Once you become friends with them, you often can't get enough of them. We're talking about the ferns. Whether around a garden pond, on the edge of the bed as protection against snails or under conifers as a ground cover element - ferns can easily be propagated by division.
How to properly divide a fern?
Dividing a fern occurs in spring. Carefully dig up the plant and remove any coarse soil from the rhizome. Divide the rhizome with a knife or spade, leaving each section with at least 2 fronds. Plant the sections immediately in prepared planting holes or pots and water the root area well.
When is the best time to share?
The best time to divide a fern is in the spring. Just before the new fronds emerge, the fern should have been dug up, divided and planted. This is especially true for sensitive specimens. More robust varieties can also be divided in autumn.
Preparing the soil
Before you start dividing, you should prepare everything so that you can plant the divided ferns in the ground immediately. This includes, above all, good soil preparation at the new location.
Dig the planting hole(s) generously:
- Dig out 30 cm deep and 40 cm wide (depending on the type of fern or size of the rhizomes)
- Loose up the soil on all sides
- add rotted compost
- if applicable Add some sand or fine pebbles (drainage)
Dividing the fern correctly
Now the selected fern can be divided. First it is carefully dug up with a spade or a digging fork. Dig at a respectful distance from the rhizomes rather than too close to avoid injury!
Now lift the plant out and shake off any coarse soil from the roots. The rhizome should be exposed and clearly visible. The rhizome is divided with a knife or a spade. It is best if each section has at least 2 fronds.
That's what matters now
The sections are immediately placed in the prepared planting holes or alternatively in pots for growing. Water the root area well. It is important not to forget to water in the next few weeks. In order to root properly, a fern needs a lot of moisture. It can also be mulched if desired.
Tips & Tricks
Not all ferns can be easily divided. Only choose specimens that are already large and strong enough. For the other specimens, use a different propagation method.