Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Ferns

Q. Can I propagate a fern through cuttings? Thanks.

A. No, I am sorry you cannot. They do not prop that way with any success to speak of. The best way to propagate ferns is to divide them. They readily split and send up new growth from the roots. That is why ferns are so thick and clumpy.

Take the pot and lay on newspaper, knock the fern out and gently shake off some soil. Break the plant apart and you will see that there are up to a dozen or so plants in there. That is how we separated ferns in the greenhouses and never had to buy new ones.

By breaking up one, we were able to get so many new ones and potted them into their own 4 inch pot with loose organic, soft potting mix made for ferns. Do not use heavy soil, or they will rot.

Keep evenly watered and shaded until they start to form more roots and show signs of growing. Feed when they are well-established, with a general house plant food, once a month. Never allow to dry out, or the lower fronds will shed leaves like crazy!

Q. I have moved from one house to another and I'm concerned about my fern. During moving the fern dried out and I need to know if it's better to cut the dried and dead leaves or pull them from the soil. Does the fern do better in sunny, partly sunny or sunless rooms? I heard they like the moisture in showers. I think the plant is still healthy and I'd like to help it grow.

A. Ferns can be a wonderful and easy to grow house plant. I have some ideas for you to try out and get your plant back to a good growing specimen.

Using sharp, clean scissors, cut off all dead frond stems as close to the soil line as possible. You do not want to tug them as it will damage the roots. You also do not want to leave dead stems near the soil as it could lead to disease and possible rot.

Ferns do well in good light but inside they do not care for strong direct sunlight. Filtered light through curtains, sheers or diffused by other plants closer to the windows give the amount of light they desire and need to thrive. early morning sun is better as the PM western light is stronger and may lead to leaf burn and death.

Ferns are natives to woodsy forests. They love moisture in the air [high humidity]. You can use a sprayer with tepid tap water and mist the leaves regularly when not in the light. Place saucers under the pots, filled with tiny pebbles and place water in them. Have the bottom of the pot elevated above the water so that it does not sit directly in it which would lead to root rot.

Bathrooms or kitchens are excellent spots for ferns, given good light coupled with higher humidity, from running water in sinks, baths and showers.

Q. There are many kinds of indoor ferns. I have been trying to find ferns that I can grow in the shade by my garage. Would you please give some names of ferns that I can try to find?

A. Yes, there are many which grow both indoors and outdoors, since the house plants merely are ones from the wilds which perform well indoors, can take lower light and humidity, need little care except water and some food now and again, and repotting every couple years. Here is a list to look for at your local nursery and garden centers:

Northern Maidenhair Adiantum pedatum
Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
Lady Fern Athyrium filix-femina
Japanese Painted Fern Athyrium nipponicum var. pictum
Hay-scented Fern Dennsteadtia punctilobula
Leather Wood Fern Dryopteris marginalis
Ostrich Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris
Sensitive Fern Onoclea sensibilis
Cinnamon Fern Osmunda cinnamomea
Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides

Others I have thought of are: Rabbit's Foot Fern Spiny Wood Fern Bracken Fern

If it is an outdoor nursery, looks healthy, buy one of it and see how it does in your semi-shaded spots. If it dies, you have not lost much. If it does well, go plant more and care for them to enjoy!

Judy writes~
When I got home from the hospital, my fern's "undergrowth" was all brown and dead and I had to give it a haircut. Then that looked ugly, so I set it on the floor, where the brown isn't visible. Will it ever recoup, or always be thin and ugly?

A. First of all, I did not know you were hospitalized. I hope you are all right. I spent 1.5 months in and out of Kaiser and sure hated it, but they saved my life. Sure was close. I lost 50 pounds, but now have most of it back, darn. I wondered where you were. I hope you did not think me rude asking of you lately!

Sad about the fern. You did the right thing though. You need to cut off the dead, brown, dying and yellow fronds as they are really now garbage and wear on a plant besides look horrible and sickly. A haircut was in order and all plants that I know respond so very well. I am constantly doing that to my African violets and do they ever smile within two weeks and start new growth. It really spurs them on, like go for it now, or else...!

Yes, I have great hope for your plant. In the nursery, we had 1000s of Boston Ferns which I had men cut back when they did not sell. Within weeks, they were ready for the trucks.

Now, watch the watering. By cutting back a plant's foliage, you decrease the amount of water needed to supply the lower amount of leaves. If you have half the leaves, the plant will need half the water.

Keep back out of any sunlight, more than before. Reduced light, but not shade will aid in its recovery. As new growth appears, gradually increase the light by moving it closer to the window or removing taller plants which are between it and the window. providing shade.

Do not feed again until you see new growth and then at only 1/2 the regular strength, maybe every 3-4 weeks. When lots of growth is coming on strong, give it good indirect light and full amounts of both water and fertilizer.

Julles writes~
My staghorn fern is doing well in a basket made from a deep-fryer basket. But now, two years later, it's putting out some new baby round brown leaves, and one of them has a new green leaf shooting from it. Should I keep these on the original plant, or try to divide it and have a fresh plant? Also, one of them is coming out in the back of the planter, facing the fence, which would make it hard for it to grow.

A. I love the staghorn ferns, have seen some bigger than 6 feet in diameter here in Golden Gate Park, but have never separated one. So, I searched and found a great website with info and pictures. Here is what The Fern Factory [http://www.fernfactory.com/sho p/propagation/division.asp] says:

Staghorn propagation by division, a step by step guide. Taking a butter knife, cut 2 to 3 inches deep and 3 to 5 inches around the center of plant.

You may be able to pull the plant out by cutting around the bottom half only.

Use a piece of redwood or cedar for the mounting board. Cut a hole in the middle of the chicken wire as shown here.

Place plant in the hole and put a pile of moss on the board, then place plant on top. Staple the chicken wire to board on 3 sides and add a hook or hole to hang by. Add more moss to opening on top, then water thoroughly.

I would let the side shoots get fairly big before I would attempt to separate them from the mother plant. The one in the back should come off as it will suffer due to lack of light. The side ones in the front may be left there to fill in. It would be a judgment call later on as you watch its growth and if they are getting crowded out for dear life. then, I would do as above, but only if you feel that they would grow better on their own. There is always the danger of losing the small pup as they can be cal led, so allow to get fairly established with its own root system.

Grits writes~ How do I split a staghorn fern?

A. Staghorn Fern [Platycerium bifurcatum]

Propagation is the same as with most ferns either from spores or removal of pups growing from the base of the parent plant. Older plants may develop these new growing points, called pups, to the side of the original. If this occurs, these shoots can be carefully removed and established on their own piece of bark. This is accomplished by first wrapping the roots in damp sphagnum and then tying the root ball tightly to the bark with cotton string. Eventually, the roots and sterile frond will grip the bark and support the plant.

Most staghorns purchased will be growing in a pot. This is fine, yet overwatering is a problem. For a more dramatic and healthier plant, mount on a piece of wood such as cedar or redwood. Direct sun is not beneficial to staghorns and will burn them. Filte red sunlight to shade is best. Allow the soil to dry in between waterings to avoid rot of sterile fronds and mount.

I hope that you enjoy this unusual fern. They grow up to 6 feet across here in Golden Gate Park!