I LOVE FERNS

[Rohaise]

  I am really getting into Ferns .   Ferns that grow on the ground ...ferns that grow out of walls and banks...and epiphytic ferns that grow on trees ...ferns that ARE  trees ....
   Ferns growing from spores ....  ;D  I LOVE FERNS      Can anyone recommend a good self help book   :D    Has anyone got any they dont want ?     Rohaise   

[Rohaise]

[Rohaise]

  Not from the wild though !  :o                                                                                            I actualy would be interested in just fern leaves with the spores on the back.       I would like the challenge of growing from spores .  Has anyone done this ?   How did you do it ?
          Rohaise     :)

[Palustris]

Best modern book is the Martin Rickard one 'Plant Finder's Guide to Ferns.' The best of all is an old one called Hardy Ferns by Reginald Kaye.
And this may help!
Fern Spore Sowing.

The first, second  and third essential is sterility of every part of the growing system (except perhaps the grower!).
This is the method I used and it worked for me, no doubt others will have their own system.
1.I use new plastic 7cm. plant pots and sterilise them by immersing them in boiling water for about a minute. (Test one first to make sure it does not lose shape. Otherwise you must cold sterilise with a mild bleach solution.
2. Any seed sowing compost is ok. Fill dry, cool pots to about an 1 cm below the top and firm down gently. Cover the top with a piece of kitchen towel or coffee filter paper. Pour boiling water through the paper. About a cupful will do.
3. Cover the pots and allow to cool. No further watering is necessary. Remove filter paper.
4. When cool sprinkle fern spores on the surface. Each pot will be big enough for about as many spores as you can fit on the tip of a penknife. They are very tiny and really do need to be spread thinly on the surface or they will not have room to develop. DO NOT DO THIS IN A WINDY SPOT! or sneeze.
5. Place pot in a plastic bag and seal. I use sandwich bags and the paper ties which come with the roll. If the surface appears to be drying out, gently mist with cooled bolied water.
6. Place in a warm (unless they are hot house ferns, in which case they need more heat) light position. A north facing or shady window ledge or in the greenhouse but put some shade netting over the top.
7.Eventually the surface of the pot will become covered in what looks like moss (if it is going to work). Open the bag and spray the surface of the 'moss' with distilled water( take the chill off it). Close the bag and put back in a warm, light area and wait.
8. If you have been successful, before long the moss will change to baby ferns. Gradually acclimatise them to growing outside the plastic bag.
9. Prick out the babies, I usually do this in little groups, you can always do it again when they are bigger.

[DadnDom]

If your anywhere near prestatyn your welcome to come down with a spade. I just murdered about a hundred with a mattock and a strimmer. Probably 50 left...can take a photo of them for ID purposes if required?
Bloody ferns and sodding bamboo is all that grows round here.

[Slug_killer]

Fern Spore Sowing.

How long does all this take ?

[Palustris]

From spore collection to final pricking out can take 12 months with some of the slow growing ones.
I have to confess I have not done this for a few years. The ones in our shade garden spread themselves around rather nicely enough for me these days when I am not trying to raise enought to suppply people.

[Rohaise]

Well it is raining cats and dogs down here in Cornwall....but ..d,ya know what ?  ..I couldn,t care less because the ferns are loving it !    :)  And they look at their very best right now pushing up and unfurling their new leaves from tightly curled up power engines down below .    Much thanks to you Palustris !..for your excellent instructions on fern propagation...this will I hope encourage everyone to have a go.
  Thanks also to DadnDom ,erm....for the useful pruning method    :o  !!!
I will be looking up these recommended books also.thanks again to you  Palustris . :)
  This is so exciting !   Rohaise

[Pesky Wabbit]

A true Fern-atic ? Fern-tatsic.

I take it you know all about http://www.fernatical.co.uk/. Run by two baldy chaps with big beards and large amounts of metalwork hanging from the ears. Makes me think of ZZtop, either that or their heads are on upside down !

[Rohaise]

Oh! Thanks for reminding me about THEM Pesky wabbit !  Ithink I last saw them on the Chelsea Flower Show some years ago . Thanks for the website address !...I,m off to explore it now ...whooo....hoooo !     :D
                                                                                                      Rohaise
                                                                                                         

[tim]

Me too - love them. But, spurred by the comment, I thought that I would show some curlywigs. Wrong! For the first time ever, they are all wizened!!

This is all that is worth showing.

[Rohaise]

 Your ferns are lovely Tim. And they are at their very best now aren,t they ?
Those tree ferns are amazing ,but if you cant afford one,then I say just our ordinary native species ferns are just as amazing really and can get quite big too...to create that jungle effect . I,m thinking of putting some in mossy hanging baskets to give height to my ferny corner and get that steamy atmosphere...fun isn,t it !    ;)   Rohaise 

[Palustris]

If you want a 'tree' fern then try this idea. Take a  plastic downspout type pipe. Choose your own length! Block off one end and drill 1/4 holes at say 4 inch  spacing in a spiral pattern down it.  Take a piece of chicken wire and make a column out of it , big enough to fit over the down spout and leave a 3 inch gap between it and the pipe. Fill the space with moss. Plant baby ferns in the moss and keep the central pipe filled with water.  You would need to experiment to find a way of keeping the wire fastened to the pipe. I cannot remember how it was done, it was a long' long time ago.

[Rohaise]

 :D  Hmmm .....here,s sending you a Virtual Blue Peter Badge !     :D
  Now off to the builders merchant for a roll of chicken wire and a six foot length of plastic down pipe..... I want a big one !     ;D  Rohaise