How to Propagate the Boston Fern? Detailed Introduction to Propagation Methods
Propagation Methods of the Boston Fern
The Boston fern can be propagated by division.
The Boston fern is commonly propagated by division; in summer, cut off the small rooted plantlets growing from the stolons of vigorous plants and plant them separately.
Cut off the small rooted plantlets growing from the stolons of vigorous plants and plant them separately. Water the divided plants thoroughly, place them in a shaded spot for about a week, and then they can be returned to normal care. Division can be done in spring, summer, and autumn.
The Boston fern does not produce spore-bearing fronds and can only be propagated by division or runners. Division can be carried out year-round, with spring and autumn being the best times. After division, water thoroughly and place in a shaded spot; the plant will quickly resume growth.
Commonly propagated by division; in summer, cut off the small rooted plantlets growing from the stolons of vigorous plants and plant them separately.
Boston Fern Nephrolepis exaltata Boston Fern Guide: How to Care for a Boston Fern / How to Propagate a Boston Fern
Boston Fern ProfileBoston Fern Nephrolepis exaltata
Alias: Tall Sword Fern
Classification: Ferns
Family and Genus: Plantae, Pteridophyta, Polypodiopsida, Polypodiales, Nephrolepidaceae, Nephrolepis
Full Bloom Period: Does not flower
The Boston fern is a perennial evergreen herbaceous fern, a type of drooping foliage fern. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions and is distributed in Taiwan, China. Most ferns have an attractive, fresh, and elegant form. The Boston fern is no exception, and with its bright, light, and graceful fronds, when a breeze comes, the fronds sway gently like dancers dancing.
How to Grow and Care for the Boston Fern and Points to Note Introduction to the Boston Fern
The Boston fern is a perennial evergreen herbaceous fern, a type of drooping foliage fern. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions and is distributed in Taiwan, China.
Most ferns have an attractive, fresh, and elegant form. The Boston fern is no exception, and with its bright, light, and graceful fronds, when a breeze comes, the fronds sway gently like dancers dancing.
Morphological Characteristics of the Boston Fern
It is a perennial evergreen herbaceous fern. The rhizome is erect, with stolons. The fronds grow in clusters and can reach over 60 cm in length, with slender compound leaves; after unfolding, the fronds droop, and the fronds are bipinnatifid, with the base of the pinnules having an ear-like asymmetry. The sori are semicircular and borne on the underside of the fronds near the margins.
This plant is a type of drooping foliage fern, suitable for potted indoor hanging display; its cut stolons can be used as decorative arrangement material.
Ecological Habits of the Boston Fern
It prefers warm, humid, and semi-shaded environments, and also likes good ventilation; it dislikes extreme heat.
The Boston fern is generally placed in a spot with bright indirect light indoors; it cannot tolerate direct strong sunlight, but it should not be kept in a dark spot either. The optimal growing temperature is 15-25°C, and in winter it can overwinter safely at temperatures above 10°C.
Although the Boston fern is drought-tolerant, it still needs sufficient water, and the soil should not be too wet or too dry; the potting soil should be kept consistently moist. In summer, water 1-2 times a day and frequently mist the fronds. It does not need much fertilizer; during the growing season, apply a dilute, well-rotted cake fertilizer once every 4 weeks. Do not use quick-release chemical fertilizers. When fertilizing, be careful not to splash the fronds, as this can cause damage.
For potted Boston ferns, a mixed growing medium of leaf mold, river sand, and garden soil is suitable. If conditions permit, using sphagnum moss as the growing medium will produce even better growth. Repot once every other year in spring.
Cultivation Techniques for the Boston Fern
Generally placed in a spot with bright indirect light indoors; it cannot tolerate direct strong sunlight, but it should not be kept in a dark spot either. The optimal growing temperature is 15-25°C, and in winter it can overwinter safely at temperatures above 10°C.
