ferns
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: ferns
- From: D* G*
- Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 07:34:47 -0500
>Doug,
>
>Will file this tip, I have not heard this interesting advice previously.
>Would you keep any acquired fern with little root in these warm conditions
>should you acquire it in cold weather?
Absolutely. There's no sense in stressing an already stressed plant. Mind
you, it depends on what you call cold. :-) You and I know cold - :-) but
current aberations notwithstanding - California and the Pacific Northwest
don't know cold. :-)
>
>Every year a plant group I attend has some Cheilanthes (and I am grateful)
at
>a late summer or early fall meeting. Every year they expire and when
>examined have no root system remaining. Would you keep these indoors for a
>season? Cool conditions or again warmer conditions.
Let me make it quite clear that I am not a fern expert. I'm just a guy who
gardens excessively and seldom meets plants he doesn't like. :-)
Having said that, most plants (ferns included) will not set up a good root
structure when they are stressed. Inside - I don't think so. I'd make sure
the conditions for growing were perfect though (see rant below) For
whatever reason, the rehydration of the root seems to be the key to
survival in divisions in our experience. I would protect it from freezing
or temperature fluctuations.
<getting on soapbox alert!> - note - not aimed at any individual or
posting - just a general rant I need to get off my chest this week. :-)
The objective of any gardener then is to remove stress on the plant and
recreate the native conditions the plant is genetically acclimatized to. I
see more gardeners trying to grow plants in conditions where the plant
simply will not live. Meconopsis in the high heat and lack of humidity of
the prairies, lavenders in heavy clay with no drainage. When I hear a
gardener wailing about a lack of success with a plant, there is generally
only the gardener to blame - something is lacking and it is up to the
gardener (and friends in groups like this if they are willing):-) to solve
the puzzle.
If I can return to ferns for a moment, if folks are having trouble growing
ferns then they might very well look to their soils. (Heck to your soils
for almost every plant problems.);-) Peat bed construction - from the
Victorians down to NARGS bulletins have outlined in detail how to construct
these beds and how to have success with ferns. If you choose to ignore
these methods - then you might very well be choosing to fail at growing a
fern. And make no mistake about it - shoving plants into soil and
conditions they are not suited for is making a choice - perhaps an
ill-informed choice but a choice nevertheless.
<end of soapbox rant>
>Often a small fragment of a fern is given to you and often it does not
>survive.
Well, yes. In my experience, some ferns don't divide worth a darn - depends
on the fern.
>Conversely, I have had some local ferns remain as root masses, never
>appearing above ground, in the recent past drought years. Last year when
it
>rained every day, they came back. It may not be a firm rule but it seems
>that if a fern can grow a good strong root system, it may be indestructible.
Yeah, the peat beds are really great for this. Check out the alpine-l
archives for Jim McClements article on this subject. Those beds will grow
darn near anything. I've modified them for my own uses but the essentials
are there.
Doug
who is going back to dreaming about spring
Doug Green
Syndicated gardening columnist, Freelance writer
http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
Gardens should be like love affairs - hot and spicy.
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