They grow very quickly.
The edible fiddlehead fern season is also short, only lasting a few weeks each year.
They grow from a crown or rhizome, a thick horizontal rooting structure.
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New ferns also spread or reproduce from spores.
These plants prefer moist, fertile soil and partial shade.
It’s common to see these plants growing in stands near shady brooks and streams.
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Mature ostrich ferns produce an average of seven fronds.
Pick new fronds in spring just as they are beginning to uncurl, often in May.
Soil
The soil should be average to fertile,humus-rich, neutral to acidic, and moist.
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Add compost to the planting hole to achieve slightlyacidic soil.
Water
Ferns require at least 1 to 2 inches of water per week.
Never allow the soil to dry out.
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Leaves may scorch if the soil is not wet enough.
The inside air is usually too dry to sustain a fern if grown indoors.
Mist the plant daily or set a humidifier to regularly hydrate the air around the fern.
Keep the air at least 50% relative humiditythe more, the better.
Fertilizer
Fiddlehead ferns do not require fertilizer if given a compost-enriched, humusy soil.
Otherwise, you might give a light feeding of balanced,20-20-20slow-release plant food once a month during the spring season.
Only a few species are safe and edible to consume; most scientists and cookbooks stress cooking the fiddleheads.
By far, ostrich fern is the most common key in grown for eating in the U.S.
The following types are edible when cooked properly:
Pruning
Trimming ferns keep them looking fresh.
Cut away dead, dying, or disfigured fronds.
Do not prune a fern right before winter.
The fronds above protect the crown or rhizome beneath the soil surface.
For potted ferns, trim away any runners or brown, woody roots overgrowing the rim of the pot.
Propagating Fiddlehead Ferns
Ferns don’t flower or grow from seeds.
They grow from spores and are commonly spread by rhizomes underground.
you’re able to also divide a crown (a piece of its rhizomatous root).
To propagate a fern, use division.
Dividing the crown is also helpful for controlling the overgrowth of a fern in a particular area.
Both plastic and clay pots are suitable as long as you keep your plant’s soil moist.
Also, choose a shallow pot, usually not more than 6 inches deep.
verify that the pot has about 2 inches all around to accommodate growth.
Overwintering
The ostrich fern can overwinter in most outdoor locations.
In places with freezing temperatures, it will die back in the winter and return in the spring.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Ostrich ferns are deer- and rabbit-resistant.
Ostrich fern borer moth larvae common in the Northeast use ostrich ferns as their only food source.
The larva bore in the lower stems and roots of the ostrich fern.
Ostrich fern borer moths fly from late August through late September.
Eggs overwinter, and larvae hatch in spring.
It is best left alone.
It is rare for this plant to get diseases, but gangrene can be because of fungus.
It appears like small black patches on newly emerged fiddlehead fronds.
The infected fronds become weak and break near the base, and severely infected crowns may die.
Removal is the only treatment.
If in-ground, watch for aggressive growth if not kept in check.
Fronds will also curl up if the plant gets too much direct sunlight.
Yellowing Leaves
Ferns getting too much water may get yellowed foliage or begin to droop.
Yes, ostrich ferns can be kept as houseplants.
Cinnamon ferns (Osmunda cinnamomea) are often confused with ostrich ferns.
Cinnamon ferns prefer wetter soils.
They are also vase-shaped but not as tall, and the blades are less tapered below the middle.
Ostrich ferns do not like direct sunlight, so pick a spot further from the window with diffuse sunlight.