Although drought-tolerant, it still needs sufficient water, and the soil should not be too wet or too dry; the potting soil should be kept consistently moist. In summer, water 1-2 times a day and frequently mist the fronds. It does not need much fertilizer; during the growing season, apply a dilute, well-rotted cake fertilizer once every 4 weeks. Do not use quick-release chemical fertilizers. When fertilizing, be careful not to splash the fronds, as this can cause damage.
For potting, use a mixed growing medium of leaf mold, river sand, and garden soil. If conditions permit, using sphagnum moss as the growing medium will produce even better growth. Repot once every other year in spring.
For outdoor cultivation of the Boston fern, mix about half (by volume) of expanded plastic artificial soil into ordinary growing medium and stir well. For indoor potting, you can use entirely lightweight, clean, and hygienic pure expanded plastic artificial soil. The Boston fern should be cultivated in a shade house, with a layer of shade netting over it. Covering it with an additional layer of colorless film is even better, as it protects against rain and avoids direct sunlight. During the growing season, water once a day, preferably by drip irrigation, to avoid water droplets on the fronds causing yellowing and rot. In hot summer, you can also spray water around the pots to increase humidity. In winter, water should be appropriately controlled, keeping the soil just moist. During the growing season, nitrogen fertilizer must be applied. For outdoor cultivation, apply dilute organic fertilizer water twice a month, and never let it contaminate the fronds; for indoor cultivation, supplement with a nitrogen-based nutrient solution once every 2 months or so. To ensure an attractive plant shape and promote air circulation, remove withered and yellowed old fronds along with shaping.
Cultivated Varieties
Fine-leaved Tall Sword Fern has slender fronds, Coarsely Serrated Tall Sword Fern has coarse serrations along the frond margins, and Crown-leaved Tall Sword Fern.
Planting Techniques
Production Standard: 18 cm pot, height 30-40 cm, crown width about 60 cm, growth cycle 10 months.
Substrate Preparation: Use loose, well-draining, and well-aerated imported peat of the Klasmann 10-30 mm grade. Crush the peat, add water, and mix well (standard for adding water: after mixing, squeeze a handful of peat tightly, and water should seep out between your fingers). Then pot it up for planting. For a 12 cm pot, the peat amount used per pot is about 350 ml; one 300-liter bag of imported peat can fill about 800 cups.
Potting Requirements: Choose high-quality professionally produced seedlings, with a seedling height of 7-8 cm, crown width of 4-5 cm, free of pests and diseases, and free of dead or yellow leaves.
Potting Up: First plant in 12 cm pots, 1 clump per pot, and grow for 3-4 months. Then transfer to 18 cm pots, and after 6-7 months of growth they can be shipped.
Daily Care
Water and Fertilizer Management: The Boston fern should be kept with moist potting soil, and during the growing season water should be supplied abundantly. Although the soil should be kept moist, for the Boston fern, if it dries out frequently, the lower fronds will wither and drop off.
Temperature Management: The suitable temperature for the Boston fern is 18°C-35°C. Growth is poor above 35°C or below 15°C. In winter it must not go below 5°C. Winter care requires heating equipment; if no heating facilities are available, double-layer insulation can be used. On winter afternoons, when the temperature drops to 22-24°C, the greenhouse should be sealed promptly. Summer care requires cooling equipment (exhaust fans and water curtains). If there is no heating or cooling equipment, in summer at noon, shading and ventilation should be strengthened, and misting the fronds and ground water should be added to achieve cooling. At the same time, long-distance multi-span greenhouses should not be used; instead, independent single-span greenhouses should be used.
Humidity Management: It prefers high-humidity environments and does not tolerate dryness. During care, frequently mist the plant and the growing environment to increase humidity. The suitable humidity is around 75%-80%. Excessive dryness will cause the frond margins to turn yellow, or even the entire frond to turn yellow.
