What Ferns Need in August: 5 Easy Tasks to Keep Them Lush and Beautiful Instead of Turning Brown and Crispy

Many of us gardeners adore our ferns. They are ancient, elegant plants with a 360-million-year history. Their lacy green leaves and cool spiral fiddleheads bring a quiet, wild magic to shady forest floors in the wild. Ferns bring the same timeless grace to home gardens, a serene beauty that has no need for colorful blossoms.

Ferns like shade and moisture, and August heat is not their favorite weather. You’ll need to step in during peak summer heat to prevent fern fronds from crisping, browning and dying. Care of outdoor ferns in August includes frequent watering and protection from harsh midday sun.

Let's explore how to keep them looking lush in late summer.

1. Can We Get a Drink Please?

Did anyone ever ask you what one thing you cannot live without? (FYI, my answer is my dog Delilah!) If ferns were required to answer that question, their answer would be water.

Remember that most ferns are native to forest environments. That means that the summer sunlight their soil receives is filtered through green canopies - so it stays moist a long time. And moist soil is what ferns like best.

How much water do ferns need in August? That depends. Are they growing under the green canopies of trees? Or in direct sun?

Hot summer weather can dry ferns out quickly, whether they are growing in containers or a garden bed. You’ll want to check the soil of every fern growing outdoors every single day in August. Poke a finger a could of inches into the soil. If it feels dry, water right away. You could also use a simple soil moisture meter from Amazon to make the process a little cleaner. The best time to water is in the morning. Add water to container ferns until it runs out the drainage hole. I also like to bottom water my container plants in the summer to ensure proper hydration.

In addition to dry soil, there are other signs that your ferns need water in August. If your fern leaves are wilting or turning brown, you’ll understand immediately that the soil isn’t sufficiently moist. Dry or brittle leaves means that the soil has been dry for more than a minute.

2. Play Misty for Me

Ferns like water on their roots, but they also like water on their lush leaves. Misting ferns helps clean dust from fronds. Outdoors you can hose down the fern’s leaves in the morning, but it also works well to use a mister. They are not expensive and can be very effective. Use a fine spray bottle with filtered or distilled water to prevent mineral spots from forming on leaves.

Mist indoor and outdoor fronds every day during August heat. It’s also a good idea to put fern containers on a pebble tray filled with water. This helps the ferns maintain high moisture.

Note: never mist fern leaves if the plant is in full sun. Indoors, you can also use a humidifier.

3. Throwing Shade

If you have container ferns, check their placement. Whether you have the containers inside or outside, be sure that they do not spend the heat of the day in full sun. Intense afternoon sun will scorch delicate fronds. Dappled shade or filtered light is just fine.

Positioning container ferns can be decisive when it comes to fern care. Even indoors, if a fern’s container is placed where hot sun rays hit the plant every day, the plant will not be able to survive.

What about bed-planted ferns? Hopefully, you did not plant ferns in the soil in a spot where they get lots of direct sun in summer. If you did make that mistake, add an outdoor shade cloth like this one from Amazon to reduce the heat. You might consider adding a fast-growing shade tree in the area for future years.

4. Mulch to Protect Soil

Another way to make ferns happy in August is to spread organic mulch over their soil. Mulching ferns helps cool the soil during the heat of summer. It also traps water in the soil during hot summer days, helping to keep the soil moist.

How much mulch to use? Use a thin layer of mulch - something like organic compost or chopped leaves works well - and don’t pile it up in a “mulch pyramid” against the center of the plant. Leave space around the center of the fronds so that they don’t rot. In addition to helping your ferns with their moisture needs, the mulch will block weeds from growing around the ferns.

5. Maintenance and Feeding

August is not the best time to prune ferns, but it’s a good idea to trim off any fronds that are yellow or brown. Take these - and dead fronds - out at the base. This encourages new fern growth and also allows for better airflow.

Should you fertilize ferns in August? If you’ve been giving the ferns a light monthly fertilization, you can continue. Use a weak, diluted liquid fertilizer and not too much of it. Do not even think about heavy fertilization during August as extreme heatwaves can occur and the combo will stress the plant.

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