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Do you have a boston fern that is starting to look a little overgrown and shabby? Boston ferns are a beautiful addition to any home, but they must be pruned regularly to stay healthy. Just how does one prune boston ferns, you ask?
To achieve the shape you desire for your plants outdoor or indoor, while promoting vibrant growth, carefully trim away all the fronds that are dead, embracing the arrival of new growth in late winter and early spring. With sharp scissors in hand, cut back older fronds that may turn brown, ensuring the fern’s outer edges remain pristine.
Witness the beauty as new fronds unfurl, while occasionally trimming any yellow leaves or brown leaves. These top tips for pruning boston fern plants stand as a testament to your horticultural prowess.
How to Prune a Boston Fern – Keep It Healthy!
Are you worried about the dead fronds? Use our tips on how to prune boston ferns to keep your houseplant in top health. Like other plants, these beautiful plants need basic boston fern pruning and upkeep to ensure they stay growing healthy and beautiful. However, even beginners find this an easy task.
Pruning boston ferns is comparatively simple. You can prune them in the new spring before the new growth begins or when the new development comes in.
If you desire to create a shape, you can give the plant a good trim around its edges. When growing ferns indoors, we make sure to cut off dead or dried fronds when they appear.
Method of Pruning Boston Ferns
Let’s Look at the Basic Method of How to Prune a Boston Fern
First, Gather Your Plant and the Necessary Equipment.
Whenever you are pruning boston fern, make sure to always use clean pruning tools, like sharp pruning shears or scissors. Since pruning can be messy, for a good reason you probably want to transport the plants outside or place an old sheet in the territory to get the cuttings.
You don’t need to crop the top of the plant when pruning a boston fern. Instead, trim off the side fronds at the base.
Examine the Pruning Information for Your Specific Plant
Some of the ferns, such as the Giant Chain Fern, that you must avoid pruning in early spring. It is best to let the old green ones die out by themselves in the middle of the summer months. If you do not, you can cause damage to the plant.
- Remove fronds once it all dies. Leaving dead or damaged fronds offers a place for fungi and pests to grow.
Cut Back the Old Foliage First in The Spring to Make Boston Fern Pruning Easier
It is the easiest way to cut back the fern in the spring before the new leaves appear within a few weeks. You should be capable of seeing the tightly rolled fiddleheads, also called crosiers, in a crown on the plant.
Cut the wilting foliage more than the crown with a pair of gardening shears.
Trim off the Dead Branches after the New One Comes in
On the other hand, you can wait until the new growth comes in to cut off the old fronds.
It is the best way to do this early in the season—shear off the dead branches near the head to make your plant improved and prettier.
- You can cut out any older fronds that aren’t still dead but look unkempt. As mentioned before, dead or less healthy fronds provide a breeding ground for pests and disease. Keep your plant clean for the best health.
Trim off the Dead Branches after the New One Comes in
On the other hand, you can wait until the new growth comes in to cut off the old fronds.
It is the best way to do this early in the season—shear off the dead branches near the head to make your plant improved and prettier.
- You can cut out any older fronds that aren’t still dead but look unkempt. As mentioned before, dead or less healthy fronds provide a breeding ground for pests and disease. Keep your plant clean for the best health.
Cut off the Outer Edges of the Fronds to Develop the Desired Shape:
If you do not like how your fern is shaped, directly trim off the outer edges up to your liking. You can use sharp scissors or kitchen shears to do the trimming.
- It is best to trim the outer edges after removing dead fronds and leaves that turn yellow.
- You should keep in mind that the tips turn brown if you cut off the edges.
Trim a Transplanted Fern by Moiety to Help it Thrive:
Whenever you move a fern, it needs help getting settled in its new location. Some growers prefer to prune off as many as half of the fronds. This reduces the water your fern needs to support itself.
- The technique lets the plant focus more attention on getting its roots settled.
- Don’t worry. One time the plant is settled, it grows back, usually very strong.
Avoid Pruning Right Before Winter
Cutting off dead or dying fronds at the beginning of winter can be fascinating. However, those fronds help to protect the root crown throughout the winter.
- In essential words, leaving the old fronds set up can help your plant endure the icy winter and return in the spring. This method is especially useful for winterizing boston ferns and keeping boston ferns over winter, ensuring they survive the colder months and flourish again when the weather warms up.
Method of Trimming Ferns Indoors
Cut off The Dead Leaflet as They Seem
How to trim a Boston fern indoors? Start with a cutting tool. Use a fine set of scissors to cut off the leaflet.
