Tree ferns

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:59 pm

I just found a source(finally)in the U.S.where I can find some great tree ferns.
I ordered,C.medullaris,D.antarctica and D. squarrosa,for starters and I have a nice C.cooperi(Brentwood)
Tree ferns are my new passion for sure!
I was wondering if any of you guys have any pics,growing recommendations,cold hardiness experience or other knowledge/stories you can share with me?
Thanks-I will post some pics next week when they arrive

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:11 am

Very cool Jim, I can't wait to see some pictures of them.

Bill

serj · Post by **serj** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:41 pm

Jim, how are you going to cover you tree ferns?

macario · Post by **macario** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 4:47 pm

hey jim whats new

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:24 pm

Hey mike

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Oct 29, 2009 7:46 pm

Serj
I am not really sure.What ever I do will most likely(considering the size of the leaves)involve removing the leaves.
I'm thinking to use house insulation and maybe 1-2 x-mas lights as the space will be small.
I will only heat to keep them between 35-40(F)and uncover anytime temps are above freezing.
I kinda want to wait until they are trunking which would be about 2 years or so.
Until that time I will grow them in large pots so they will not have anything holding them back.

Mike
What's new-
I am sprouting 1000 spores of Cyathea australis,50 sprs C.Medullaris and 1000 sprs of Dicksonia fibrosa

I also ordered(all 1g size) 1-C.medullaris
2-D.squarossa
3-D.antarctica
I will post some pics when they arrive next week

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:24 am

I can't wait to see those pictures Jim.

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:04 am

Hey there don't keep to excited

They are all small(no trunks)1g ferns so,pretty much like my C.cooperi
It will be nice to see them in person*
They will probably look like this guy

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... nts002.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... nts002.jpg" border="0" alt="C.cooperi"></a>

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:32 am

Is that some kind of green house in the background to keep the humidity up?

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:32 pm

Hey Bill,
Sorry- I posted these on another forum and did not really explain what I am doing on this one.
I have had problems in the past with dry air in winter,inside the house.
This year I made some little tents to keep the humidity up for some of the more sensitive plants-Bananas,Papaya and ....the tree ferns.
They love it,even Rowe red and Siam ruby are growing.
Even with out full sun as they are set off to the side of my west window.
I don't even know how the S.ruby knows it's humid it does not have a leaf YET! but it's growing one fast!
I am going to have to raise the roof of the tent as it's pushing out a nice sized leaf/I will also need to build a bigger area for the ferns when my order comes.
Here s the ferns little tent and the Bananas-The T.tesan are around the tent,and a few others

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... nts004.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... nts004.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... nts005.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... nts005.jpg" border="0" alt="Nanars"></a>

IT'S AMAZING WHAT A LITTLE HUMIDITY WILL DO!

serj · Post by **serj** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:35 am

Jim, thank you for answering. I would like to know how to sprout spores of Cyathea australis, D.antarctica and other similar it tree ferns?

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:13 am

Very cool Jim, the humidity tents are a great idea! I can't wait to show my girlfriend this picture, she's always asking me why I save all my coffee grounds, now I can show her that other people save them too

Thanks Jim! Those palms are looking nice and healthy in there as well. I need to move some stuff around today to get situated for the long haul. Not until dark though 70 here today!

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:05 pm

Yea Bill,
These hospital tents rule!
I repotted my T.fern yesterday,(man,you can't let them dry out)it's really doing great-Bananas too.

Bill
If you look at the T.tesan( right next to the little tent the ferns in)you can see it's putting out 360* leaves

Serj-
Here's a link to The Fern Factory video on sprouting Tree ferns.
It's the easiest way I've seen.I would also check out some other links on-
The cold hardy tree ferns page,these is a little gap in the instructions on this video aftethey sprout that some other sites address better-
Here's the link -hope it works for you

http://www.fernfactory.com/frontend/pro ... o=10000397

serj · Post by **serj** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:38 pm

Jim, thanks a lot for link.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:17 pm

You bet!
Definitely the easiest way to sprout them I have seen.
Now all you have to do is wait 3-5 months

I will post some pics of mine when they sprout

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:45 am

Jim, did you check your email on Sat?

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 10:38 am

Yea Bill thanks
I have not had a chance to look through the whole site but they definitely had some cool stuff from what I did see-Thanks again
Looks like the weather is finally going to be dry/sunny for a change

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:06 pm

Tree ferns were mailed Monday and should be here Friday-
I will post some pics when they arrive!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 4:19 pm

Tree ferns arrived today.Not really that exciting to look at yet but I imagine by this time next year........

I built a little house for them so they don't get to dry this winter in the house.

What arrived-
1-Cyathea Medullais
2-Dicksonia Squarossa
4-D.Antarctica

I am glad I built this thing way bigger than I thought I would need,the T.ferns are much bigger than I expected

New kids-

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09008.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09008.jpg" border="0" alt="New Ferns"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09011.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09011.jpg" border="0" alt="2-D.squarossa/4-D.antarctica/1-C.medullaris"></a>

<a href="http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm22 ... -09015.jpg" border="0" alt="T.ferns"></a>

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 6:01 pm

Very nice ferns you got there Jim! Glad to see they arrived safely, and bigger then expected. That's one really nifty pvc hut you got there too! I bet they will grow like mad being in all that humidity. You must have been like a kid on Christmas when they arrived, it must have been a pretty good sized box to fit them all in there, I would have been excited to open it

Looking good,
Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 12:25 pm

Definitely exciting to open but a b**** to unwrap them as they were shrink wrapped!