Overwintering guide
How to overwinter hand fern
Winter watering
Cut watering right back — hand fern uses far less while growth slows, and cold, wet compost is the usual cause of winter root rot. Stop feeding until spring.
The mistake that kills hand fern in winter
Watering on the same schedule as summer. In winter that keeps the roots sodden while the plant is barely drinking, and hand fern rots from the base.
More hand fern care
Overwintering hand fern — FAQ
Does hand fern need to come indoors for winter?
Hand Fern is hardy to roughly USDA zone 10 — winter lows around -1°C. That means it will not survive frost and needs to come inside. Hand Fern is frost-tender, so overwintering means bringing it inside and letting it rest rather than pushing it to grow. Move it indoors well before the first frost, give it the brightest spot you have (light levels indoors drop sharply in winter), and keep it away from both cold window glass and hot radiators — the swing between the two does more damage than the cold itself.
When should I move hand fern for winter?
Bring indoors when nights start dropping below about 10°C, ahead of the first frost.
How often should I water hand fern in winter?
Cut watering right back — hand fern uses far less while growth slows, and cold, wet compost is the usual cause of winter root rot. Stop feeding until spring.
What kills hand fern over winter?
Watering on the same schedule as summer. In winter that keeps the roots sodden while the plant is barely drinking, and hand fern rots from the base.