The dead booklet will be brown or black. Cut them near the base of the brochure, just before the joint. You can use a sharp pair of scissors or a small team of garden shears.
Remove Any Leaflet Infected with Scales
Scales are small insects that badly attack your plants. They are tiny, reddish-brown, and flat.
- Whenever scales attack the plant, it will develop yellow leaves or brown leaves and may weaken. Look for rankings underneath the leaves along the vein or on the stems.
- Scales can be spread, so remove any leaflet you see with shears or scissors. If you have a bad infestation, you probably desire to throw out the houseplant so the scales do not expand to other houseplants.
- Outside ferns also get scales, but you should try controlling them with oil-based spray pesticides instead of pruning.
Chop the Root Runners that will Hang Over the Side of the Pot
Some of the ferns will get runners, slightly like a strawberry plant, except a portion of the plant’s root way.
These will be brown and woody. Cut ferns near the soil in the pot with shears or scissors to raise your plant’s health.
- These leafless runners are challenging energy from your plant. By cutting them, you allow your plant to focus on other vital areas.
- Note: you might try planting these root runners to grow new plants.
Cut Back to the Base if Desired
If you do not like your fern’s look at all, you can cut it down to just above the crown, much as you do with outdoor plants. It would help if you used clear and clean scissors to cut off the leaflet. If you’re wondering how to trim hanging ferns, it’s the same process.
When & How to Prune a Boston Fern
While routine trimming off discolored and unattractive dead foliage can be performed at any time, you will severe pruning is best skilled in spring or early summer. The best time for pruning is during repotting when plants can be drastically cut back. Boston fern plants respond well to critical pruning, supporting more prolific, bushy growth and correcting dull, leggy growth.
Whenever you prune boston ferns, you always use clean and sharp pruning shears or scissors. While the pruning process can be messy, you probably want to move the plant outdoors or place an old sheet in the area to grab the cuttings.
You don’t need to crop the top of the plant when you prune Boston fern plants. You also have to remove old, discolored brochures near the soil to permit new growth and healthy growth to come through.
Remove the unattractive stems to the ground as well. Cut the remaining part of the plant along the outer edges to the desired shape.
Also, you should cut the entire plant back to the base if necessary.
Video Credit: @epicgardening
To Summarize, How to Prune a Boston Fern
Pruning a boston fern is not just a horticultural task; it is an act of mindfulness and attentiveness to the unique needs of this botanical companion. The knowledge gained extends beyond the realm of gardening, becoming a metaphor for the importance of intentional care and periodic rejuvenation in our own lives.
As we witness the revitalized and flourishing boston fern pruning, it becomes a living testament to our commitment to its welfare. The lush, rejuvenated new foliage not only graces our living spaces but also serves as a reminder of the symbiotic relationship we share with nature. Ultimately, the act of pruning transcends a mere grooming technique; it is an expression of our stewardship, fostering a healthier, more vibrant life for our boston ferns and, by extension, enriching our own connection to the ever-evolving tapestry of the natural world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Causing My Brown Fronds on My Boston Fern?
Brown fronds indicate that that area is dead. This can happen from soggy roots, sunburn, or other conditions.
Clip off the brown frond area. Your Boston Fern will recover and grown new green ferns.
My Friend Suggested I Lightly Prune Deciduous Ferns in the Fall. Is She Correct?
We suggest that you lightly prune deciduous ferns whenever needed. In fact, ours get a tiny trim about 4 times a year, although occasionally they need it more frequently. Use your judgement and remember that no matter how often you trim indoor ferns, they typically continue producing new fronds.
Are Indoor Ferns and Outdoor Ferns the Same in Terms of Growth and Care?
Yes, if everything else is equal, but that rarely occurs. Both Indoor and outdoor ferns love indirect lighting, a good spritz, and fresh, but humid air. If both ferns indoor or outdoor are not getting the basics, they won’t thrive as well.
What Are the Evergreen Ferns?
We like to think that our Boston ferns are evergreen and indeed, they do provide that as indoor ferns. However, the true Evergreen fern is called the Autumn Fern. You might find wild ones in a woodland setting and they are indeed beautiful.
My Indoor Fern's Fronds Never Seem to Stop Growing. Is There Something I Can Do to Slow the Growth?
It is possible to slow their growth by delaying your repotting time. Another alternative is more frequent pruning.
You might trim indoor ferns as often as you like. I know some people lightly prune deciduous ferns when kept as indoor ferns on a monthly basis.
Another help is to reduce your fertilizing slightly. Fertilizer helps them grow. You don’t want to stop that healthy growth, but slowing it might be advantageous.
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