Light Management: The Boston fern prefers a warm, semi-shaded environment and is suited to indirect light; it must not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise it tends to wilt and curl. 15 days after planting, a light level of 2000-3000 Lux is more suitable for the growth of young seedlings. In the first month after planting, an overall light level of 3000-4000 Lux is more suitable. In the second month after planting, an overall light level of 5000-6000 Lux is more suitable. After that, an overall light level of around 7000-8000 Lux is more suitable. In winter, depending on actual conditions, it can be controlled at 10000-15000 Lux. Excessive light causes the frond margins to scorch and drop off, the fronds to curl, and growth to be hindered.
Fertilizer: Use Peter's 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer, calcium nitrate, and potassium nitrate.
How to Grow the Boston Fern
Daily Care
1. Light
The Boston fern likes bright indirect light. In spring and summer, it should be placed in a spot with bright indirect light indoors. When the sunlight is strong, it must not be placed in direct sunlight, as direct sunlight will cause the fronds to turn yellow. In winter, light should be appropriately increased, otherwise the frond color tends to turn yellow or the frond margins may dry up.
2. Water
The Boston fern likes humid environments and requires relatively high soil moisture and air humidity. Because the roots of the Boston fern are adventitious roots with poor water absorption and retention capacity, water must be supplied promptly; otherwise, prolonged dryness can easily cause the fronds to turn yellow and drop off. In spring and summer, the potting soil should always be kept moist, but not waterlogged, and not overly wet; it is best to keep the potting soil consistently moist. In summer, in addition to timely watering, frequently mist the fronds. In winter, when room temperature is low, reduce watering and just keep the soil slightly moist.
3. Fertilizing
The fertilizer concentration for the Boston fern should not be too high, otherwise it can easily damage the roots. The best fertilizing method is to first add well-rotted manure when potting (repot once every 1 year in spring), and during the peak growing season, top-dress with dilute fertilizer. When fertilizing, avoid letting the fertilizer solution contaminate the fronds; if it accidentally does, immediately spray clean water to rinse it off.
4. Temperature
The optimal growing temperature for the Boston fern is 15-25°C, and in winter it can overwinter safely at temperatures above 10°C.
Propagation Methods of the Boston Fern
The Boston fern can be propagated by division.
The Boston fern is commonly propagated by division; in summer, cut off the small rooted plantlets growing from the stolons of vigorous plants and plant them separately.
Cut off the small rooted plantlets growing from the stolons of vigorous plants and plant them separately. Water the divided plants thoroughly, place them in a shaded spot for about a week, and then they can be returned to normal care. Division can be done in spring, summer, and autumn.
The Boston fern does not produce spore-bearing fronds and can only be propagated by division or runners. Division can be carried out year-round, with spring and autumn being the best times. After division, water thoroughly and place in a shaded spot; the plant will quickly resume growth.
Commonly propagated by division; in summer, cut off the small rooted plantlets growing from the stolons of vigorous plants and plant them separately.
Pest and Disease Control of the Boston Fern
The main diseases are leaf spot and damping-off.
The main pests are damage caused by caterpillars, scale insects, mealybugs, and nematodes.
Uses and Purposes of the Boston Fern Decorative Value
The Boston fern is also called the Tall Sword Fern. It is a perennial evergreen herbaceous fern, a type of drooping foliage fern, suitable for potted indoor hanging display; its cut stolons can be used as decorative arrangement material.
Boston fern seedlings grow upright, elegant and graceful, very suitable for placing on a desk for viewing. When the fronds grow to a certain length and droop down, the Boston fern is then suitable for hanging to decorate the environment in the air.
Air Purification
The Boston fern is a variety of the sword fern. It has extremely strong adaptability and also has the function of absorbing formaldehyde waste gas. At the same time, it can inhibit xylene and toluene released from computer monitors and printers. It is an effective biological purifier; therefore, the Boston fern is a highly recommended ornamental plant.
Distribution Area of the Boston Fern
Native to tropical and subtropical regions, and distributed in Taiwan, China.
