How to Winterize Ferns
Ferns are some of the most beautiful and dependable plants you can find in your garden, so one should learn to winterize them. Their leaves, also known as fronds, are lacy, plain green or variegated and provide a long season of interest. Ferns rarely suffer from disease or pests, which makes them even more attractive in the eyes of gardeners and horticulturists.
Since ferns naturally inhabit woody areas, they thrive in the shade, especially during the heat of summer. They thrive best in moist, well-drained soil, so if you regularly water and aerate the lawn around them, they will be at their best.
During the winter, you will want to protect your ferns and winterize them. Ferns don't do well during the cold months, as they thrive in humidity. However, you don't have to lose your ferns to snow and ice.
In order to winterize your ferns, you will have to dig them up from the garden and replant them in pots so that you can keep them indoors during the coldest months of the year. Be sure to dig the plants up by the root, and keep them in a room where they can get regular moisture. Hanging the plants in the bathroom or kitchen is ideal, but if this isn't an option (such as if your plant is too large to be hung), you can keep them in a drier room as long as you regularly mist the ferns with a spray bottle full of water. Another good option is to keep a humidifier in the room, which will provide an adequate amount of moisture to the plants.
While caring for your ferns during winter, also be sure to provide them the right type and amount of compost. In forests and woodlands, the plants' roots adapt to light soil, which is rich in leaf mold and decayed vegetable matter. You can easily feed your ferns compost materials by placing old, rotten vegetable and fruits or their matter. When you add compost to the plants, be sure to keep it moist, even if it means that mold and mildew grows. The ferns will love this best, anyway!
