How to Propagate Ferns

by DoItYourself Staff

Ferns are a simple, ancient plant called bromeliads. They reproduce by spore generation like mushrooms and fungi. As with many modern plants, the fern can also be propagated from cuttings. Gardeners take fern cuttings from the fern's rhizome, its underground horizontal stem.

Step 1: Obtain a Fern Rhizome in Late Summer

Find a healthy clump of ferns, a shade plant, in a wooded area.
Dig up a broad-diameter section of ferns and put in a large container holding about 4 inches of moist potting soil.
Check the rhizome for a strong root network and place it in the soil.
Transport the container quickly to where you want to plant the cutting.

Step 2: Obtain a Cutting from the Rhizome

Look for where fronds protrude from the rhizome: these are growth nodules.
Cut a small section, bearing at least 3 growth nodules, off the rhizome.
Plant the section in soil that has excellent drainage, about 1 inch below ground level.
Cover it with soil, but do not pack it down on top, and water sparingly.
While the rhizome will continue to send out roots, the spore maturation will stop.
If the fern cutting is obtained and planted in the spring, the spores will never develop.
At present, this basic cutting process yields only sterile ferns. Laboratory horticulturists have recently taken live tissue samples from fern rhizomes, like cloning, and have grown them into mature, fertile ferns. These are not available for domestic gardening yet.

Human-Assisted Fern Propagation from Spores

Because fern spores are large compared to fungi spores, they can be collected for propagation.

Step 1: Obtain Mature Spore Capsules and Harvest Spores

Check fern fronds in a healthy clump for spore capsules. These are tiny spots on the segments of the frond. When the capsules are dark brown, they are ripe.
Cut off an entire frond, and place it in a large piece of paper or a paper envelope.
Hang it up and allow it to dry for 3 days.
When the capsules burst open, the spores will stay in the paper enclosure.
Harvest the largest healthy spores, and discard the rest.

Step 2: Plant the Spores

Prepare a small glass dish with organic seeding material. Add boiling water to kill any other spores that may be present, and drain the dish.
Sow the spores when the dish has cooled slightly. Water by misting when they have lodged in the organic matter - do not cover them with it.

Step 3: Nurture the Spores

Maintain them for 4 to 6 weeks, misting with water regularly, at between 68 to 75 degrees F. (20 - 25C) with no exposure to sunlight.
Proto-ferns, called prothalli, will develop. Care for them 3 to 18 months to ensure they are viable.
When the young ferns are 2.5 to 3 inches (6 to 8 cm) tall, plant the strongest in small peat pots.
In spring when frost has completely left the soil, plant these fiddleheads in a shady spot in the garden.
Fertile ferns will develop from fiddleheads that mature.