Fern Help-Overwintering

I have two huge ferns I'm attempting to overwinter in my house. They were purchased at the local Home Depot to hang on my front porch, and they did beautifully. Not having the heart to let them freeze, I've brough them in, and now they're making an aweful mess, dropping fronds everywhere!!! They still look fairly green but have a lot of dead stuff on the bottoms and underneathes. So here's my question...should I wack them back a bit? Can you trim ferns like that? Do you cut off the whole stem or just the part that's dead? I'm guessing these are your typical run of the mill Boston ferns...I'm great with general houseplants when it comes to cutting them back, but I'm afraid I know little to nothing about pruning ferns!!! Help, anyone?

-gt-er-

GTer, go ahead, whack 'em back!! Take off all that dead stuff, its not necessary to cut the whole frond, just what's dead. The rest of the frond may die, but probably not for awhile Then to keep him happy during the winter, give him bright light but no sun, and keep him moderately moist. Good luck!

I'm trying something new..... I have found if you cut them way back it takes forever for them to sprout out a good bushy set of fronds next summer, so I just clean up the unbelievable mess, normally that is...... This year I'm tucking them in clear plastic trash bags, tying them off on top, placing them in good strong light, walla their own mini-greenhouse. I plan on checking them every couple of weeks in regard to moisture. I have probably have a total of 25 never really stopped to count them, most several years old.

Today, I started placing them in bags which I bought at Sam's Club drum liners.

What leaves fall will already be in a trash bag but they will have the fronds to to sustain them somewhat.

Judy

www.puppygal.com/house.html
Click here for pictures of some of my plants which I'm sure included ferns.

This message was edited Nov 30, 2004 8:04 PM

Judy, your gardens are very beautiful.

Thank You, I just have way too much of everything, but I can't stand to toss them on the compost pile so in to the rooting powder go broken limbs, etc. plus I'm a sucker for almost give away prices..... lol lol lol