Don’t overlook your evergreen ferns—early spring pruning and a little maintenance can help them stay lush, disease-free, and ready to thrive.
By Rachel Kester
Don’t let their beautiful year-round appearance fool you. While evergreen ferns might keep their color and personality even in the midst of winter, they still need some maintenance to ensure they shine for spring and summer; and now, it’s time to start thinking about sprucing them up.
Why Prune Evergreen Ferns?
“When pruning, you’re making room for new fronds,” said Meghan Garrity, a Norfolk Virginia Cooperative Extension agent.“Prune [evergreen ferns] before [fronds] come up or around when they start so you’re not clipping off new growth.”
Early spring is ideal pruning time. Evergreen ferns are still dormant but they’ll soon start waking up—and when they do, pruning will help them thrive while also preventing diseases, like crown rot and fungal leaf spot.
“For evergreens it kind of goes down to more of that aesthetic,” said Garrity. “This is the main focal point of the garden right now—they’re beautiful ferns that are green all winter.” Some native ferns, like Christmas, are evergreen.
Evergreen Fern Pruning
When pruning evergreen ferns, less is often better. Unlike many deciduous species, like the royal fern, that die back and can pretty much all be trimmed away if needed, evergreens can be a little finicky and often just want to be left alone. The fronds contain energy, and if pruned too much or too early, that takes away some of its vigor.
As you prune, move slowly and intentionally. Damaged, discolored or diseased fronds are what to look for. When cutting, remove the ends slightly above or below the soil surface while carefully avoiding the root area. Never cut a frond in half—it won’t do anything but make things look funky. “Don’t just cut a leaf half off and sit there to rot,” said Garrity. “It makes it susceptible [to problems].” If one is starting to yellow or crisp, just trim off the entire thing to make room for a new one to grow. Sometimes you can gently tug on a dead frond and it will likely slip out from the crown.
Scissors or small hand pruners work perfectly for trimming. Make sure they’re sharp for even cuts and always wipe off the blades to stop disease spread, especially of the common rust fungus which creates reddish, orange specks on the fronds. Sanitizing can be done simply with at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipes or some dabbed on cotton balls. A light bleach solution is also useful.
While evergreen ferns can be somewhat forgiving, don’t cut them too early. Old fronds are excellent winter insulation guarding the roots from chill and frost. But these plants are pretty hardy, so if a random frost happens after pruning, don’t worry. While you might lose a few of the new fiddleheads, others will start growing back in time. For best protection though, bring them inside if they’re in a pot or shield them with a frost cover or sheet. “They’re not picky, they’re more forgiving than a lot of plants we have which is good,” said Garrity.
As the year progresses and these ferns show off their beauty, be extremely cautious when using weed whackers near them. It’s very easy to accidentally swipe a frond or tear up the soil around its root system. To avoid such chaos, consider dedicating time to hand-weeding around them.
Setting Evergreen
Ferns Up for Success
Pruning time is also a helpful opportunity to give a bit of a check-up. Is the fern in a partially shaded spot? Protected from winds that could damage or dry fronds? Does it have enough nutrient-rich soil?
Watering is also important. “Evergreens are still going,” said Garrity. “They won’t be growing necessarily but are using resources, so making sure they’re watered every once in a while is a great idea.”
Adding some mulch or organic matter (like chopped leaves and pine needles) around the base in early spring is also useful as it will help the plant retain moisture and provide extra nutrients as it decomposes. This is also an easy way to thwart weeds around the base. Be sure to keep about an inch or two of space between the mulch and crown to prevent smothering.
Caring for evergreen ferns can be a little bit of a task, but it’s worth it once those otherworldly fiddleheads start sprouting in the spring. “With evergreens don’t forget about them [but] they shouldn’t need too much throughout the winter,” said Garrity. “Set them up for success.”
Rachel Kester
