Growing ferns isn’t impossible. To many, it seems so.

Have you brought home a fern, and it feels like a week later, you have a dead fern? I have. But after many years of growing ferns, I have learned a few things. First, not all ferns are the same. Some are harder to grow than others, in my experience.

It’s not impossible because it’s all about paying attention to your plant and providing it with what it needs to thrive.

Growing a not-so-easy-to-grow fern

I can say that the fern above, Blechnum, has been led to its death a few times by me. “When at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Right? This one is in my sunroom right now and so far, so good. How am I doing it? This is one of the not-so-easy-to-grow ferns in my experience.

Growing Ferns with Wick Watering Spikes

Well, I have found a wick watering system that works. I have tried others, like wine bottles in the terra cotta spikes and the pretty glass watering globes. Neither has worked for me.

These Fiskars watering spikes work. I have them in many of my ferns. They work as long as you keep them filled with water. I find they give me a few more days if I’m unable to water the ferns when they need it.

In Every Fern?

Do I use them in every fern? No, I don’t. I use them in ferns I find are thirstier than others. Tree ferns are thirsty!

I also use them in ferns that may need to be up-potted, but I haven’t had time to get them in a roomier pot.

Growing ferns in Cloches

The fern above died down, and I thought it was dead. A small piece of green appeared, so I placed a cloche over it. I left on vacation, and when I came back two weeks later, the fern had come back to life! I was so excited! Sometimes the extra humidity helps with the growth of the fern.

When it outgrows the cloche, I will make sure it is sitting on a pebble tray. The key is to find the largest cloche you can. They are a bit pricey, but worth it.

Growing Ferns with “Feet”

I’ve had this fern above for a long time. It is a footed fern. (Check out the link to see a post when this fern was much smaller.)

Sometimes it is called the green worm fern, E.T.’s fingers, and caterpillar fern. I have found that often the footed ferns are a tiny bit more forgiving of drying out (not completely) because the “feet” can store water. So maybe try one of these ferns.

I love this fern with its light green “feet”. What are the feet? They are rhizomes. Fronds protrude out of the top of the creeping rhizome and roots from the bottom. They creep across the potting mix and often grow over the edge of the pot.

They are so amazing. Below are pictures of other footed ferns, including the rabbit’s foot fern, deer foot fern (Davallia)and the kangaroo paw fern (Microsorum diversifolium).

Growing the Cotton Candy Fern

Above are my cotton candy ferns, Nephrolepis exalted ‘Suzi Wong’. Their fuzzy fronds, which do resemble mounds of cotton candy, are one of my favorite ferns. I often walk by and pat the fronds. It is a lovely fern.

I don’t let it dry out, and I don’t water over the fronds. I water around the container’s edge. This fern is so dense that getting water into the fronds may rot the plant.

Growing Ferns with Self-Watering Pots

Are you even a houseplant lover if you haven’t killed a maidenhair fern? Probably not. I’ve killed many more than one. I discovered these planters above. They aren’t anything new, but have lately come to my attention again.

The terra cotta containers above are self-watering pots. The terra cotta pot sits inside the clear vessel, made of plastic or glass. The clear container holds water. Because the terra cotta pot is porous, the water soaks through the walls of the pot. This keeps the plant moist.

This is the only way I’ve kept a maidenhair fern alive for any length of time. The key to this system is keeping the clear vessel full of water. Otherwise, the point of this system is no longer relevant. Below is the maidenhair I have growing in one of the self-watering pots.

Growing Healthy Ferns

Below are a few of the ferns in my home. The key is good light, definitely more light than most people think ferns need. I’ve found they enjoy good, bright light. I even have some growing under lights. Low light will not help your fern thrive, and may lead to its death. I also make sure the ferns get fertilized during the growing season.

Growing Staghorn Ferns

I have a stag horn fern in a pot and a couple growing on wooden plaques. All of them are doing great. Staghorn ferns are beautiful ferns.

Growing ferns is all about water

Growing ferns isn’t impossible. It IS all about making sure you never let them dry out and that they have bright light. I use a well-drained potting mix and add orchid bark. I find this helps as the mix stays moist longer.

All the ferns below are doing well in my home because I make sure they never dry out. When they do, the consequences are brown leaves or sometimes death. Believe me, it happens to the best of us. When a plant dies, hopefully it teaches you something about that plant and you can adjust your growing conditons. And try again, of course!

Growing a fern that is from 1957

The fern below left is my favorite fern and is my mom’s fern from her 1957 bridal shower. I’ve had it since 2018 when she moved to my brother’s home. I also have a piece from 1985 when I was married, and my daughter has a piece from her 2018 wedding shower. These are special ferns.

I hope you have a great day, and if you’ve given up on ferns, I hope you try again. It really is all about keeping them moist and giving them the right light to grow and thrive.

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