While many garden plants look best as a single focal point, ferns are a totally different story—they really shine when they’re growing in lush, green clusters. Now, you could try growing them from spores, but honestly, that takes at least a year to see results. If you want to expand your fern collection a lot faster, propagating them from runners or cuttings is the way to go!
Two Main Ways to Get More Ferns
Once you’ve decided to skip the spores and go the faster route, you’ve got a couple of options. The most common methods are dividing the roots or taking cuttings. However, some specific fern varieties have a cool “bonus” trick: they grow tiny plantlets (called bulbils) right on the underside of their fronds.
Root Division
If you want the highest success rate, root division is your best bet. First, carefully dig up the root ball and gently knock off the excess soil so you can see what you’re working with. Using a sharp, clean knife, slice the root ball into two sections. Just make sure each new section has at least two healthy fronds attached. After that, simply replant them in their new spots and give them a good soak.
Taking Cuttings
Most ferns have what’s called a “growing point”—that’s the rosette-like center where all the fronds sprout from. Once you’ve located it, here’s what you do:
- Cut a section of the rhizome (the horizontal root) that includes a frond, making the cut about 1.5 inches behind the growing point.
- Place your cutting in a pot filled with fresh seed-starting mix.
- Give it some water.
- Cover the whole pot with a clear plastic bag to create a mini-greenhouse.
You should start to see new roots forming within three to five weeks.
Bulbils (Plantlets)
If you’re working with a fern that produces bulbils, you’ll need to wait until late summer for them to fully mature. You have two choices here: you can snip off the individual bulbils (along with a tiny piece of the frond) and plant them, or you can pin a frond down so it touches the soil. Once those little plantlets take root in the ground, you can snip the connection to the mother plant, and they’re good to go on their own!
