Most ferns are perennial (they come back year after year) and can be either evergreen (maintaining their foliage year-round) or deciduous (shedding their leaves for the winter months).

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GROWING FERNS

The following is a partial list of likes and dislikes of most ferns (indoor and outdoor).

    DISLIKES
Strong Sunlight
High Winds
Dryness at Root-zone

    LIKES
Protection from high winds
Enough space to grow to mature size
Undisturbed root environment
Filtered sun/shade

Most wild ferns prefer a moist woodland habitat with high humidity. However, there are ferns suited for all environments from rock cliffs to swampy bogs.  Through research you can find the right fern for your landscape.

ENVIRONMENT and CULTURE:  Ferns thrive in open, shaded areas—in the filtered light found under a canopy of mature trees.  The North side of the house works equally as well.  In areas that experience cold, wet winters, the best time for planting is in the springtime. Because ferns are sensitive to excess fertilizers, spreading  slow-release fertilizer or well-rotted organic matter is recommended. Ferns prefer slightly acidic soils with a high percentage of humus which aids in water retention and proper drainage.

PESTS and CONTROL:  Ferns are sensitive to insecticides; therefore, it is better to attack pest problems in non-toxic ways to insure healthy plants.  Slugs and snails are a fern’s worst enemy in the garden.  To prevent slug and snail damage try some of the following tactics:
· Scatter shallow dishes of beer throughout the garden.
· Use overturned grapefruit shells.
· Remove debris that could harbor pests and diseases.

1. Keep the rhizome/crown above or at surface level.
2. Do not damage crowns – this is where the fronds and roots develop.
3. Do not use rakes or hoes around fern plantings.
4. Create a path between ferns so that you do not damage fern crowns by walking on them.
5. Mulch with fine pine bark, pine needles, or compost – apply a new layer every year.

COMPANION PLANTS

The following shade-loving plants will add a splash of color to your woodland fern landscape.

• Creeping Phlox – Phlox stolonifera
• Hardy Begonia – Begonia grandis
• Green Dragon – Arisaema dracontium
• Jack-in-the-pulpit – Arisaema triphyllum

Dunk, Gillean. 
Ferns: A Comprehensive Guide to Growing Ferns for the Home Gardener. Sydney, Australia: Agnus and Robertson, 1994.

Foster, F. Gordon. 
Ferns to Know and Grow. Revised Edition. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, 1984.

MacHugh, Andrew. 
The Cultivation of Ferns. London, England,  Batsford, 1992.

Perl, Philip. 
Ferns. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1997.

For Additional Information
The American Fern Society
456 McGill Place
Atlanta, Georgia  30312-1049
 

To achieve a natural fern colony in your garden, grow some of these colonizing ferns.  These ferns have creeping rhizomes that allow them to spread quickly.
 

• Ostrich Feather Fern – Matteuccia struthiopteris
• Soft Shield Fern – Polystichum setiferum
• American Maidenhair Fern -  Adiantum pedatum
• Evergreen Maidenhair Fern -  Adiantum venustrum

FERNS AS CONTAINER PLANTS

Many people are familiar with the use of ferns as indoor houseplants; you can even buy them in the grocery store!  Some ferns will thrive as houseplants if their environmental requirements are satisfied.

LIGHT:  Indoor ferns need bright light.  Direct sun would scorch the leaves; however, a southern exposure, with a light curtain or that is shaded by an outdoor tree should provide sufficient light during the winter months.  During the summer months this light would be too harsh for the ferns, so we suggest moving them to a northern or eastern location that receives unfiltered light (free of tree branches or curtains).

WATER & HUMIDITY:  Container ferns should be watered when the soil surface feels dry to the touch.  Allow water to run freely from the bottom of the container but do not allow the pot to sit in standing water.

As one would expect, growing ferns indoors requires extra effort on the part of the grower to provide a humid environment.  Home growers often use the following techniques:

• Grouping ferns together
• Setting containers on gravel-filled trays filled with water
• Misting ferns