WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Woodwardia radicans, WUCOLS IV

How often to water European chain fern in California

In July on the north-central coast, established European chain fern in loam needs a deep watering about every 6 days: about 1.5 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.8 gallons a week. European chain fern is a robust evergreen fern from the Atlantic islands and the Mediterranean. Its arching, finely divided fronds can reach about 5 feet long and carry small bulbils near the tips. It wants damp, fertile soil and partial shade out of drying wind. It is a high water fern, not one for a dry corner.

PerennialRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water European chain fern, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for European chain fern and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1 foot of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 1 to 2 inches down under the fronds means the fern needs water, since it wants damp soil
  • Fronds that go limp or crisp at the tips in hot, dry wind point to a dry root zone
  • Fronds that brown in patches in a sunny, exposed spot can mean the site is too bright for this shade fern, which more water will not fix
  • Yellowing fronds at the crown over soil that stays waterlogged point to poor drainage rather than thirst
  • Old fronds that brown one at a time are normal aging, so cut them off at the base

How to water it

  • Water at the base of the crown with drip or a soaker hose, wetting the soil under the full spread of fronds
  • Soak until water reaches about a foot down, and water again once the top inch starts to dry
  • Spread a thick layer of leaf mold or fine bark mulch over the root zone to keep the soil cool and damp
  • Plant in clay or loam enriched with compost, where the soil stays damp but water does not stand
  • Widen the watered area as the clump fills out and its fronds arch farther from the crown

Through the seasons

Water a new chain fern often through its first summer, keeping the soil damp while its roots spread. Established plants still want steady moisture, and summer heat and dry wind raise their need most. The fronds stay green all year, so the fern keeps drawing water in winter. In a frost-prone garden, protect the crown in winter with a dry mulch. Winter rain covers the cool months on the north-central coast and the south coast. WUCOLS rates it high water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

European chain fern has fronds up to about 5 feet long, so it needs a wide, deep pot and room to arch. Keep the pot in shade, out of hot afternoon sun and drying wind. Check the mix an inch down every day or two in summer, since this fern should never dry out fully. Water until it drains from the holes, then empty the saucer so the crown does not sit in water. The evergreen fronds still use water in winter, so check the mix during dry spells. In a frost-prone spot, move the pot to shelter.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate European Chain Fern for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists European Chain Fern as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

European Chain Fern: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.6–1.241.24––
Feb0.84–1.291.39––
Mar1.39–1.842.08––
Apr1.88–2.232.58––
May2.33–2.583.12––
Jun2.58–2.783.67––
Jul2.58–3.174.02––
Aug2.38–2.983.72––
Sep1.98–2.382.98––
Oct1.39–1.842.13––
Nov0.74–1.341.44––
Dec0.5–1.041.09––
Year19.2–24.829.46––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like European chain fern. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Lilyleaf LadybellsAdenophora liliifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingArnicaArnica montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFrilly BergeniaBergenia ciliatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCabbage on a StickBrighamia insignisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBasket PlantCallisia fragransnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingForest SedgeCarex sylvaticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingUmbrella DracaenaDianella ensifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRusty FoxgloveDigitalis ferrugineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBig-Flowered FoxgloveDigitalis grandifloranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWoolly FoxgloveDigitalis lanatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingSunset FoxgloveDigitalis obscuranot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMale FernDryopteris filix-masnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAlpine Sea HollyEryngium alpinumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPurple SpurgeEuphorbia dulcisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingQueen of the MeadowFilipendula ulmarianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingDropwortFilipendula vulgaris (Filipendula hexapetala)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes European chain fern, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water European chain fern in summer?

In July, established European chain fern in loam needs a deep watering about every 5 days on the south coast and about every 4 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does European chain fern need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established European chain fern needs about 0.3 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 1.0 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for European chain fern change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates European chain fern separately for each of the six California climate zones: high water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, high water in the South Coastal zone, high water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

How big does European chain fern get?

It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and spreads 5 to 8 feet wide. The arching fronds can reach about 5 feet long. It takes 2 to 5 years to fill out, so give it room along a shady path or bed.

What are the little bumps near the frond tips?

They are bulbils, small buds that can grow into new plants. They form on the underside of the fronds toward the tips. Remove and pot them in autumn to raise new ferns.

Can European chain fern grow in full sun?

It grows best in partial shade, sheltered from cold or drying winds. A north or east facing spot suits it. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun.

Is European chain fern hardy to frost?

It tolerates only mild winters, down to about 23°F. In a frost-prone garden, shelter it from cold wind. Cover the crown with a dry mulch through winter.

Should I cut off brown fern fronds?

Yes. Cut old, worn fronds off at the base. New fronds rise from the crown to replace them. The fern is generally free of pests and diseases.

How do I divide a chain fern?

Divide the clump in spring. Replant the pieces at the same depth in damp, fertile soil. Water them well and keep the soil damp while they settle.

More plant watering guides

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Sources