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Moss, Ferns & Cryptogams

Ferns with Brown Tips

18 years ago

Hello All,

I have several areas filled in with ferns. The ferns seem very happy and lush until mid-summer, when the top third or so of the plants turn brown and "crisp". This happens every year. What am I doing wrong? They look so ugly that I wind up cutting them down, and then I have bare patches.

TIA!

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Comments (2)

tomasincas
18 years ago
TIA,I think thats pretty common,mine do the same thing every year.Right now a bunch of them are turning that way...always thought that they just needed more water because my land has been so dry..but I have watered them quite a bit and they never seem to perk back up..Certain ones a very fragile.My New York ferns ,Ostrich ferns and a few others cant seem to take the stress very well.Others like the Xmas fern stay hardy up to the winter cool months.
Tom in Pa.
greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
18 years ago
Depending upon the type of fern, you should probably leave those fronds on the plant until spring of the following year. Ferns will draw energy from those fronds, provided they aren't completely dried out.

Josh
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