How to Grow Foxtail Ferns from Berries

Monitor the plant in the late summer or early fall until you see small green berries develop. Once the berries change from green to bright red, they are ripe. Pick off the number of berries that you want to plant, since each contains only one seed.

Place the berries into a bowl of water and press them between your fingers to remove the outer red pulp from each brown or black seed. Scoop up the seeds from the water and place them on a paper towel. Discard the pulp and water mixture.

Fill a seed tray with a sterile, bagged potting mix until it is half full. Insert the foxtail fern seeds on top of the soil in the tray, spacing them at 1/2- to 1-inch intervals. Press the seeds gently into the soil using your fingers and then sprinkle another 1/8-inch layer of soil mixture on top of the tray until you can no longer see any of the seeds.

Water the seed tray to dampen the soil mixture completely.

Place the seeds tray in a sunny window of the home that maintains a temperature of at least 77 degrees Fahrenheit. If needed, place a heating mat under the tray and plug it into a wall to achieve the proper temperature. Leave the heating mat on constantly until the seeds germinate.

Water the soil as needed until the seeds germinate. Never allow the soil to dry out, which slows germination.

Wait until the ferns are 3 to 4 inches tall and transplant them into 5- to 6-inch diameter plant pots filled with sterile potting soil. Care for the ferns until the threat of frost is over in the spring.