Plant ferns in early spring, once the last hard frost has passed, or in early fall, about four to six weeks before your ground freezes. Bare-root, dormant ferns from TN Nursery should go in the ground within a few days of arrival, any time the soil can be dug and is not frozen.
Most of TN Nursery's ferns ship bare-root and dormant, and that changes when to plant ferns. A dormant fern has no leaves to keep alive, so it does not need the mild weather a potted fern does. What it needs is soil that is not frozen, roots that never dry out, and a few weeks of cool, moist ground to settle in before hard winter or summer heat. TN Nursery is a third-generation family nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, growing native trees and plants since 1959, and this is its customer education site. This guide follows your ferns from the day the box arrives to the end of the first year, with a zone-by-zone planting window and the latest you can safely plant in fall. If you bought potted ferns instead, the same windows apply, and you can also plant them in summer with steady watering.
Ferns to plant this season
- Your ferns: a mixed bundle like the 10 Shade Fern Plants Starter Pack, or single kinds such as the Christmas Fern, which TN Nursery lists as deer resistant and drought tolerant, or the Hay Scented Fern, listed among its ferns for cold zones.
- A bucket of water for soaking dry roots.
- A spade, plus compost or leaf litter.
- Shredded leaves or bark mulch.
1. Pick your planting window
Spring planting starts once the last hard frost has passed and the soil can be worked. Fall planting runs from late summer until about four to six weeks before your ground freezes, which gives roots time to grip before winter. In the South, fall is often the easier season, because ferns planted then skip a first summer of heat. Check the zone section below for your own dates.
Tip: Plant on a cloudy day or in the cool morning hours.
2. Know what a dormant fern looks like
A bare-root fern ships without green fronds. Expect a clump of dark, wiry roots around a firm crown, sometimes with brown leftover stems or tight fiddleheads at the top. That is normal for a dormant plant, not a sign it has died. Gently bend a root: firm and flexible means healthy. Mushy roots that smell sour are a sign of rot.
Tip: Arriving in late fall? A dormant fern can still go in if the soil isn't frozen.
3. Keep the roots moist until planting
Open the box the day it arrives, whether it holds one fern or a whole bundle. If the roots feel dry, soak them in a bucket of water for an hour or two before planting. If you cannot plant right away, wrap the roots in damp newspaper or burlap, keep the bundle in a cool, shaded spot, and plant within a few days. Never let bare roots sit in sun or wind.
Tip: Holding them longer? Heel the ferns into a shallow trench of moist soil.
4. Plant crown-level in shade
Choose a spot with shade or dappled light and soil rich in leaf litter or compost. Dig a hole wider than the root spread, fan the roots out, and set the crown level with the soil surface, never buried. Firm the soil, water deeply, and spread two inches of shredded leaves or bark mulch. Keep mulch a little back from the crown itself. Shade ferns such as the Christmas Fern and Lady Fern suit this kind of spot.
Tip: Planting a slope or large bed? Group ferns in drifts rather than single rows.
5. Water through the first year
New ferns need steady moisture for their whole first year. Water deeply once or twice a week when there is no rain, enough to wet the soil several inches down, and check more often in summer heat. Fall-planted ferns need less, but do not let them go into winter dry. New fiddleheads appear in spring; from the second year, most ferns need water only in long dry spells.
Tip: Push a finger two inches into the soil; water when it feels dry.
When to plant ferns by zone
Zones 3 to 5: plant from mid-spring, once the ground thaws and dries enough to dig, through late summer. Aim to finish fall planting by early September in the coldest areas, since the ground freezes early there. Zones 6 and 7: spring planting runs from March into May, and fall planting from September through October, or into early November in a mild year. Zones 8 and 9: fall through late winter is the best window, because ferns rooted in cool months handle summer heat far better than spring plantings. In every zone, a dormant bare-root fern that arrives after these windows can still go in on any day the soil is unfrozen and workable; the late-planting section below explains how. Skip midsummer planting unless you can water daily. Gardeners in cold zones can start with the Giant Ostrich Fern and Cinnamon Fern, both listed by TN Nursery among its ferns for cold zones.
Care and keeping: Before your first hard freeze, top up the mulch around fall-planted ferns to about three inches; it helps keep the soil from heaving and pushing young crowns out of the ground. Leave the old fronds in place over winter, then trim them back in early spring before new fiddleheads unroll.
Frequently asked questions
What month do you plant ferns?
It depends on your zone. In zones 6 and 7, the best months are March through May and September through October. In zones 8 and 9, fall through late winter works best. Bare-root, dormant ferns can go in any month the soil is unfrozen and workable.
Can you plant ferns in the ground in the fall?
Yes. Fall is one of the best times, because cool air and warm soil let roots grow without the stress of new fronds or summer heat. Ideally, plant four to six weeks before the ground freezes, water well, and mulch. Late-arriving dormant ferns can still go in while the soil is workable.
Do ferns like sun or shade?
Most garden ferns, including the shade ferns in this guide, grow best in shade or dappled light with moist soil rich in leaf litter. Morning sun is usually fine, but hot afternoon sun can scorch their fronds. The ground beneath established trees, such as a pawpaw patch, suits them. For sunnier beds, look at TN Nursery's sun ferns.
Keep reading
- How to Plant Bare Root Trees: A TN Nursery Guide
- Black Eyed Susan Care: First-Year Guide from TN Nursery
How late you can plant bare-root ferns
A dormant fern can go in later than a potted one. If you can dig the soil and it is not frozen, plant it, water it in, and pile on three to four inches of shredded leaves to help keep the ground from heaving. If the ground is already frozen on arrival, heel the ferns into moist soil in a sheltered, unheated spot, keep them cool and damp, and plant as soon as the ground thaws.
| Zone | Spring window | Fall window | Latest for dormant bare-root ferns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 | Mid-spring, once the ground thaws | Late summer to early September | Any day the soil is unfrozen and workable |
| 6 and 7 | March to May | September to October | Into November in mild years, while the soil is workable |
| 8 and 9 | Late winter | October through winter | Most of winter, whenever the soil is workable |
