Boston ferns are a popular plant that is simple to grow both indoors and outdoors. Most Boston fern fertilizing methods rely on general-purpose fertilizers, but if you want the best fertilizer for Boston Ferns you should get a fertilizer that contains a higher percentage of nitrogen and potassium.
If you want to know more about how to fertilize Boston ferns you can keep reading this article for more details about fertilizing Boston ferns. Otherwise, if you just want to get the best fertilizer for Boston Ferns you can click on the links below.
Best Fertilizer for Boston Ferns
| Image | Name | Rating | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus Outdoor & Indoor |  | |
 | Miracle-Gro Plant Food, 8 oz | | |
 | JR Peter’s Jack’s Professional Peat Lite 20-10-20 Fertilizer |  |
Fertilizer for Indoor Ferns
EarthPods Premium Indoor Plant Food
EarthPods (Buy Online) are an all-natural easy-to-use fertilizer that comes in convenient capsules. The capsules are placed in the soil, and they will slowly release fertilizer continuously, so you’ll never forget to fertilize your Boston Fern again.
EarthPods are great for indoor plants, but you can also use them outdoors in containers or even in small raised bed gardens. It’s also possible to place multiple capsules in a single pot if you have a large Boston Fern that needs more fertilizer.
The capsules last for 14 to 21 days, after which you can push a new capsule into the soil to ensure your Boston Fern always has enough fertilizer.
EarthPods are 100% organic and they contain a balanced mixture of micronutrients, beneficial fungi, and humates to stimulate plant growth.
Osmocote 274850 Smart-Release Plant Food Plus Outdoor & Indoor
Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus (Buy Online) is one of the best fertilizers for Boston Ferns. It has a 15-9-12 NPK ratio, and it will provide your Boston Fern with a steady supply of nutrients thanks to its time-release formula.
Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus will last for up to 6 months and it won’t ever burn your plants roots even if you’re a little heavy-handed when you apply the fertilizer.
Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus also contains 11 essential micronutrients that make it perfect for use on a wide assortment of houseplants. In addition, you can also get Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus in a large 8-pound bag at a very affordable price.
Miracle-Gro Shake ‘N Feed Palm Plant Food
Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Palm Plant Food (Buy Online) will provide a continuous supply of nutrients to a Boston Fern for up to 3 months. This fertilizer is made for palms, but it’s perfect for Boston Ferns since it has an 8-2-12 NPK ratio.
Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Palm Plant Food also contains additional magnesium, iron, and manganese. These elements will help improve yellowing fronds, and they will even help remedy poor plant growth. This fertilizer also has some added compost mixed into each granule, which will replenish organic compounds in depleted soil.
Miracle-Gro 1000551 Plant Food, 8 oz
Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food (Buy Online) is an easy to use liquid fertilizer for Boston Ferns and other indoor houseplants. You can use this fertilizer to instantly perk up your Boston Fern if it’s looking a little stunted, or if its fronds are turning yellow.
Miracle-Gro Liquid Indoor Plant Food is also safe enough to apply directly to the soil without dilution. All you’ll need to do is apply a single pump of Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food once a week to provide a Boston Fern with just the right amount of fertilizer.
Boston Fern Outdoors Fertilizer
Grow More 5067 20-10-20 Water Soluble Fertilizer, 25-Pound
Grow More 20-10-20 Fertilizer (Buy Online) contains a balanced blend of nutrients for Boston Ferns. This fertilizer contains 20% Nitrogen, 10% Phosphorus, and 20% Potassium. That makes it perfect for a Boston Fern since it provides lots of nitrogen and potassium to support frond development. You can also apply Grow More 20-10-20 directly to the soil, or you can mix your own liquid fertilizer since it’s highly water-soluble.
JR Peter’s 77860 Jack’s Professional Peat Lite 20-10-20 Fertilizer, 25 lb
JR Peter’s Peat Lite 20-10-20 Fertilizer (Buy Online) is a highly concentrated water-soluble fertilizer. It contains a good blend of macronutrients for Boston Ferns along with added micronutrients that enhance plant growth in depleted soils. Also, this fertilizer contains chelated nutrients that are more readily absorbable by a plants roots.
