Our daughter had a potted fern outside for the summer on her porch and tried keeping it inside for the winter but her cats kept eating it. I've become the fern keeper for the winter. It is beautiful, but it is a pain. First, it is huge and I can barely carry the pot. I'd like to not have it around with company coming. Secondly, it keeps dropping leaves, small ones but they quickly fill the tray, table and floor which get covered and then they blow around making a mess of the room.
I'm thinking of pruning it down almost to the soil until springtime when I can give it back to her. Would this kill it?
Or should I give it back to her and let her cats kill it?
Looks like none of us has any experience of huge ferns. But the problems gets very complicated when it affects your relationship with your daughter. What will your daughter say if you manage to kill it? Can a way be found to net it so the cats cannot chew it? Can it be hung up so they cannot reach it? I think you need to be upfront with her and explain your problems with it. If she has the benefit in the summer she should have to cope with the down sides during the winter. Maybe if you say you think you may be killing it she will rush over and rescue it.
Sorry...I only just notice your post..
some ferns are evergreen and some not...even if being hardy sort. And those that are not evergreen will drop the small leaflets no matter what you do.
Once the leaflets drop..their job is done and rest of the leaf is dead and can be cut down.
What I've done with my ferns in past that once they start looking ugly and messy..I bend what's left of the leaves over the grown for the winter protection and come spring I chop all the leaves off near to the central 'bud'. New growth will spring up once the old leaves are out of way and light and warmth will reach its 'censors'.
If you porch is faily protected from worst of the cold..you might as well chop the tempting 'floss' from the cats..
Thanks Diggeroo and Goodlife,
No problem with relationship with dgt- she was just glad I could try to save it. She has an open to air porch so that is not a winter option.
It occurred to me I might try setting the whole plant in a drycleaners clear plastic bag and tie it at the top. That would increase the humidity and I could drop the bag periodically and collect all the leaves. Too bad it will look tacky; it really is a beautiful plant without a plastic bonnet.
The other thought was I might prune down 1/2 the plant and see if that kills that half. Half a dead plant is better than a whole dead plant :drunken_smilie:
QuoteIt occurred to me I might try setting the whole plant in a drycleaners clear plastic bag and tie it at the top. That would increase the humidity and I could drop the bag periodically and collect all the leaves. Too bad it will look tacky; it really is a beautiful plant without a plastic bonnet.
Trouble with that is stagnant moist air will attract fungus and mould spores to grow..and it can kill the whole lot..if you are tempted...leave the bag open, so there is some air movement. If the plant has gone to 'hibernation', it won't need the humidity for its leaves.
How about just giving the plant big shake up outside to get rid of the dropping leaves..repeated every few days and it should soon go bare.
Do you know what fern it is?