Re: flooding and ferns
- To: s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
- Subject: Re: [SG] flooding and ferns
- From: M* T*
- Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 02:17:20 -0400
Since both can grow in boggy places, rather think they will. I have
one royal fern in my "bog" garden, tho' it is planted on a very small
mound, and it is doing fine. This garden floods during rains, but
drains off in a day, although there is probably always water at the
bottom and the soil is always very moist.
Have a feeling the ostrich fern actually likes bogs better than the
royal fern as I have read that they can take full sun in that kind of
situation.
Both royal and ostrich need the soil to be continually damp, although
my poor ostrich ferns don't get that and are in a border that gets
very dry during drought, when they simply fold up shop and go dormant
very early...plus they never get as tall as I have read this fern can
get.
Most other ferns want good drainage, although I am sure there are
some more who inhabit boggy places...just don't know which ones they
would be.
Your spot doesn't sound like a bog to me and if it drains off as soon
as the rain stops and then gets dry, it is quite likely that most
ferns would tolerate the periodic flooding...I actually have an
Artemisia 'Powis Castle' in a spot that floods during heavy rain and
where water can stand for half a day thereafter and it's the only one
that has lived for 10 years...go figure....so a lot of plants can
stand periodic short flooding if the soil drains off quickly.
Best way to find out is to try a couple there and see how they do.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Nancy Stedman <stedman@RCN.COM>
> Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 1:49 PM
>
> Does anyone know if ostrich ferns can withstand periodic flooding
(being
> covered in water for as long as the rain lasts whenever there's a
moderate
> to heavy downpour)? How about royal ferns? Any others? The rest of
the time
> the area is not wet, or even damp, so ferns that need consistent
water would
> have a hard time.
> Thanks,
> Nancy S. (zone 6B, NYC)
