Can't get website to add photos, sorry

There was a glitch in the system before preventing photos from loading but that seems to be resolved now so you could try again. Generally as the ferns age you get an accumulation of dead or dying (senescing) fronds. Cutting them back you force all new growth which of course looks far better. They're tough enough to take cutting back but done too often will deplete the plants stored reserves and cause shrinking new growth.

Thanks for the reply about senescing fronds. I will selectively remove the oldest and let the new fronds get to the sunlight without having to stretch too far. The pictures did upload this time, so the first two are the ferns that I took to the ground about 2 years ago and the later two are the ferns that have never been cut back.