I Have A Kimberly Queen Fern That I Thought Died…
Renee Asked
I have a Kimberly Queen fern that I thought died over the winter. When I brought it out in the spring, it started growing from the bottom. How do I separate the dead from the live plant without harming it?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hi, Renee: Kimberly Queen ferns are quite easy to over-winter. It can take them time to put on new growth when we take them back outdoors after the frost-free date has passed, but if you have the space and bright light indoors it is well worth the effort. So it sounds like your fern is putting on some new growth and the rest of it is no longer alive. Basically, the idea here is just separate the healthy foliage and root system from the rest of the plant. This process can be messy so use a potting bench or put a piece of plastic under the fern for easy cleanup. You will want to remove the fern from the container it is growing in and lay it on its side with the root ball closest to you. Use a sharp pair of gardening scissors or pruners and start from the base of the roots and work your way up through the plant, separating the healthy plant from the nonhealthy plant. Try to keep as much of the root system attached to the healthy growth and discard the rest of the plant. Repot the smaller fern or ferns into smaller, adequate sized containers with proper drainage holes and give them new soil. Feeding them with a well-balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 will help give them a boost. Water well and make sure they receive plenty of light. These ferns are actually sun lovers so you can gradually work them into the full sun. This process will invigorate them and you should see quite a bit of new growth in the next few weeks.
