Fortune's Holly Fern

Japanese Holly Ferns need bright, indirect light from a windowsill. Northern or eastern facing windows would keep your fern happy. Outside, your fern can handle some sun, but not much. Again, eastern exposure or dappled shade would be ideal. The fronds will burn and turn yellow then brown if exposed to too much sunlight.

Japanese Holly Ferns likes to stay consistently moist. They do not like to stay or sit in water or get too dry. Find a rhythm with your Holly Fern so that it stays moist but not wet, and never dries out.

Any all purpose, foliage fertilizer will work for Japanese Holly Ferns. Indoor houseplant fertilizers fall into two groups: water soluble, liquid quick release, and granular, slow release fertilizers. Jack's Classic Indoor plant food works well as a powder, quick release fertilizer that is mixed with water to quickly provide nutrients to a plant that has been in a container for an extended time. Osmocote Indoor/Outdoor is an option as a granular, slow release fertilizer that can be applied while potting and planting. Any type of fertilizer offers nutrients that help plants with the transition to a new environment. All of these fertilizers may be used when planting Holly Ferns indoors or outdoors.

Japanese Holly Ferns like a dense soil, and prefers to have moist conditions. Plants can not stay constantly wet, but do not like to go completely dry either. It's best to use a regular potting mix or a potting mix based in peat moss, which retains moisture.