Older fronds do die off, so the one trick of keeping them bright & gorgeous is to plant them accessibly so you're able to reach in to trim off the oldest under-fronds especially at the start of spring. Many gardeners claim to dislike ferns because they "look messy" or are "hard to prune". We often take it for granted because it is so common, yet a stand of sword ferns along woodland's edge is a beautiful sight. In the spring (usually in March), cut the plant down to the ground to release the old fronds. You’ll find the young fronds, or fiddleheads, appearing in early spring from their underground rhizomes with most plants eventually reaching 4 to 6 feet long. Here on the coastal zone 8, the best time to cut back sword ferns is in the very early Spring before the fronds begin to produce. Ferns are hardy and low maintenance plants that can be grown indoors or outdoors. Trim them when they are dormant, which is during winter. When Sword ferns get older, they form trunks, similar to a tree trunk. Here on the coastal zone 8, the best time to cut back sword ferns is in the very early Spring before the fronds begin to produce. My Alaska Fern (Polystichum setiferum) hadn’t been trimmed for a few years, so when I cut it back this year there was a … Taking care when cutting each with dried orange bits sticking up & around the fern as close to the base as possible to keep from looking unsightly. With outdoor ferns, do light pruning on a cool, cloudy day and avoid pruning ferns on hot, dry days. Tidy up your ferns by cutting off the old fronds. Planting Sword Ferns After a long winter, it might be difficult to determine if a Sword fern’s still alive due to the frost, but in most cases the fern’s just hibernating. How & When to Prune Boston Fern While routine trimming of discolored and unattractive foliage can be performed at any time, severe pruning is best accomplished in spring or summer. Sword ferns transplant easily in the garden. Article Summary Ferns are relatively easy to prune. In this video “Western Sword Fern with a Trunk” from the Jungle Joe C YouTube Video Channel, you can see a close-up of an older Sword fern in the wild and its trunk. Old growth tends to be deprived of nutrients and sunlight due to aggressive new growth. This native fern looks grand in the Northwest garden, especially planted in mass plantings or mixed with ferns or other shade tolerant plants. However, as long as there is good drainage, the sword fern can easily adapt to a number of soil conditions. Cut off any dead and decaying fronds on sword ferns and most Dryopteris in the fall. This won't weaken your fern, and it will greatly improve its appearance, allowing the fresh new fronds to emerge uncluttered by the ratty old foliage. Tidy up your ferns by cutting off the old fronds. This evergreen fern is aptly named since the substantial fronds resemble large swords. While the Sword Fern is a natural for this treatment, don’t be afraid to do it to other ferns in your garden, they can all benefit by a close haircut each spring. Plant sword ferns in mass plantings in the ground or in hanging baskets to decorate a porch. Sword ferns perform best in moist shady conditions. It is not necessary to prune all the fronds since this is mostly for cosmetic reasons. Ferns are a common outdoor landscaping plant, especially in shaded areas where they can thrive. You can prune them in early spring before the new growth begins, or even when the new growth comes in. The fronds of a fern, or the leafy stems extending from the fern’s trunk, can grow quickly and in just about any direction. If you want to create a shape, you can trim around the edges of the plant.