Between two ferns.
October 13, 2017 1:55 PM   Subscribe

We recently moved into a new house with two of these giant ferns in concrete planters on the porch (pics). What are they, and how do I keep them alive over the winter?

Can these ferns survive the winter outside? I'm not sure what to do if not since they're way too heavy to bring inside, but your ideas are welcomed. We live in Oklahoma, plant hardiness zones 6-7. What else can I do to make sure these guys stay happy in general? I've had a lot of experience with gardening but none with a big-ass fern.
posted by hilaritas to Home & Garden (8 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Polystichum munitum - Sword Fern.
posted by humboldt32 at 2:22 PM on October 13, 2017


Those are tropical ferns, some sort of sword fern/Boston fern. They will not survive freezing weather. You can bring them inside and try to maintain them until spring. Or you can replace them next spring when every Home Depot and Lowe's has them for sale for $25 each.
posted by conic at 2:23 PM on October 13, 2017 [2 favorites]


Those look like Boston Ferns. Cool humidity with bright indirect sunlight (through a North window, for instance) is supposedly the trick to keeping them alive over the winter. (I've been trying for 10 years and haven't had one survive past January in my zone 6 home - the air is just too dry, even in a bathroom with daily "showers".)
posted by muirne81 at 2:24 PM on October 13, 2017


You have boston ferns, Nephrolepis exaltata, and they're gorgeous. From your description, I would be inclined to believe that the way to keep them alive over the winter is to transplant them into an appropriately sized container and bring them inside. Zone 6-7 outside will kill the foliage and most likely the root ball in the concrete container. Bright indirect light inside and occasional misting is probably your best bet. Good luck.
posted by strelitzia at 2:30 PM on October 13, 2017


Pretty sure they are Nephrolepsis sp. Leaflets are not dentate like Polystichum munitum.
posted by oneirodynia at 2:34 PM on October 13, 2017


Nephrolepsis have serrate margin according to U. FL . I can't tell from the photo whether the leaflets are finely dentate or finely serrate (which can be kind of tough even in person).

Anyway, you can treat the two types of fern fairly similarly for overwintering. You don't want a north window, that's too dark in OK. You want a south window in winter, just make sure it's not getting tons of direct light. Another option is to let it go dormant, and store in a place like a garage or basement, someplace that stays above 55F. See further instructions here.

If it were me and I had an appropriate basement/garage, I'd try one each way this winter: that way you increase your odds of success and you also learn something, while not taking up as much room in your living area.
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:48 PM on October 13, 2017


You can also saw an individual fern into several smaller ones for over-wintering. Expect tons of brown floaty leaves to come off while they are inside. But they are really inexpensive during the spring sales: buy smaller ones and good potting soil and they'll grow quickly to fill up the pots.
posted by mightshould at 4:09 PM on October 13, 2017


Have you contacted the previous owners?
posted by intermod at 7:04 PM on October 13, 2017 [1 favorite]


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