5 suggestions for growing hardy ferns

As long as you protect them from the wind and shade them from the midday sun, hardy ferns will grow in almost any soil with decent drainage. Here are five planting tips to ensure you plant your ferns correctly.

• The north side of a house or fence will provide the right kind of shade, protecting the plants from prolonged sunlight but leaving them open to the sky
• Shade cast by trees is also excellent for ferns if it is not too dense
• Ferns prefer open shade with patches of sunlight passing over them
• Ferns are best planted in fall or spring
• Summer planting is all right as long as the soil is kept moist while the plants become established
• If ferns are bought and delivered some time before they can be planted, do not allow their roots to dry out

• Before planting, dig over the planting bed to a depth of 30 centimetres (12 inches), and break up the soil
• Sprinkle bone meal over the surface at the rate of a scant cupful per square metre
• Add an eight centimetre (3 3/4 inch) layer of leaf mould or garden compost on top of the bone meal, and then fork it all in

• A crown-forming fern is one whose fronds emerge from a stout rhizome in the form of a vase or a crown. The shield ferns (Dryopteris) and the ostrich ferns (Matteuccia) are examples of this type
• When planting crown-forming ferns, first snap off or cut away any old woody frond bases. This will enable the new roots to emerge more quickly
• Dig a hole to the depth of the fern's root system, place the fern in the hole, and fill with soil so that the crown is flush with the surface, not below
• Firm the roots in well by treading with your feet

• Rhizomatous ferns, among them the hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctiloba) and the polypodies (Polypodium), produce fronds along the rhizome without forming a crown
• To plant, make a shallow depression in the soil with a fork
• Place the rhizome in the hole and fill in with soil
• Firm with the fingers.

• Rock ferns grow best tucked tightly among rocks, often horizontally
• They are ideal for rock gardens or dry-stone walls, especially if lightly shaded
• The maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) and the woodsias (Woodsia) are examples of rock ferns
• To plant, remove a stone from the wall or rock garden
• Place the fern on its side in the resulting gap, and generously cover its roots with leaf mould
• Replace the stone
• Water liberally immediately after planting, and keep moist (but not waterlogged) for the rest of the first summer. After this they need watering only during prolonged droughts

While ferns are a hardy plant that grows well in almost any soil, knowing which type is best suited to your garden can help ensure a long and healthy life for your new fern.