Okay, so folks have asked me how I keep my hanging ferns looking decent outside. It wasn’t like I read a manual or anything, just kind of figured it out as I went.
Getting Started with Ferns
I picked up a couple of Boston ferns already in hanging baskets from the local garden shop. They looked great there, all green and full. My porch looked a bit bare, so I thought, yeah, ferns, that’s the look. Got ’em home, and the first thing was finding a place to hang them.
Finding the Right Spot
Now, I initially hung them right on the edge of the porch railing hooks. Looked nice, but they got absolutely blasted by the afternoon sun for a couple of hours. Big mistake. Within a week, some fronds started looking kinda yellow and crispy on the edges. Not good.
So, I had to move them. Found some spots further back under the porch roof. Much better. They still get bright light, you know, it’s not like a dark cave, but it’s indirect. No direct sun beating down on them. That seemed to be the key for my setup. They stopped looking stressed almost immediately.
Watering Routine – This is Important!
Okay, watering. This was the biggest learning curve for me. These things drink a LOT, especially when it’s hot out and maybe a bit breezy. At first, I was watering maybe every other day. Not enough. Especially in those plastic hanging baskets they came in, the soil dried out super fast.
My routine now: I check the soil every morning. Just stick my finger in about an inch deep. If it feels dry, I water. In the middle of summer, that often meant watering every single day. I take the hose (with a gentle shower setting) and water them until I see water dripping out the bottom holes of the basket. That way, I know the water got all the way through the root ball.
I did almost kill one early on by forgetting for like, two days during a hot spell. It looked so droopy and sad. Gave it a really good, long soak and luckily it bounced back after a day or so. Lesson learned.
Feeding Them (Sometimes)
I don’t go crazy with fertilizer. Maybe once a month during the spring and summer? I just use a regular all-purpose liquid plant food, the stuff you mix with water. And I usually mix it a bit weaker than the instructions say, maybe half strength. Didn’t want to burn them. Just give them a little boost, you know? Seemed to work okay, they stayed green.
Keeping Them Tidy
Ferns naturally have older fronds that turn brown and die off. It’s normal. So, maybe every week or two, I just take a quick look and snip off any brown or totally yellow fronds right at the base. Just keeps them looking neater, really. Takes like two minutes per basket.
- Check soil daily, water when top inch is dry.
- Water thoroughly until it drains out.
- Keep them in bright, indirect light. No harsh sun!
- Trim off dead brown fronds regularly.
- Feed lightly once a month in growing season (optional, but helps).
That’s pretty much it. That’s what I’ve been doing. They aren’t perfect show ferns, but they look pretty good hanging on my porch, and they survived the whole summer. It’s mostly about finding the right spot and staying on top of the watering. Hope that helps anyone trying it out!
