Boston Babe Fern
A fern can be a great way to liven up an indoor space. Many of us are finding ourselves spending a lot of time in our home office, and little greenery can help improve all that desk time. Boston Babe ferns are evergreen and, like all house plants, help provide your indoor space with some fresh air.
Climate
Boston Babe ferns are perennials in USDA Zones 9-11, where they can be planted outdoors. In other areas, they still make wonderful year-round house plants.
Sun
Their native habit is forest understory, so they do not like direct sunlight. Too much direct light can cause sun scald on the fronds. For outdoor landscapes, plant them under trees. Indoors, put them in areas with filtered light like a frosted window, a window that gets morning light, or a few feet away from a brightly lit window. They need a minimum of two hours of filtered light a day. Symptoms of not receiving enough light include stunted growth and fronds turning an unattractive grey color.
Soil
Again, imagine a forest understory -- rich in organic matter, holding moisture but not remaining too soggy. The shady spot in your yard under the trees likely has good soil for ferns already. If not, mixing in some compost will help loosen it up and add organic matter. If you are putting your fern in a container indoors, a potting media labeled for indoor plants is the best place to start.
Water
Ferns like water. They like their soil to be moist most of the time, but not totally saturated. Fern roots need air, too. While they like it evenly moist, we do not want to literally drown them in standing water. Ferns also like humidity. If you live in a drier area, or if your indoor climate control tends to dry out the air, a little spritz of water will help keep ferns looking lush.
Fertilizer
Ferns like to be fed, but just a little. They prefer a nice balanced fertilizer like a 10-10-10 formula. Apply a light rate of liquid, or sprinkle in a little slow release every month or every other month from spring through summer. They go dormant in the winter and therefore do not need any feed during the fall and winter.
Pests & Diseases
Proper watering will prevent most diseases. If you are over watering your plant, you might find the plant dropping fronds, turning yellow, and notice crown or root rot. The cure for all these things is to back off on the water. Fungicides can be used for crown and root rots. Follow the instructions carefully, and never use fungicide products indoors unless specifically indicated for indoor use by the manufacturer.
Maintenance
For indoor plants, you can remove tired looking or brown fronds once in a while
Grab a fern for your desk and enjoy the small pleasures of fresh air and a few micro-breaks from screen time.
