I have ostrich [deciduous] ferns [on the grounds I keep] and I was wondering if there is anything special that I should do for them for the winter. What I have been doing is putting ground up leaves in the bed, but beyond that, I’m not sure if there is anything else I should do!
Andrew MacHugh’s book, The Cultivation of Ferns (1992) says the following (from p. 47):
“In autumn, a mulch of well-rotted leafmould, peat or bark chippings should be given to ferns planted in open sites. […] In winter the fronds of deciduous ferns can be cut back to an inch above the crown. In areas subject to frost, the decayed fronds will provide some protection to the plant and should not be removed until the spring growth of new fronds shows signs of emerging.”