Boston Fern Pictures
How to Grow the Boston Fern How to Propagate the Boston Fern
The Boston fern is a type of drooping foliage fern, a perennial evergreen herb of the genus Nephrolepis in the family Nephrolepidaceae. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions and is distributed in Taiwan, China. It has very high ornamental value and is suitable for potted indoor hanging display, potted cultivation, and vertical greening. Its cut stolons can also be used as decorative arrangement material. Now let us take a look at how to grow the Boston fern!
Growth Habits of the Boston Fern
The Boston fern prefers warm, humid, and semi-shaded environments, and also likes good ventilation; it dislikes extreme heat. It is generally placed in a spot with bright indirect light indoors; it cannot tolerate direct strong sunlight, but it should not be kept in a dark spot either. The optimal growing temperature is 15-25°C, and in winter it can overwinter safely at temperatures above 10°C. It is drought-tolerant, but still needs sufficient water, and the soil should not be too wet or too dry; the potting soil should be kept consistently moist. In summer, water 1-2 times a day and frequently mist the fronds. It does not need much fertilizer; during the growing season, apply a dilute, well-rotted cake fertilizer once every 4 weeks. Do not use quick-release chemical fertilizers. When fertilizing, be careful not to splash the fronds, as this can cause damage.
Propagation Methods of the Boston Fern
The Boston fern does not produce spore-bearing fronds and can only be propagated by division or runners. Division propagation can be done in spring, summer, and autumn. Cut off the small rooted plantlets growing from the stolons of vigorous plants and plant them separately. Water the divided plants thoroughly, place them in a shaded spot for about a week, and then they can be returned to normal care.
How to Grow the Boston Fern
1. Substrate: The growing substrate for the Boston fern is loose, well-draining, and well-aerated imported peat of the Klasmann 10-30 mm grade. Crush the peat, add water, and mix well. After mixing with water, squeeze a handful of peat tightly, and water should seep out between your fingers. Then pot it up for planting. For a 12 cm pot, the peat dosage per pot is about 350 ml; one 300-liter bag of imported peat can fill about 800 cups.
2. Potting Up: For potting up the Boston fern, choose high-quality professionally produced seedlings, with a seedling height of 7-8 cm, crown width of 4-5 cm, free of pests and diseases, and free of dead or yellow leaves. First plant in 12 cm pots, 1 clump per pot, and grow for 3-4 months. Then transfer to 18 cm pots, and after 6-7 months of growth they can be shipped.
3. Temperature: The suitable temperature for the Boston fern is 18-35°C. Growth is poor above 35°C or below 15°C. In winter it must not go below 5°C. Winter care requires heating equipment; if no heating facilities are available, double-layer insulation can be used. On winter afternoons, when the temperature drops to 22-24°C, the greenhouse should be sealed promptly. Summer care requires cooling equipment (exhaust fans and water curtains).
4. Light: The Boston fern likes bright indirect light. In spring and summer, it should be placed in a spot with bright indirect light indoors. When the sunlight is strong, it must not be placed in direct sunlight, as direct sunlight will cause the fronds to turn yellow. In winter, light should be appropriately increased, otherwise the frond color tends to turn yellow or the frond margins may dry up.
5. Water: The Boston fern likes humid environments and requires relatively high soil moisture and air humidity. Because the roots of the Boston fern are adventitious roots with poor water absorption and retention capacity, water must be supplied promptly; otherwise, prolonged dryness can easily cause the fronds to turn yellow and drop off. In spring and summer, the potting soil should always be kept moist, but not waterlogged, and not overly wet; it is best to keep the potting soil consistently moist. In summer, in addition to timely watering, frequently mist the fronds. In winter, when room temperature is low, reduce watering and just keep the soil slightly moist.
6. Fertilizing: The fertilizer concentration for the Boston fern should not be too high, otherwise it can easily damage the roots. The best fertilizing method is to first add well-rotted manure when potting (repot once every 1 year in spring), and during the peak growing season, top-dress with dilute fertilizer. When fertilizing, avoid letting the fertilizer solution contaminate the fronds; if it accidentally does, immediately spray clean water to rinse it off.