Western Sword Fern

Western Sword Ferns like the majority of ferns will spread if they are placed in the right growing conditions and left to their own devices. For some people this is fantastic news but for others they see this as a problem, especially if the plants take over other flora in the area.

If you are planting Western Sword Fern in your garden and don’t mind if it ends up covering your land then this isn’t a problem. However you have a responsibility to make sure that it doesn’t spread past your garden and run wild in the surrounding land or other plant life will suffer for it.

We personally love the look of a forest floor covered in ferns but not everyone else does especially if the ferns are creeping into their gardens. With this in mind make sure you cut your ferns back to stop spreading and be aware of any growth occurring outside your garden fence.

If spreading is a problem then can ferns grow in pots? And would it be a good idea to grow them in pots instead to avoid unwanted spreading? Although you’ll most commonly find Western Sword Ferns growing in the Earth they can be grown in pots and do indeed thrive. They may not grow as tall as they would in the wild but if you repot when the fern requires it you should see growth that’s not too dissimilar to if the fern was planted directly into the ground.

One important thing to be aware of is that Western Sword Ferns like pots a bit on the smaller side. They don’t need deep soil to spread their roots and would do much better if you waited a bit longer between repotting.

If spreading isn’t an issue for you but you want to trim your ferns to remove dead fronds then wait until the spring months. Your plant will die back in the winter but the dead fronds can protect the actual plant from wildlife and frost. This will give your plant the best chance of survival. Then in the spring cut the dead fronds away and watch your fern thrive.

So do sword ferns spread? Yes they do. Is this a problem? Not always, but it’s definitely something you need to keep an eye on.

Western Sword Ferns are plants that tend to grow in shadier regions under the canopy of other plants. As this is the case they prefer not to receive direct sunlight. Full sun can scorch the fronts of Western Sword Ferns and will damage the plant. If you have no other option then your plant should still be able to grow depending on the region you live in. If you live in Northern Europe then under full sun your fern should still grow even though its growth won’t be optimal. However if you live in Southern Europe or places with a similar climate then chances are your Western Sword Fern will not grow under full sun.

Even though they can grow under sun, the ideal growing conditions for your Western Sword Fern require bright indirect to shaded light. If you are planting this fern outside then try to plant it underneath the protection of other plants. If you have tall trees or bushes then you can plant your ferns in the soil below them.

If they are being grown outdoors then the next question you need to ask is do Sword Ferns spread?

If you are growing your Western Sword Fern inside then this might be easier to control. Try to avoid south facing windows with your fern so that it doesn’t receive full sun. If you have no choice and the only windows in your home face south then try moving your fern further into the room away from the window. Or if that isn’t an option then why not see if you find a sheer curtain to block out some of the harsher rays of the sun and protect your plants.

Some of the common mistakes people make when looking after plants if thinking my plant needs lots of light and lots of water. People then tend to place their plants in direct sunlight regardless of the species of plant and over water them. In fact most people’s first plants die from overwatering than underwatering.

Plants need less care than you think and often need less light than you think as well. When placing your fern in your home don’t worry about pulling it back away from the window and if you notice that it isn’t doing to well you can just move it closer at a later date. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the placement of your plants. They are more resilient than you think.

So can sword ferns take full sun? Maybe yes but let’s try and give them the growing conditions they deserve.

Western Sword Ferns, Asparagus Ferns and Ostrich Ferns all have slightly different requirements but they do have one thing in common, they like to be misted.

Most ferns grow in humid, often damp conditions that experience a lot of rainfall. They are often kept quite moist and the ground that they live in will be moist as well. Basically speaking, they like things wet.

When you keep a fern in your home you run the risk of it becoming dry. The inside of most homes often experiences drier air than outside. Things such a heating units and radiators will also dry out the air causing your moisture loving plants like ferns to suffer.

To help combat this you can introduce gentle misting to your plant care. If you have the time mist your plants once a day or once every other day to help them retain more moisture on their fronds. If you can’t mist your fern every day then don’t worry, ferns can tolerate drier conditions, they just like it moist.

Another great way to add more humidity to the air is to place bowls and cups of water around your plants. Or to place your plants in pebble trays filled with water. As the water evaporates it will put more moisture into the air that will help your plants to thrive. If you really want to go all out then you can also consider buying a humidifier. Humidifiers make a huge difference with plant care. It used to be much more difficult to care for tropical and moisture loving plants if you lived in a drier area but now its easy for anyone to do and a big part of this is down to the introduction of humidifiers.

With these machines you can recreate humidity levels in your home that you would experience in the tropics. But don’t worry if you don’t want to buy a humidifier, a mister should work just fine for your ferns.

Here is another great article that you can read to improve your knowledge on ferns:

Can Sword Ferns take full sun?

So do ferns like to be misted? This time we can answer yes!

Whether it’s an Western Sword Fern, an Asparagus Fern or an Ostrich Fern, you might find yourself asking can ferns grow in pots or are they better left outside.

Another common fern question is do ferns like to be misted?

Considering that the majority of time we see a fern, it’s outside growing naturally in the wild, it’s not an uncommon question to ask can ferns be grown in a pot? After all they aren’t as common a houseplant as a Pothos or a Palm.

But the good news is that yes, of course a fern can be grown in a pot and sometimes there’s good reason for this.

To Stop Them Being Invasive

Firstly you may choose to grow your fern in a pot to stop it from spreading to other parts of your garden. Sword ferns spread just like many other ferns and having them in a pot can be a good way to slow them down, otherwise you might find your ferns growing out of control and taking over your garden to the point of suffocating your other plants.

Aesthetics

You might also want to keep them in a pot because pots look attractive. Maybe you just like the look of your fern in a pot or maybe you have a garden where you’re unable to plant anything so an attractive pot with a plant in it can really add to the look of your garden.

To Keep Ferns Indoors

Another reasons you might want to keep a Fern in a pot is because you want to keep it as an indoor plant which is another great reason. Ferns can make fantastic houseplants, you just need to try and recreate the conditions that they’re used to in the natural world.

Requirements For Keeping Ferns In Pots

If you are going to keep your Fern in a pot then you need to know how they like to be kept. Ferns don’t need deep soil to root and will often do well in a slightly smaller dish. So when choosing your dish make sure you opt for one on the shallower side.

So can ferns grow in pots? Yes they can, just make sure they’re watered regularly and they’re in a nice snug pot.