If you locate any, cut them off at the base of the plant with the shears. Trim the fern to maintain your desired shape during the spring or summer months. Ferns respond well to aggressive pruning and will grow back healthier and larger. Focus on shaping the sides of the fern and not the top of the fern. Cut back the leaves to a manageable length. Remove undergrowth and dead leaves from around the trunk of the plant when you aggressively prune. This will allow air to flow through the stem system of the plant.
Ferns such as sword ferns Polysitchum munitum , which grows in U. Disinfect pruning tools before making the first cut and after trimming any dead or diseased fronds from the Boston fern. This minimizes the spread of disease during the pruning process. The University of Florida's IFAS Extension recommends disinfecting pruning tools by soaking them for five minutes or longer, rinsing with clean water and drying thoroughly.
Disinfect pruning tools by spraying full strength household disinfectant on the tools or soaking them in a solution of one part of bleach to three parts of water. Evaluate the plant, taking note of its shape and any dead, discolored or dying fronds.
Trim dead or diseased-looking foliage first, snipping the fronds to the soil line. Trimming Boston ferns helps stimulate new growth, allowing damaged foliage to be replaced quickly by new, healthy growth. Trim any fronds that are longer than others by trimming them to the base of the plant. As the outer fronds age, they turn brown at the edges and can detract from the appearance of the plant.
To tidy up the plant, prune away these older leaves to expose the younger, greener leaves and to maintain their curly look, recommends University of Georgia Extension. Evergreen ferns do not always need to be cut to the ground; this is a matter or preference generally. If the plant has been severely damaged, then you will certainly want to cut it entirely back.
Alternatively, perhaps the older fronds are unattractive or poorly shaped. Fiskars , however, does recommend pruning evergreen ferns to the ground, which will ensure a cleaner, uncluttered shape once the new fronds unfurl in the spring.
If you plan to heavily prune evergreen ferns, wait until late winter or early spring. This allows the older, outer fronds to protect the crown of the plant over the winter.
Deciduous ferns such as lady fern Athyrium filix-femina , which grows in USDA zones 4 through 8, die back each fall. It may be tempting to prune back the dying fronds to keep your fall and winter garden tidy, but avoid this. The mass of brown fronds protects the center of the plant where new fronds will emerge in the spring.
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