Boston ferns are a common houseplant because they are easy to grow and add greenery to your indoor or outdoor living spaces.
If you are a beginner in having Boston ferns, this post will teach you every detail about their care.
We will learn about potting soil, watering frequency and everything you need to keep your fern healthy.
Let’s jump right in!
Where Did Boston Ferns Originate?
Boston ferns are a kind of fern that originate from tropical areas.
The Boston fern derives its name from Boston, Massachusetts, where it was first brought to the Western world. The Boston fern is a common type of houseplant.
Part of the reason for this is they are easy to care for. The other reason is that they are adaptable to most indoor settings.
Parts of a Boston Fern
Boston ferns have an interesting and elegant shape that may be unfamiliar to you.
A Boston fern has four main parts:
- Blade: This describes the leafy portion of the Boston fern.
- Pinna: Each horizontal leaf of the plant is referred to as a pinna.
- Stalk: The stalk is the main stem of the plant; it is the part which will hold all of the Pinnas.
- Frond: This defines the entire plant above the soil. From the bottom of the stalk to the very tip of the blade. The fronds of the Boston fern can reach estimated lengths up to 3 feet and are usually a rich green color.
Varieties of Boston Ferns
Boston ferns come in a number of diverse types, such as the Boston Sword Fern, the Boston Compacta Fern, and the Boston Staghorn Fern:
- The Boston Sword Fern is the widely grown variety of Boston fern and can reach a height of three feet.
- The Boston Compacta Fern is a decreased version of Boston fern and grows to about a foot tall.
- The Boston Staghorn Fern is a less common variety of Boston fern. It is named Staghorn because it has leaves that look like antlers.
Are Boston Ferns Toxic to Pets?
Boston ferns are non-toxic to humans and pets. That means they’re safe to have around kids, cats, or dogs.
They’re also fine to set outside on a front porch where you might have other wild visitors like squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, and deer.
Caring for Boston Ferns
Boston ferns are one of the easiest plants to grow. Even in the wild, they often flourish without any care.
However, moving Boston fern from the outdoors with shade and rain to containers, requires minimal effort.
Watering
Regularly water the Boston fern but once again, allow the potting mix to dry slightly before watering again.
Boston ferns enjoy being kept moist, but not wet.
If you let a Boston fern dry out completely it will develop brown tips on its leaves. If it is over watered the roots will start to rot and the fern will begin to turn yellow.
Soil Type
The ideal soil for Boston Ferns is a light and well-draining soilless mixture.
Regular garden soil can only be acceptable after incorporating a couple of ingredients to lighten it up.
Harry’s Boston ferns don’t want to be in soggy soil so be certain the soil has good drainage.
Sunlight
Being accustomed to being mostly shaded by tree canopies, Boston ferns like bright, indirect light.
When exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves of the Boston fern will begin to turn brown, as if they are being cooked.
Additionally, if your Boston fern is fast growing taller without new leaves, or beginning to flop, then it isn’t getting enough light.
Fertilizer
Boston ferns are not heavy eaters – they do not require a lot of fertilizer, especially if you are using w compost material mixed into the soil.
If you haven’t changed the soil in a while, or you notice your plant has not grown much, you can apply a small amount of fertilizer.
This is good for indoor or potted Boston ferns. Use 1 pump for a small plant and 2 pumps for a large plant, then water normally.
This is instant fertilizer, so the nutrients are absorbed as soon as you put it into the soil.
You can apply this weekly, but you should not need to use it more than a few times per year.
Humidity and Temperature
Boston ferns thrive in an area of high humidity and temperatures between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your Boston ferns are exposed to dry air, the leaves or fronds will start to develop brown tips; if you live in a dry home, you should add humidity within proximity to the fern, like humidity trays.
The best placement for a Boston fern is in the bathroom as long as someone in the house likes to take hot showers; otherwise, the fern doesn’t get the humidity it needs.
The steam will help to humidify the bathroom for your Boston fern!
You can help your Boston fern by misting the leaf or fronds daily. By lightly misting the leaves all over (not soaking), you will add moisture to the air surrounding your Boston fern, which will help it to thrive.
Pruning
Regular pruning will be necessary to maintain the appearance of Boston ferns.
If a Boston fern is not pruned, it may appear lanky or leggy. To prune Boston ferns, use a sharp pair of scissors to trim back the longest leaves, at your desired length.
Begin pruning by cutting off the ugly brown tips, then you can get back to the healthy green leaves.
Works best – The maintenance pruning can be done year-round as needed, while major pruning should occur in the spring. This will promote new, bushier growth in the summer.
Choosing a Pot
If you buy a Boston fern, chances are your plant will come in a hanging basket made of coco coir.
