Boston FernCare Guide

Ensure your indoor Boston fern gets the right level of humidity to flourish. You could use a mist spray to lightly mist the leaves twice a week. Or you might want to set the pot over a tray filled with pebbles and regularly topped up with water. Check the soil daily to ensure it remains damp, and water when necessary. If you plant your Boston fern in soil which is high in peat moss (which is likely), it can be helpful to thoroughly soak the pot once a month and allow it to drain.

Boston ferns require lots of bright light, but they also need it to be mainly indirect. Too much sun can result in a burning effect on the fronds, while too little light will cause the fronds to droop and lose volume. Placing your Boston fern in a porch or window that gets filtered sunshine earlier in the day and shade in the afternoon should work well.

The Boston fern develops long, feathery fronds as it matures. These can reach up to three feet in length, making this an ideal plant for creating a stunning indoor hanging plant. The bold fronds look beautiful when cascading over the edge of a basket. For the same reason, a pedestal planter also works well. Younger plants can thrive in a regular pot, given the right light and humidity levels to grow.

Moisture is essential to help a Boston fern to thrive, so it’s best to water them regularly. Check the dampness of the soil to ensure it’s not too dry – it should be damp but not over-saturated. To enhance the greenness of the fern’s fronds, consider adding a couple of teaspoons of epsom salts to a gallon of water when it starts to look a bit lacklustre.

Pruning a Boston fern is easy – simply remove any dead fronds as they appear. Indoor Boston ferns rarely experience problems such as disease or pest infestation either, which only tend to occur when the plant is left outdoors and neglected. These plants respond well to a more drastic pruning when ready for repotting. Remove any browning leaves and clip back any runners lacking leaves. Trim around the edges rather than taking healthy leaves off the top if you want to reshape the plant.

Boston ferns can grow rapidly through their first years of life. Most will need repotting every couple of years into the next size up of pot. Spring is the healthiest time for repotting Boston ferns. In the intervening years, change the topsoil in spring even if not repotting. Use a peat moss-based soil mix and add perlite to help with drainage.

Boston fern plants are non-toxic to humans, so they’re safe to have around babies and toddlers - even if they’re going through the stage of putting everything they see in their mouths! These plants also help remove many harmful pollutants from the air, which results in a healthier atmosphere for your little ones.