Planting Bare Root and Potted Ferns

Planting and Caring for Ferns: Your Guide to Lush, Shaded Gardens!

Site Selection: Plant ferns in lightly shaded to fully shaded areas. They prefer moist, rich humus soil with a slightly acidic pH range of 5.3 to 5.5.
Soil Amendments: Add sphagnum peat moss to the soil for moisture retention and to increase acidity as it decomposes. Use aged compost mix and aged manure mix for soil building.

Hole Preparation: Dig holes 8 to 14 inches wide and approximately 12 to 14 inches deep, or at least several inches deeper and wider than the container the plants are grown in. Pour water into the hole until it is about 2 inches deep and allow it to soak into the soil.
Removing Plant from Container: Tap the container bottom on the ground and cup the base of the plant and top of the container with one hand. Tip the container over and gently pry the plant's root system out of the pot.
Root Preparation: Hold the root system with soil in both hands and gently pull the bottom to loosen it, allowing the roots to stretch. Comb through twisted roots with your fingers to straighten them out.
Planting Depth: Hold the plant steady at the base of the trunk, slightly above ground level, over the hole. Fill the hole with soil around the root system, lightly pressing every few inches.
Watering: Water the plant again to fill up to 2 inches of the hole. Add more soil if the level drops and lightly press down.
Mulching: Apply 2 to 3 inches of shredded bark mulch or aged compost mix, forming a well around the base of each plant.

First Month: Water the plant every 2 to 3 days, adjusting for deep rainfall days. Gradually phase into less frequent watering to allow the plant to find moisture on its own.
Summer: Water more frequently during the hottest part of summer, especially during drought conditions. It takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks for container plants to establish and begin putting on new roots.

Determining Orientation: Figuring out which end of the tuber is up can be daunting. Sometimes the tip is visible on the top portion, and other times root hairs extend from the bottom. If in doubt, plant the tuber sideways.
Planting Depth: The top of the tuber should be approximately 1 to 2 inches below the top of the ground. Cover lightly with aged compost mix to keep the ground cool and moist.
Moisture Maintenance: Keep the soil lightly moist (not wet or damp) for the fern to put on new growth. When planting late in the season, new top growth may not appear until the following spring.

Mulching: Top with a good layer of mulch (shredded bark mulch, aged compost, or aged manure mix) or a light layer of straw for added moisture and to keep the ground cool.
Winter Protection: Cut fall die-back to the ground and apply a fresh layer of mulch or straw to protect the fern tubers from winter freeze-thaw cycles and critters digging up the bulbs.
Fertilizing: Fertilize in spring with a slow-release general fertilizer.

Spider Mites: Check for spider mites by placing a piece of plain white paper under several branches/leaves and tapping the higher branches. Tiny red/rust-colored spots on the paper indicate infection. Use regular (monthly) spraying of a miticide to handle spider mites.

Spacing: Smaller ferns (e.g., Maidenhair fern) can be spaced about 18 to 24 inches apart. Larger ferns (e.g., Ostrich, Christmas, Royal Ferns) should be planted no closer than 24 inches apart.
Sunlight and Soil: Plant Buddleias in full to partial sun with 4 to 8-foot spacing. Alkaline soil (pH 6.5 to 7.0) is usually preferred.
Pruning: In cooler areas (zone 6 and north), Buddleias can be cut back nearly to the ground in winter. Colder winters in zone 7 may also require cutting back to the lower plant.

Follow these expert tips to ensure your ferns thrive and add lush greenery to your shaded garden!

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