How Do You Overwinter Ferns? Your 90 Questions, Answered
When I shared how I overwinter my ferns on Instagram last weekend, the questions came pouring in. NINETY of them.
Chicago garages, Dallas porches, drafty sheds, ferns the deer already nibbled on, and one reader who has lost 3,219 ferns in her adult life and is ready to break her losing streak.
I read every single question, and I noticed a common theme that I condensed down to 10 answers. So here they are, your fern Q&A all in one place. If you asked a question in my Instagram posts, look for your handle to find your answer below.
Keep reading for How to Overwinter Ferns Q&A.
Shop my Fern Care Favorites on Amazon
Find all the products I shared in my Instagram Live about How to Overwinter Ferns here!
What is the short version of how to overwinter a fern?
- Bring Boston, Kimberly Queen, and macho ferns inside before nights drop into the 40s.
- Keep them somewhere that stays above 38 degrees with a little airflow, water every 1 to 2 weeks, and only cut them back if your storage spot has no light.
- Set them back outside after your frost free date. (Tap here to find yours.)
That's really it. That is the whole method, in case you don't have time to read the rest. But if you asked me about your specific fern, garden, or zone, keep reading!
Asked by: ayatesbeeler, jljsassybelle, etbrisley, danarunyan, jgmeigs, grund18, sylviaerwin, kristygmoran, coulson60, laurielsmith, ashleybphoto, becky__clem, jancogland, theminimomma
Which ferns can be overwintered and which ones stay in the ground?
Every fern can be overwintered, but only the tender ones need to come inside. Boston, Kimberly Queen, macho, foxtail, and asparagus ferns are only winter hardy in zones 9 to 11, so everywhere colder they come in. Autumn ferns, holly ferns, Christmas ferns, and southern wood ferns are hardy perennials that stay right in the ground. Leave them alone, mulch lightly, and trim any tattered fronds in late February before the new fiddleheads come up.
Kimberly Queens are the easiest keepers because they shed the least. Boston ferns are the messiest. Machos are big, so they are the ones that benefit most from cutting back if you are short on room.
Asked by: cdstrick22, thevintagetinroof, casitablanquitaga, mmsparks, tazhalo76, allysoncummings, alyciagravitt, elizabethcadenheadrealtor, karenssage, heather.w.davis, carrieslogan, suniecollins, kimandrewsbobo, dsghartman, shoemaker.diana, tammyjaco, sallyreutebuch, tnassar1, jdgold73, msangie824
When do I bring my ferns in?
Bring them in before nighttime temperatures reach 40 degrees, not after the first frost. One light frost browns the fronds, and a hard freeze kills the crown, so you want them in before either one happens. In north Georgia and middle Tennessee that is usually late October to early November. In DC and New Jersey it is mid to late October. In Dallas, Austin, and south Louisiana you can usually wait until a freeze is actually in the forecast.
If you still have new growth coming in, let it keep going. New growth is not a reason to wait, and it is not a reason to rush.
Asked by: bethr774, paisleychickinks, spivey060811, vintagecowbabe, ssymanksnapka, chelsea_doyle, shandemp7, lizdartezzz, mscckimbrough
Do I have to cut my ferns back?
Only if you are storing them somewhere with no light. If your fern is going into a dark garage, basement, or shed, cut it back to 3 to 4 inches above the soil so it goes dormant cleanly and does not drop a mess of fronds. If your fern is going somewhere bright, like a window, a sunroom, or a garage with a window, leave it full and only trim the brown and broken fronds.
Cutting all the green off a fern does not hurt it. The energy is stored in the roots and the crown, and every frond grows back in spring. Wrapping a fern up like the nursery ships them is not a substitute. Wrapped fronds held tight for weeks in a cool damp space will mold.
Asked by: r_mrichardson, grandng, mjuergens5, ardavenport1231, lesliegpearson, tazhalo76, beve717, icefam10, lissakempmyers, sarahmjano, lhuiner, jancogland
Where do I keep my ferns over the winter?
Anywhere that stays above 38 degrees and has some airflow. A garage, basement, shed, laundry room, spare bedroom, or a closet with the door cracked all work. The two things that kill a stored fern are freezing and sitting in stale, damp air, so put a cheap thermometer in the space and do not seal them up tight.
Light depends on what you did in the question above. Cut back and dormant, dark is fine. Left full, they need bright indirect light.
A screened porch in zone 6 does not count. Neither does an unheated garage in Chicago, Minnesota, or Nebraska. In Northern places you will need to overwinter your ferns in a heated garage, an in-ground basement, or an inside room of your home.
In the South, an attached garage or a basement is all you need. Those spaces share a wall with the house and stay above 38 degrees on all but a handful of nights in winter. Put the ferns against the wall the house is on, not next to the garage door, and set a thermometer beside them. On the few nights the forecast calls for temps in the teens or low 20s, either crack the door to the house so a little heat drifts in or carry the ferns into a laundry room or hallway for the night, then put them back. A detached shed or carport is the one spot that needs more thought. If it is not insulated, it can drop below 38 on a hard freeze night, so treat it like a porch and bring the ferns somewhere enclosed when that is in the forecast.