You can keep a Boston fern healthy in one of these hanging baskets, but if you’re not a pro gardener, it might be a good idea to buy a new pot.
If you do decide to repot your plant, you should buy a plastic or a glazed terra cotta pot.
These types of pots will hold moisture for longer than coco coir baskets, meaning the fern will have moisture available for a longer period of time when it needs it.
Repotting
Boston ferns will keep growing, as long there is more space for them in the pot.
However, do not plant a small Boston fern in a larger pot.
The roots will keep growing, but the Boston fern will stay small because it doesn’t have enough leaves to grow a larger plant with more roots.
Instead, just plant the Boston fern in a pot that is one size larger. As your Boston fern grows, simply repot the plant every two or three years.
Boston ferns can be sensitive to changes in their environment, so it would be best to repot them in the spring.
Propagating
If you’re looking to propagate new Boston ferns, the easiest method is division, a method of vegetative reproductive when you generally split a plant into several separate parts and then plant those parts individually.
To divide a Boston fern:
- First, unclog the plant from the pot.
- Second, split the Boston fern into two or more pieces with a sharp knife or gardening tool.
- Once you’ve divided the Boston fern into separate pieces, plant each piece in its own pot with fresh potting mix.
This should be done in spring so the Boston fern has time to acclimatize before its growing season.
Growing Boston Ferns from Seed
This may be somewhat misleading; Boston ferns do not actually produce seeds, but rather they grow from spores.
Before you start harvesting the spores to grow the Boston ferns, you will need:
- A piece of paper or paper towel
- A container
- A small pot
- Potting soil
- A spray misting bottle
You will also need to have a well established adult plant to obtain the spores from.
Once you have everything, follow these steps:
- To collect the spores, hold a piece of paper or paper towel underneath a frond of the Boston fern and gently shake to release the spores on the paper or paper towel.
- Tap or shake the paper or paper towel into the container to catch the spores safely until you get ready to use them.
- Set up your pot, taking a pot with soil and adding in potting soil, watering the soil, and finding a temporary spot in the house for your pot of soil.
- Sprinkle the spores onto the moist soil.
- Start misting with a mister to keep the soil moisture consistently. Use caution with water pressure with the mister, if the pressure is too much it will likely damage some of the spores and they won’t grow.
- In approximately one week you will notice a green film on the top of your amends, this is not mold, it is the beginning of a new plant!
- Continue misting until you see sprouts emerging, at which point you can stop misting and water normally.
Boston Fern Common Issues and Solutions
Boston ferns are great plants that are pretty easy to care for, but they can also have problems if they are not kept happy.
Here are a few common Boston fern problems and how to solve them.
Brown Leaves
Boston ferns often have issues with brown leaves.
When leaves are dry and brown, it is usually a watering issue or light issue. Boston ferns like to be moist, so be sure you are watering regularly.
They also prefer indirect light. If you are keeping your Boston fern in a sunny location, that could be the problem.
Try moving your plant to a shadier spot and watering more frequently to see if this helps.
Brown Spots Under the Leaves
If your Boston fern didn’t have brown spots underneath the leaves, then it would be cause for concern.
These are the spores of the plant. Once these spores fall into the dirt, and water is added, the spores will turn into a new plant.
Dropping Leaves
If the leaves of your Boston fern are dropping, this may indicate you have too much light and dry air.
Humidity is very important for Boston ferns, so if the air in your home is dry, you can create a humidity source by placing the pot on a tray of pebbles and water or using a humidifier.
From experience, you should also move your Boston fern to a location of indirect light and reduce how much you are watering to see if that resolves the issue.
Yellow Leaves
If the leaves on your Boston fern have begun to yellow, that is a sign that the health of the roots may be deteriorating.
Boston ferns are sensitive to chemicals; therefore, if you have been using fertilizers or pesticides, this could be the cause of the yellowing leaves.
Roots can get root rot if the pot does not have adequate drainage or if they are sitting in water.
If that seems to coincide with what you’ve been experiencing, you should consider replanting the Boston fern in a pot with drainage and in a fresh pot mix.
Pests and Diseases
Boston ferns are prone to mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites.
Overwatering Boston ferns can make them susceptible to fungal diseases such as root rot.
To prevent any pest or disease issue, do not overwater your Boston fern and only fertilize the plant when it is actively growing.
If you do notice a pest or disease on your Boston fern, immediately isolate the plant from your other houseplants and treat it with the appropriate pesticide or fungicide.
Final Thoughts
Boston ferns make a wonderful addition to your home, garden, porch or office.
They are low maintenance and, with a little bit of care, you can keep them for years to come.
If you run into problems with your Boston ferns, please read the section below on Common Boston Fern Problems and Solutions.
With a bit of knowledge, you should be able to work through any issue with your Boston ferns.