You can prune them in early spring before the new growth begins, or even when the new growth comes in. If you want to create a shape, you can trim around the edges of the plant. When growing ferns indoors, just be sure to cut off dead or dried fronds when they appear.
Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. To prune your outdoor ferns, use gardening shears to cut back the old foliage during spring, which will make it easier to cut through the new growth in the summer. Starting early in the summer, trim off the dead branches near the crown to keep your plant healthy. Continue to prune your fern throughout the summer, but avoid pruning right before winter, since the dying fronds will help protect the root crown throughout the winter.
For more advice from our Horticultural co-author, including how trim a potted fern, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy.
Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Check the pruning information for your specific plant. And, that's what causes the messiness, which is difficult to clean out from among so many other living fronds.
To avoid this mish-mash mess, instead 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. Each of those fists will unfurl delicate fronds as the days of spring lengthen, forming a fresh new plant for the rest of the year.
By making the cuts at the end of winter and just before the growth surge begins for spring, you will avoid the problem of snapping off tender, new growth as you cut.
Plus, you will have enjoyed the prior year's fronds from the moment they surge forth in spring all the way through winter -- without ever looking at brown, dried out fronds. And, you'll only look at cut-down plants for a couple of weeks before they rise into beautiful new growth for the year ahead. And while you're out cutting back those evergreen ferns, go ahead and cut back your evergreen groundcovers nearby.
Humid air also supports fern health. Use room humidifiers inside, or place individual potted ferns atop a layer of stones in a drain tray partially filled with water. Fertilize minimally in spring as new vegetation emerges; most people over-fertilize, which can cause fronds to turns brown, starting at the tips and working back. Use fish emulsion fertilizer at half strength, because ferns are particularly sensitive to the soluble salts in commercial fertilizers, or side-dress plants instead with well-rotted manure.
Fronds of ferns unroll in spring and then grow upward and outward as they mature. The entire frond is the general equivalent of a leaf; healthy fronds are necessary for photosynthesis, or the process of producing plant energy.
Cut back seriously damaged fronds of herbaceous ferns when you notice them, removing them all the way to the plant base. Avoid pruning the top of the plant but clip off older side fronds which are shading the new growth, again at soil level. Finish the pruning by clipping the outer edges of the fern to the desired shape. Minimize touching the healthy fronds while pruning to avoid causing brown spots to form on the foliage.
Heavy pruning, even to pruning back the entire plant, is best left to late winter, early spring just as new growth is beginning. Throughout the winter, be vigilant to detect any pest problems in order to treat problems early.
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