Guest Dee Posted May 8, 2007 Report Share Posted May 8, 2007 I was wondering if anyone has grown a tree fern from seed, i am trying to. And as anyone would know who's tried to grow any fern, the seeds or spores are like brown powder. So when i put it on the compost it all ended up together in the middle of the pot, that was back in September, and i haven't seen anything as yet, but i am getting this green mossy stuff growing all over the soil. Am i wasting my time with the spores, do the conditions need to be that exact?? Should i give in gracefully and buy a plant Any help would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted May 8, 2007 Report Share Posted May 8, 2007 They go through two stages. The first is kind of like moss, then the second starts looking like ferns. I'll tell you how I do it, but realize there are several ways. Get sterile fine peat, rub a fern leaf with ripe spores so the peat is covered with the spore, then cover with plastic wrap so no water can get out and no junk from the air can get in. Then put in a low light place. The peat should be damp, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dee Posted May 8, 2007 Report Share Posted May 8, 2007 I have the pot in a low light place in a plastic bag, perhaps they need more time, how long do yours take to germinate normally?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm82792 Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 If i remeber right the native plant grower said that native ferns that grow IN trees germinate only on tree ferns hupuu pronunced ha poo oo Maybe they need a special substate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Crane Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 I have germinated and grow asplenium nidus and I used a sterile jar with sterile peat.... I have about fifty or so of them but that was after losing several hundred.. They are about 10mm high and two years old. I do have tree fern spores in the same situation and are approximately at the "moss" stage although I am not confident that they are tree fern.....I think another visit to Trabah is on the cards!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 I hope you've got plenty of time and patience Dee. Tree Ferns can be incredibly slow even once they get going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
An D Smith Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 Hi Dee I am currently in the process of raiseing several different types of tree ferns from wild-collected spores from Australia. I did the same two years ago with Cyathea cooperi and the resulting ferns are now just starting to produce a trunk. If it is Dicksonia you are trying then these are much, much slower. The compost should be sterile, I use a transparent tupperware pot, fill it half way with pure peat and pour boiling water on it. I then seal the pot back up and leave to cool for 24 hours. Then quickly sprinkle the spores onto the surface of the damp peat and re-seal. I germinate all my fern spores on a north-facing windowsill. The spores usually take 2 - 6 weeks to turn green and form a green carpet all over the peat. A couple of months later, small fronds will appear and at this time a half-strength fertiliser can be sprayed onto them. Overcrowding is usually a problem and thinning out will be required. I have several Cyathea species in the 'just-germinated' stage and if you should want to try any of these then please pm me. I hope this is of some help. Cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-Rah Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 I wonder - could you post a pic of your young C. cooperi? It is meant to be a species that is expected to grow outdoors in the UK - frost and snow in the wild - if I am correct in remembering. I played with spores of it a few years ago but didn't really do very well, and didn't consider it much loss as I expected extrenely slow growth. But what you have said implies the opposite. So would love to see pics! Best wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-Rah Posted May 9, 2007 Report Share Posted May 9, 2007 Oops - I have mis-remembered. The plant I was thinking of was C. cunninghamii (C. cooperi is not very hardy at all...). Still be interested in seeing progress of your plants though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
An D Smith Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 Hi Rob I have seen both species in the wild. I would say that C. cooperi would probably be slightly hardier than C. cunninghamii. The latter is known as the Gully Tree Fern and really does grow in gullies. It needs very heavy heavy protection, even in the wild and as its' stem is only 2" thick (up to 20 feet tall!!), it cannot withstand even a strong breeze. C. cooperi has a thicker trunk (8") and often grows in exposed locations. It will survive a light frost but may loose its leaves. Anything below -4 would probably be fatal. C. cooperi is a very fast growing species, some Australian gardeners have reported 4 feet of trunk in one year, obviously in ideal conditions. My larger, twin-trunked specimen grows about 4" of trunk per year while outside for the summer (squeezed into the kitchen for the winter). The best Cyathea to grow over here is C. australis, which is very hardy, possibly even hardier than D. antarctica. It likes full sun and plenty of moisture and loads of fertiliser. Apparently it isn't very often imported because of the sharp spines on the fronds which make it hard to handle. I have also overwintered Cyathea tomentosissima outdoors this last winter with no affect to the plant at all. Cheers Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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