Male fern
Dryopteris filix-mas
An ornamental plant, planted May to September.
In September: mulch the male fern and cut it back. It can be planted now.
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Male fern, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant a pot-grown male fern. | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Lift and divide the male fern. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Mulch the male fern. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Cut back the male fern. | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Planting
Plant a pot-grown male fern May to September, 60 to 90cm apart. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World. Weaker source for the spacing: Thompsons Plants.
Lift and divide the male fern
Usually March to May. Strong source: RHS.
Mulch the male fern
Use home-made leaf mould.
Usually March to May, and September to November. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
Cut back the male fern
Take off the dead or damaged fronds. From RHS.
Usually September to November. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.Weaker: a blog, a forum, a small website or a page from outside the UK. Treat it as a guide.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Male fern” comes from.