Asked by: ashtonwoodrussell, amcundith, vinnycherie, tenoaksphotography, lhuiner, wightman100, steph_minor5, nlhamilton, campshanley, kwb730, taralynnschenk, ladylhamilton, allysoncummings, christachapin, tinaronnfeldt, sarahmjano, michelleannette5, grund18, sulliandco, brendagail1122
Can my ferns just live in the house?
Yes, and Kimberly Queen is the best one for indoors because it holds its fronds more than others. Boston ferns shed a lot in dry indoor air. Give them a bright window, keep them away from heat vents, water when the top inch of soil is dry, and set them on a tray of pebbles with water for humidity.
To keep bugs out of the house, hose the fern down top and bottom, lift it out of the pot and check for ants or slugs, and spray with neem oil. Let it sit in the garage or on the porch for a week before it comes inside. If bugs are a dealbreaker, use the garage method so they never come in the house at all.
Asked by: spivey060811, campshanley, amypharr, msangie824, mellkathleen, shoemaker.diana, hailsdim, raerae077
How often do I water a fern in the winter?
Every 1 to 2 weeks, lightly. You want the root ball to never dry out completely, but you also never want the pot sitting in standing water. Root rot is the main risk in winter. Check with your Moisture Meter and water when the top inch is dry, and make sure the air is moving around them. Do not add any fertilizer until spring.
If you stored a fern last year and it never came back, this is almost always why. Either it dried out completely over three months or it sat in water and rotted.
Asked by: ericamayfield1, sarahmjano, jancogland, lhuiner, shandemp7, brendagail1122, amcundith, vinnycherie
What do I do with foxtail and asparagus ferns?
Same method, but they are tougher. Foxtail and asparagus ferns are not true ferns, they are in the asparagus family, and they handle a light frost better than a Boston. In Dallas, Austin, and central Texas you can leave them out with a frost cloth on light freeze nights and only bring them into the garage when it drops below 25. In zone 6 and the Midwest they come inside to a bright window. Let them dry out between waterings. Do not cut them back unless the fronds frost burn, and if they do, cut them to the soil and they regrow in spring. A huge one can be divided in spring with a large serrated kitchen knife or handsaw.
Asked by: carleybradychase, kksm373, cynthiacarroum, fitmod, michellemcgaughy, christachapin, shandemp7, ssymanksnapka
My fern looks rough. Is it worth saving?
Yes, as long as the crown at the soil line is firm. Brown fronds mean nothing. Frost damage, deer damage, and a bad week on the porch all only take fronds, and fronds grow back. Tip the fern out of the pot and look at the crown and roots. Firm crown and white or tan roots means you can store it and it should come back full. Mushy, black, or smelly crown means toss it and buy fresh in April.
Half brown fronds with green at the base is fine. Cut off the brown parts and keep going.
Asked by: ashtonwoodrussell, valannmorgan, michele_z10, jeanne_quinto, binghamdenise, camellia_kay_bankemper
When do I take my ferns back outside, and when will they look good again?
After your frost free date. For most of Georgia that is mid April, for the Midwest it is mid May. Once they are out in warm temps and bright light, feed with a half strength liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks and they fill back out in about 6 to 8 weeks.
If you need them full by a certain event date, like a mid-April wedding, wake them up early. Move them to a warm, bright spot or under a grow light about 6 weeks ahead, water well, and start feeding. Or skip the cut back entirely and keep them green in a bright room all winter so there is no regrow time at all.
Asked by: 3ls__loving_life_laura, binghamdenise, sherw94, icefam10, ashtonwoodrussell
Does my zone change any of this info?
Only where you store them. The colder your zone, the warmer and more protected the storage spot has to be. Here is the quick guide for everyone who told me where they live.
Note: For the ferns in the ground in zones 8 and 9, Kimberly Queen will not reliably come back. Instead, plant holly fern, autumn fern, southern wood fern, or lady fern. All four are evergreen in the climate from San Antonio to south Louisiana and should come back every year. And if you are in zone 8 wondering whether it is too late to plant holly ferns with 75-80 degree days, it is not. Plant now, water in well, and mulch 2 to 3 inches. The soil stays warm into December.
Asked by: michelleannette5, grund18, tinaronnfeldt, sarahmjano, campshanley, kellogg457, lhuiner, vinnycherie, christachapin, sulliandco, steph_minor5, brendagail1122, amypharr, taralynnschenk, ladylhamilton, kwb730, spivey060811, vintagecowbabe, allysoncummings, ajarmijo, _just.tracey, mellkathleen, mscckimbrough, l_fleetwood, cynthiacarroum, fitmod, wanda.aguilar, misseymarsh, julieamiller3, shereet8, lizdartezzz, pjgbridges, paisleychickinks, ssymanksnapka
OK, I think that answers most of your fern questions! If I missed your question, drop me a quick email and I will add it here.
And if you have lost 3,219 ferns in your adult life, this is your year. I believe in you!
Want more info about How to Overwinter your Ferns?
Find lots more info and videos in this post!
Shop my Amazon Favorites!
Shop my Amazon storefront for chic + practical finds to pretty up your home inside and out! Every pick is personally bought and tested by me—no false advertising, just fabulous finds you can trust!
