---
title: "how bad did I mess up? My outdoor fern was neglected and browning in…"
description: "how bad did I mess up? My outdoor fern was neglected and browning in the hot Houston heat. I took it out of the pot and REALLY cut down the roots to only the…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/NiZALrtASBeROEC20lQA3w/jExWq1jqwdfaN8qJDWTjZC"
community: "Fern Friends"
author: "Lyna"
published: "2026-06-29T13:45:44.290607Z"
language: "en"
image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/MiXkgOCoZEuLCsisZ5Etwr19aKTLKGB8b_hM9g8ncno/0kazF7_8S3-vn8K_Rqyxvw.webp?size=large"
---

[Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Fern Friends](https://getplanta.com/community/NiZALrtASBeROEC20lQA3w.md)

# how bad did I mess up? My outdoor fern was neglected and browning in…

_Posted by Lyna on 2026-06-29_

how bad did I mess up?

My outdoor fern was neglected and browning in the hot Houston heat.

I took it out of the pot and REALLY cut down the roots to only the strongest ones at the very bottom of the fronds.

I then repotted only to realize that I chose too big of a vessel. I also realized that the small amount of roots might not be enough to support the fronds I left, so i trimmed the fronds to about an inch and placed in a small nursery pot.

She’s now resting in her small nursery pot with her terrible haircut. Hoping for the best and going to  
be patient with her.

![Attachment 1 of 4](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/MiXkgOCoZEuLCsisZ5Etwr19aKTLKGB8b_hM9g8ncno/0kazF7_8S3-vn8K_Rqyxvw.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 2 of 4](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/MiXkgOCoZEuLCsisZ5Etwr19aKTLKGB8b_hM9g8ncno/OthHGBbMRSiBd2AXfvLqrw.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 3 of 4](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/MiXkgOCoZEuLCsisZ5Etwr19aKTLKGB8b_hM9g8ncno/ujfsWRCjTnOYl7G9E_Irmw.webp?size=large)

![Attachment 4 of 4](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/MiXkgOCoZEuLCsisZ5Etwr19aKTLKGB8b_hM9g8ncno/F8ffAh2QQbOtqxOg0Pf3Pg.webp?size=large)

## 3 comments

### BooksandPlants commented on 2026-06-29

It’s alright! Ever since I’ve been caring for plants I’ve learned that they can be quite resilient to almost anything you can put them through.

#### Lyna replied on 2026-06-29

That’s reassuring! Thank you :-)

#### BooksandPlants replied on 2026-06-29

Your welcome!

---

_Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_