Let’s do a midsummer check of how the front porch ferns are doing. I have Boston Ferns on my west-facing, part shade front porch every year. And every year I’m amazed at how much they grow from spring to fall.

I buy the cheapest hanging Boston ferns I can find each spring at either Wal-Mart, Lowe’s or Home Depot. My urns are filled halfway with dirt. I pop the hangers off the fern containers and stick the ferns, still in their plastic containers, into the urns.

I make sure, without fail, to water every other day. When the temperatures near the high 90s, I water every day. The key to big full ferns is consistent watering and bright, indirect light. Full shade will cause your ferns to be sparse and leggy. Full sun will cause your ferns to burn up.

I try to fertilize once a month with fish fertilizer but to be honest, I don’t always get it done each month.

That’s all there is to gorgeous overflowing ferns. By fall, you won’t even be able to see the urns underneath the ferns. Unfortunately, I’m not able to overwinter my ferns indoors. My house doesn’t get enough bright light. They also require high humidity and extra consistent watering inside. While they are relatively low maintenance outdoors, that’s not as much the case when growing them indoors.