Are you going them in ideal conditions? Where are you located? - you mention both "western" sword fern and "southern" wood fern in the area. I'm wondering if you are trying to grow these out of their range and that is why they are struggling.

Thanks for your interest. As I mentioned, the Southern Wood Fern are doing exceptionally well. Western Sword almost nothing. Both located in shady area, moist with deep compost. Located in north central TX.

My point is - southern wood fern might do fine in Texas, but is it appropriate to expect a fern from the pacific northwest to do well in Texas? The heat might be too much for it even though you are provided shade and moisture.

Got it! Thanks!

Don't expect much the first season.
Even here, in northern California, they need a good year to establish.
I plant them beneath my Redwood trees, where the branches provide shade
and the fallen needles provide mulch and compost; and where the ferns in return
help control moisture in the soil. Mulch with pine needles or pine/fir bark,
if you have any available.

Josh

Thanks Josh! You have been helpful. I'll do as you have suggested. I can indeed get pine needle/bark in this area. I believe you have asisted me in the past and it has been appreciated. At least you have given me hope.

I'm a PNW native and I don't do well in TX! ;)

We live on wooded land and have a lot of sword ferns. They have moisture in the winter and live in very dry soil in the summer, typically the most dry in July and August and into Sept. or Oct. The mature conifers they grow around take up a lot of water during those dry months and it takes a lot of rain to moisten it again. So that should give you a good idea of their natural habitat. I hope you can succeed and enjoy them.

Young ones can take a while to grow into a mature plant, so you need patience.

You're welcome, Temw!
I am glad to help in any way possible.
Thanks for the kind words.

In a way, you're lucky that it's hot and dry where you are.
If you lived further East, somewhere hot and wet (humid), your Sword Ferns would have a far harder time during the summer.

I live in the hot, dry Sierra Nevada foothills, and I intersperse Sword Ferns and Dryopteris (Oak Woodland Ferns). Both are dry adapted and perform admirably. You might look into native or appropriate Dryopteris species (if there are any) as companion ferns.

Lastly, I visited Texas in June several years ago, and it was one of the hottest, muggiest places I've been. I totally enjoyed the Shrimp boil, the fried food, and the barbecue at Cooper's in Llano.

Josh

Thank you Ratherbgardening and to you Josh for your help and suggestions. They are appreciated. From what you all are telling me I might be watering the Western Sword a little too often and too much. Thanks again.

You're welcome!
Water deeply, but let the mulch do most of the work!

Josh

You're welcome. I don't know that you could water them too much. We had so much rain this spring and they're doing fine, but the conifers take up a lot of the water too, so it's not like they're sitting in the open with all the water. Good luck!