The Easy Steps to Planting Ferns

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Laura Coit

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Ferns make wonderful companions to wildflowers and seasonal bulbs in a woodland garden. Most species need moist, well-drained soil that’s high in organic matter, so before planting, give your ferns a boost by amending your planting holes with a little compost. In the spring, watch for the delicate shoots (called fiddleheads) to emerge from the soil. Within a few weeks, they’ll unfold to those familiar feathery fronds. To give your ferns a good growing start, just follow the steps show in the pictures and described in their captions.

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Step 1: Prepare the bed, then gently invert the plant in its nursery container, supporting the fern. Flex the container to remove the plant, taking care to avoid damaging its fronds or roots.

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Step 2: Mark the planting point based on your garden plan and the spacing requirements as indicated on the plant tag. Dig a planting hole as wide as and 2 inches deeper than the nursery container. Add approximately 2 inches of organic matter to the hole.

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Step 3: Place the fern in the hole, positioning it so the top of the root mass is slightly above the surrounding soil surface. Add or remove soil to level the plant.

Facts

Woodland gardens are characterized by their dappled, tree-cast shade. Plants are arranged in layers: an overstory of tall trees, an understory of smaller trees and medium-height shrubs, and a final floor level of low-stature perennials and groundcovers. Ornamental grasses, groundcovers and ferns all work well in this natural garden setting.

Faqs

Q: What are some neat ferns to include in my shady wooded areas?
A: Unusual decorative ferns, such as the hay-scented fern, Japanese lace and painted ferns, lady fern, maidenhair fern, ostrich fern, royal fern, shield fern and Western sword fern make for interesting color variation and shadows across a woodland floor. Visit the Learn2Grow Plant Database for more information.

Come to The Garden Party and share your fern plantings with the rest of the Learn2Grow community! Post some pictures of your perennial beauties, create a blog, or ask our experts or other home gardeners for more great ideas on how to use ferns in the landscape.

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