Propagate ferns
Soft shield ferns develop young plants along the central midrib on the fronds – Polystichum setiferum ‘Herrenhausen’ is a good example of this. Encourage these tiny ferns to form roots by cutting some of the whole fronds from the main plant and pinning them down onto a tray of moist seed and cuttings compost. Keep them in a cold frame, so that by next spring you can cut them into single sections and pot them up. You can speed up the process by keeping the trays in a warm greenhouse, but cover them to stop them drying out.