Boston fern care: watering and light
The Boston fern has long, lacy fronds that spill over on every side. It comes from humid forests and has only one serious demand: never dry out.
Boston fern needs water roughly every 4 days in summer and every 8 in winter (bathroom with a window, in a 16 cm plastic pot with a drainage hole). Before watering, always check with a finger in the soil: if it’s still damp, wait.
At a glance
- Scientific name
- Nephrolepis exaltata
- Preferred light
- Medium indirect light
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Tolerates drought
- No
- Tolerates shade
- No
- Where it lives
- Indoors
Where to put it
It wants indirect light and lots of humidity. A bathroom with a window is the ideal spot; a bright living room works too, away from radiators. Direct sun scorches the fronds.
How to water
The soil should be always moist, but never soggy: water as soon as the surface starts to dry. It’s one of the few plants where letting the soil dry out is a mistake. In winter, with the heating on, keep an even closer eye on it.
Common mistakes
Fronds turning brown and shedding little leaflets mean dry air or soil that dried out. Cut dry fronds off at the base and raise the humidity. Yellow fronds with soggy soil mean the opposite: overwatering, or a pot without a drainage hole.
How many days between waterings, spot by spot
| Where it lives | In July | In January |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom with a window | 4 days | 8 days |
| East-facing window | 2 days | 5 days |
| North-facing window | 4 days | 8 days |
| Hallway or corner with no window | 6 days | 11 days |