Plants on a screened porch in tampa florida.

Question

The plants (fig trees) get the morning sun and doing great. They were so tall and I cut then back. They are doing get. However my macho ferns are not doing so great. They are located under my fountain out of the sun but lots of light. What larger plants or shrub can I use. Thanks.

Answer 1

Grow macho fern in a shaded or partially shaded (morning sun and afternoon shade) spot outdoors to keep it looking its best. While it’s not a delicate plant, Macho fern looks its best when protected from strong, drying winds. Water enough to keep the potting mix moist, but not wet — typically when the top inch or so of the mix dries. This may mean watering it every day during the hottest part of the summer.

Fertilize your macho fern every six months or so (at minimum) with a general-purpose fertilizer. If you want your macho fern to grow larger and faster, you can fertilize more frequently. Or you can add a little a timed-release fertilizer when you buy the plant to fertilize it all season long. Prune your macho fern to remove old, faded fronds.