Hi! This is my first time posting as well as trying to raise ferns in a greenhouse. I am an ag teacher with a very limited knowledge of horticulture (I'm an Animal Science person!) but I absolutely love gardening. This year we have taken in ferns, geraniums, etc from people that normally throw them away after our first frost.

I am wanting to propagate ferns from the ones that have been donated to us. I am familiar with how to separate but after that I have no clue. I would love for our FFA chapter to sell the ferns in the spring. So how do I get them looking nice and full by the beginning of April? I have read that I need to let them go dormant for at least 6 weeks. Do I need to cut back the old growth to the soil? What type of fertilizer for root development? Do I need to put grow lights in my greenhouse to bring them out of dormancy or will temperature alone do it? Do I even have to let them go dormant? I would love to have continuous growth through the winter.

Any help would be appreciated!