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Re: [PRIMROSES] FERNS

CCREDUX wrote:
>
> Dear Diana,
>
> I refer to your post re the royal fern.
>
> Thanks so much!
> I have learned SO much on this listserver! Diana, I put my royal fern in an
> area where maidenhairs were doing nicely--dry shade!
>
> Now I shall move it to a sunnier area where it will also get a heck of a lot
> more moisture!
>
> Could you give us some advice about fertilizing ferns.
Yeah.  Don't.  I was having some problems with a particular fern in the
greenhouse. I called a VERY big commercial fern grower for advice.
In a greenhouse, we typically fertilize at 200 parts per million of
nitrogen at every watering.  A fern wants 60 ppm, every 3-6 months.  I
leached the pots and within short order, everything was coming up ferny.

> Do they prefer an acid soil?
Soem do, some don't.  In a nutshell, most of the ferns that you see
growing on rock usually like a bit of lime.  This is primarily the
maidenhairs.  The soil mix that I use is peat based.  I just add a bit
of dolomite lime to the planting hole when I pot them up into the next
size.
I just found a commercial source for soil mix so that I will not have to
use commercial bagged soil, which weigh up to 80 pounds per bale.  The
company had numerous soil mixes available, each with their own name.  I
asked to know who they mix soil for, so that I could judge how well
stuff grew in it.  (If they made soil mix for XXXX Nursery, who has
dynamite quality, I'd buy it.)  Well, they make the mix for Heronswood.
Guess what mix I bought?
It, too, is acid, so I will add the lime to any lime lovers that we
grow.

> Do most do well with abundant watering?
Absolutely.

> What are YOUR favorites that would be hardy in zone 5.
I will go to the Greenhouse office after the movie tonight and get my
book.  Everything I grow is hardy to OUR zone, but I'll have to look up
the others.  My personal favorite fern is the Tassle fern, because of
the tassle appearance of the unfurling fronds and its' evergreen
nature.  When I used to sell at the Farmers Market, jpeople would tell
me that my ferns were wilting.  It was the tassles on the ends.
> Many thanks for your post!
> May I send you one of my hosta hybrids? Is that a taboo question here?

Well, gee, you betcha!

The Greenhouse
81 S. Bagley Creek Road & Hwy 101
Port Angeles, WA  98362
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