix that still has enough water will be significantly heavier than a fern that’s desperate for water.