Boston Fern Fertilizer Requirements
Boston ferns are slow growers, and they don’t produce seeds, fruits, or flowers, so they don’t need lots of fertilizer to grow. They primarily need a fertilizer with a larger proportion of nitrogen and potassium relative to phosphorus.
As long as you get a fertilizer with the right NPK ratio for Boston Ferns – which is 10-5-10 or 20-20-20 – you’ll have little trouble with this easy to grow houseplant
As with most plants, excess fertilizer will severely harm a Boston fern. Plants grown in containers are even more likely to suffer from over-fertilization. That’s why it’s important to follow the directions on the label of any fertilizer to avoid damage to your plant.
Signs of fertilizer induced damage include loss of leaves, dried fronds, and burned roots.
Fertilizers can also build up in the soil over time which can harm container-grown houseplants. That’s why it’s important to flush the soil with distilled water once a month to clear out any fertilizer salts that have built up over time.
How to Fertilize Boston Ferns
Fertilizing Boston Ferns in Summer
Boston Ferns are in their active growth phase in the spring and summer months. During this period they have a greater need for nutrients to fuel their growth.
You should fertilize a Boston Fern at least once a month or you can use a timed-release fertilizer like Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Plus (Buy Online) that will last up to 6 months.
The best fertilizer for Boston ferns in the summer should have a 20-10-20 NPK ratio. This will supply the fern with all the nitrogen and potassium it needs along with some phosphorus to promote healthy root growth.
Fertilizing Boston Ferns In Winter
Boston Ferns will reduce their overall growth rate in the winter, and in some cases, they can even enter dormancy. That means they will need little to no fertilizer since they won’t be producing any new growth.
One of the main reasons ferns die over the winter is because people tend to over-fertilize them thinking they’ll get them to grow. Instead, the excess fertilizer can kill the plant, or at best it will burn the plants roots and hinder future growth.
During the winter Boston Ferns will only need to be fertilized every 2 to 3 months with half the amount of fertilizer you would normally use in the summer. During the winter you can still use a 20-10-20 fertilizer, but a 15-0-15 might be a better choice since the plant won’t need much phosphorus at all since it won’t be producing new roots.
Homemade Fertilizer for Ferns
All it takes to make a homemade fertilizer for ferns is a few simple ingredients from the supermarket. The following recipe requires less than five dollars worth of ingredients and it will produce enough fertilizer to last for months.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
Epsom salt (Buy Online) serves as both a magnesium and sulfur source. Both of these nutrients are essential for plant growth. Sulfur aids in nutrient absorption from the soil, while magnesium is vital for a plant’s health since it’s one of the building blocks of chlorophyll.
Baking soda (Buy Online) enhances blooms in flowering plants, and it also helps reduce the risk of your plants developing root rot.
Household ammonia (Buy Online) is a nitrogen source and it helps promote healthy leaf and root growth. You only want to use pure ammonia, that doesn’t contain any other ingredients like fragrances or cleansers. Keep in mind that ammonia is toxic to both people and pets, so always store it safely, and use it in a well-ventilated room
STEP 1
Take 1 ½ tablespoons of Epsom salt and pour it into a gallon jug. A plastic water jug makes an excellent container for this homemade fertilizer for ferns
STEP 2
Then you’ll want to Add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda to the jug.
STEP 3
Carefully measure a little less than ½ teaspoon of household ammonia and slowly pour it into the jug. Don’t use too much ammonia since it will burn a plant’s roots.
STEP 4
Fill the jug with water and put the lid on the jug. Then mix the solution until all the dry ingredients dissolve
STEP 5
Water your Boston Fern with the fertilizer. Make sure to label the container so you don’t lose track of the jug.
Live Boston Ferns for Sale
Costa Farms Boston Fern, Nephrolepis exaltata
Costa Farms Boston Fern (Buy Online) is an easy to care for plant that anyone can grow. This plant has lush green foliage that adds a touch of life to an indoor environment. It also remains small so it’s perfect for apartments, bedrooms, kitchens, or a home office.
This plant typically ships when it is 20 inches tall and 26 inches wide. Each plant is handpicked and packaged with care, so it will be healthy and ready to grow right out of the box. Just keep in mind that every plant is unique, so it might not look exactly like the photo.
