Spring haircut for evergreen ferns

Pianoplayer

Hi - I totally chickened out of doing this last year, and I am feeling cowardly again this year, mainly becuase the ferns really don't look too bad. But if you experts tell me it will improve them, I will summon the courage to do it - unless it is too late? I have various Polystichums and a Polypodium.

Thanks.

Dovefromabove

We did all ours this week.  Go on ... 

TheGreenMan

I did mine last week.......

GardenerSuze

I've done mine too!

Fairygirl

I've not grown evergreen ones for a long time, but I just took the manky stuff off in spring, which was usually a fair bit of it!
Aspleniums [Harts' Tongue] were what I mainly had.

februarysgirl

I haven't done mine yet as I usually find myself disturbing ladybirds who haven't got their butts out of hibernation yet 😂 I go the whole hog and chop all of the existing growth off and they always come back 🙂

Athelas

I do this for Polystichum polyblepharum every year (cutting off all old foliage) around this time — all the new growth comes out great by Easter

bertrand-mabel

We don't do ours as others have said that they can be harbouring overwintering insects and we are really concerned about the old foliage.

Pianoplayer

OK! I'll wait for the better weather at the weekend, and give them a tidy-up.

Papi Jo

I don't think there is any hurry. It's a matter of aesthetics, removing the old fronds makes the new ones more visible and enjoyable. You only have to be extra careful when removing the old ones not to harm the extra tender new ones, obviously.