Boston fern pruning
Remove dead or damaged fronds from a Boston fern clump. Do not cut healthy green fronds just to make the plant smaller.
Plant coveredNephrolepis exaltataBoston fern · indoor container
Identify the plant part and the reason for removing it
Choose what to remove
Remove dead or damaged fronds from the fern clump. Leave healthy green fronds in place for routine maintenance.
Use pruning to remove dead or visibly spent fern fronds. Do not use a fixed size-reduction method to reshape the fern.
Decide whether to prune now or wait
Prune at the right time
Remove dead fronds when they appear. Indoor maintenance is condition-led, with no required calendar pruning season.
Cut only the selected part
Make one clean cut
Remove each dead frond cleanly from the clump. No tool or cut height is specified.
Stop when the pruning goal is met
When pruning will not help
Watch the cut and new growth before pruning again
Care for the plant after pruning
Sources
- North Carolina State University Extension Gardener Plant ToolboxHouseplant context; light; temperature; humidity; moisture; winter; spores; pests
- Royal Horticultural SocietyLight; compost; moisture; pH; humidity; fertilizer; winter; pests; rot