You don’t have to let the end of the growing season be the end of the line for your big beautiful ferns – not when you can easily divide and save them in the fall to grow again next year!
Ferns are a staple for gardeners to grow outdoors during the spring, summer and fall months. With their lush green foliage, they are perfect for brightening up any area that gets more sun than shade. But sadly, as soon as the first light frost or freeze hits in autumn – all of that lush growth quickly dies off. And so does the plant.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to end that way at all for your ferns – and the process to save them is easier than you might think. Not only can it save big on your gardening budget – but it can give you even more ferns to decorate with next spring and summer!
How To Divide & Save Ferns In The Fall
Large ferns can actually be split in early fall to create smaller plants. By doing this in late summer or early fall, there is still plenty of time for the new transplants to develop a bit of new foliage. Then, they can easily be brought indoors to overwinter and use again next year.
Although ferns can be divided almost any time during the growing season, fall division allows you to create manageable-sized plants to overwinter indoors.
Not only is it a great way to keep your fern plant alive, but it is also a perfect way to create even more ferns for next year’s porch and patio. And it can all be done with just a few simple steps – starting with giving your fern a late season hair cut!
Step 1) Preparing To Divide – How To Divide & Save Ferns In The Fall
A day or two before dividing your ferns, it’s best to stop watering your plant. This will allow the roots to shrink a bit and makes cutting the roots much easier. Next, with a good pair of hedge shears, scissors or clippers, trim the entire plant back to a few inches of growth.
This helps in two ways. First, it makes dividing and transplanting much easier. With less foliage and fronds in your way, working with the plant is far less difficult. Secondly, it will allow for new growth to form faster as it doesn’t have to work its way through old foliage.
Step 2) Removing & Dividing – How To Divide & Save Ferns In The Fall
Now it’s time to remove the fern from its container. Usually at this point of the year, taking the fern out is as simple as turning the container over and pulling the fern gently out. You may need to use a knife to cut free any roots that have grown through the bottom container holes to make removal easier.
Don’t worry if you have to tug a bit hard on the plant to remove it. Ferns are tough and can handle a bit of jostling to get the plant to break free. If you happen to cut a few roots in the process, it will not harm the plant in the least.
Now it is time to split your fern to create smaller divisions. The best way to do this is with a garden knife – which just happens to be one of the most underrated garden tools of all! With its sharp, serrated edge, a garden knife can slice through the toughest of roots in seconds. Affiliate Product Link: Hori Hori Garden Knife
You can divide most ferns in half or into three or four equal pieces to create smaller transplants. Plants of this size can easily be repotted to overwinter, and each will still grow into a large fern for next spring and summer.
Repotting Ferns – How To Divide & Save Ferns In The Fall
Now it’s time to re-pot your fern divisions! One thing to consider before replanting is the size of your container. Ferns do not do well when there is too much space in a container, so select containers that are about a quarter to a third larger than the size of the plant’s root division for best results.
Begin by filling the bottom of your container with a high quality potting mix. Next, place the transplant down into the pot. Fill around the edges with the potting soil, gently firming the soil to the roots of the plant.
There is no need to fertilize ferns at this point. In fact, ferns require little additional nutrients to thrive. If you use a good quality good potting soil, it will contain more than enough nutrients to power good growth.
Bringing Indoors – How To Divide & Save Ferns In The Fall
If done early enough in the fall and if temperatures are not freezing at night, place the plant in a shady area outdoors. The warmer weather will help start the new growth before having to bring indoors. You will usually see new growth in a few weeks.
As soon as the threat of frost is in the forecast, it’s time to bring your fern indoors. Do not worry if new growth has not occurred yet. The fern will continue to develop and live indoors and be ready to go next spring.
Ferns overwinter and grow best indoors in moderate, indirect lighting. A cool basement with indirect lighting from a basement well widow works well. As will the corner of a room that receives a bit of natural light from a nearby window.
Avoid southern facing windows or placing the plant directly in the window. Fern’s tender foliage can easily burn from the combination of the sun’s rays and heat coming through the glass.
Indoor Care – How To Divide & Save Ferns In The Fall
In the indoors, ferns suffer more from over-watering than not getting enough. Only water when the soil completely dries out. This allows the plant’s roots to continue to grow and not rot out from excess moisture.
As spring rolls back around, take the plants back outside as soon as the threat of frost has passed. When ferns get back outdoors, it’s amazing how fast they begin to grow once again! For more fall plant saving info, check out our article on How To Keep Mums Alive Over The Winter!
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