Are there pottery types that are best for indoor houseplants?

Pottery for depends on the houseplant. For plants which like to be drier at the root, such as: palms, citrus, succulents, and cacti, use an unglazed terracotta pot. For houseplants, like our many tropicals, which enjoy a moister condition at the root, think about glazed ceramic or plastic. If you are growing African Violets, bonsai, or orchids, we have specialty pots just for them.

What is the difference between full-sun, partial-sun, and shade?

Full sun is six or more hours of direct sunlight, part sun is four to six hours of sunlight including some afternoon sun, part shade is four to six hours of sun before midday, full shade is less than four hours of sun.

Fern, Boston Fern

Q: What is the difference between annuals and perennials?

Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season (spring – fall/frost). Perennials are plants that live for more than two growing seasons. They die back in winter and re-emerge in spring.

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Sun Preference: Bright Indirect

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Description

Elegant, finely-toothed, sword-shaped fronds that are bright green; a spectacular groundcover for a woodland area; great in hanging baskets or containers, for indoors or out

Direct from the Grower

When you see the Gerten Grown logo on our annuals, you know you're getting a fresh plant directly from our greenhouse. We've been perfecting our growing process for over four generations and pride ourselves on providing local quality and freshness to our customers. Better pricing on better quality plant material, that's Gerten Grown.

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Details

Height: 24 inches

Spacing: 18 inches

Sunlight: full sun partial shade full shade or Bright Indirect

Hardiness Zone: 9a

Other Names: Sword Fern, Tuber Ladder Fern, Fishbone Fern

Description:

Elegant, finely-toothed, sword-shaped fronds that are bright green; a spectacular groundcover for a woodland area; great in hanging baskets or containers, for indoors or out

Features & Attributes

Boston Fern's attractive glossy ferny pinnately compound leaves remain forest green in color with hints of light green throughout the year. The flowers are not ornamentally significant.

This is a dense herbaceous evergreen houseplant with a shapely form and gracefully arching foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other indoor plants with less refined foliage. This plant should not require much pruning, except when necessary to keep it looking its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Boston Fern can be expected to grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. This houseplant performs well in both bright or indirect sunlight and strong artificial light, and can therefore be situated in almost any well-lit room or location. It does best in average to evenly moist soil, but will not tolerate standing water. The surface of the soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely, and so you should expect to water this plant once and possibly even twice each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.

-- THIS IS A HOUSEPLANT AND IS NOT MEANT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER OUTDOORS IN OUR CLIMATE --

More Information

Common Family Name	Fern
Sun Preference	Bright Indirect
Plant Life Cycle	Annual

Product Questions (15)

Gertens carries annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, water plants, house plants, edibles, cacti/succulents, seasonal blooming holiday plants and a wide variety of bulbs and seeds!

Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season (spring – fall/frost). Perennials are plants that live for more than two growing seasons. They die back in winter and re-emerge in spring. ...

Hardiness is the capacity of a cultivated plant to withstand adverse conditions, usually its tolerance of low temperature. Plants are given a hardiness rating by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 11 zones based on the coldest or warmest temperature...

Tropical plants are usually enjoyed for the summer and then discarded or brought indoors for the winter. Some tropicals go dormant in winter and can be kept in a dark cool place. They do need to be watered infrequently to keep their roots moist. Other...

Spider mites are common on house plants in our warm dry homes but are easily controlled with diluted rubbing alcohol or dish soup sprayed on the infected plant. Pyrethrin is an organic insecticide that will kill most insects on houseplants. The most ...

Yes! Apply neem oil early in the morning or at night when beneficial insects are dormant. This also protects the foliage from burning from the combination of sunlight and the oil. Keep in mind that it does take time for neem oil to work and you may need...

Plants growing in pots should be repotted when the roots start growing out of the drain holes. Typically, the new pot should be just one size larger than the pot it’s been growing in. Never use garden soil in a pot. Always use a soilless container mix...

Indoor lighting and supplement lighting are big topics. Fluorescent lights have been used to grow seedlings and must be within inches of the plants to be useful. The introduction of LED lights has improved the usefulness of grow lights dramatically. ...

Yes, you can overwater plants. Especially in pots but also in the ground, however, planting in the ground allows for better water dispersion so the odds of overwatering are less. Low lying areas may be more prone to flooding. Areas with clay soil also...

A rough estimate for the last frost date here in zone 4b is the first week of May. This is not exact, as Minnesota weather can be variable, but it does help for plantings.

Pottery for depends on the houseplant. For plants which like to be drier at the root, such as: palms, citrus, succulents, and cacti, use an unglazed terracotta pot. For houseplants...

Use ant repellents. Terro = Grease Ants Revenge = Garden Ants NOTE: Before bringing...

Root stimulators provide a hormone to the root system to recover faster from any damage done during the transplant process. This will also help the roots grow faster and stronger. To view Gertens recommended root stimulator, click ...

Full sun is six or more hours of direct sunlight (Note: afternoon sun is the hottest). West side: plants that like it hot and dry. Part sun is four to six hours of sunlight including some afternoon...

Mulch helps stabilizes soil moisture and temperature. Gertens experts recommend Red Cedar mulch, from that fact that the cedar oil repels soft body insects. Place mulch 2 ...

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