Ferns are a popular houseplant due to their graceful drooping leaves and their lush green appearance. These beautiful plants thrive in warmth and humidity, making them ideal summer plants. Although they are very simple plants that require basic and minimal care during the summers, it is the winters where their real care starts.

 

If you wish to grow your ferns through the next summers, you will need some care tips on ferns. We have listed below the main ways to care for ferns during the winter months.

 

 

Where to plant the ferns?

Place the ferns in a comfortable bedroom, kitchen, or a bathroom. These places must have indirect sunlight and be kept at a 4-7 feet distance from the window. Direct sunlight is harsh for the ferns. Also keep it away from places that have heat registers.

 

 

 

 

 

Humidity levels

Ferns love moisture, and with the winters heating is on. This makes the air dry. For this reason, misting the ferns regularly is a good idea, but an even better option is to keep a humidifier on where the ferns are placed. They require 40 to 50 percent humidity, so don’t let the air dry out.

 

 

Water and feed

During the winters, ferns do not need to be over watered as they do in the summers. When the first frost appears, water the ferns and place them indoors. Water only when the soil becomes dry then. Do not fertilize the ferns in the winters.

 

 

 

Clipping

Clip off and dead fronds of the ferns. This means all dead leave that turn brown have to be removed immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Room temperature

The ferns should be in an environment of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter. Do not let the temperature fall below 40 degrees, as this can kill the plant.

 

 

 

Division

If the fern overgrows, divide it in several pots. This can be done by removing it from the main pot and cutting through the roots. Then placing them in 50 percent moss soil mix in different pots. Ferns can reach in 5 feet sizes and turn unwieldy, so divide when the plant looks bushy.

 

 

 

 

 

When to take it back outside?

Once the last frost is over, take your ferns out. Leave it out for a few hours a day and then gradually increase the time until it is used to being outdoors again. Let it stay outdoors throughout the summers, until next winters arrive.