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Re: Wet feet: Ferns and Venus Fly Traps


>1.  Fern lovers, I have a bird's nest fern (sorry, don't know the latin
>name) that has decided to make large numbers of spores.  Can I sprout
>these in a reasonable ammount of time without flasking them?  If so, how?
>
>Thanks for any help!!
>Julia
>
Julia:

It is quite easy to propagate ferns.  If the fern cases are beginning to
open shake some of the spores out into a paper envelope and let them dry a
couple of weeks.   You can cut off a frond and dry it in the same way so the
spores will fall out into the envelope but it might spoil the symmetry of
your bird's nest fern.

You can use sterile potting mix but I filled a shallow pot with straight
peat moss, patting it down so it was perfectly level on top.  I spread the
spores over the top and set the pot in a saucer of water in a warm spot,
75F.  Funny green material grew on the moss.  This is prothallia.  Then I
flooded the surface with water which is the fern's way of fertilization and
soon tiny fronds appeared.

If you use potting mix I'd recommend  covering the pot with clear plastic.
A water filled saucer might be too wet.

Good luck.

Ruth  Z
email: rzavitz@execulink.com
Freelance writer and gardening consultant
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