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Ferns Ferns add a touch of class to your garden. Gardening Newsletter Most of us know what ferns are from walks in the woods or you may even have some in a shady place in your yard. Ferns have been around a lot longer than dinosaurs and of course out-survived them. They were here before most plants and way before flowering flora came about.
For being so resilient, it’s amazing that they are so fragile sometimes. They can be fairly delicate and only grow well & reproduce in moist conditions. Ferns favor sheltered and shady areas like under a forest canopy, along creeks, and other areas that are consistently moist.
Note: Approximately 70% of ferns live in tropical climate and the remaining 30% are found in temperate climates. Best conditions for ferns are:
If the above circumstances above are consistent (especially moist conditions) ferns do very well. Free Newsletter Please sign up and enjoy our Gardening Advisor Newsletter. In this you will read both fun and serious gardening information covering a wide range of topics.
We will gaurd your Email with great care and NEVER send spam or sell your information. Soil – Most ferns require a rich, well draining, moist soil with lots of organic matter. Once a year mulching is a good idea especially with something like leaf mold or other organic options.
Special Note: Ferns can actually survive in tough conditions depending on the type. Some can tolerate extreme drought and heat whiles others can only live in rainforest. There is a big difference in the conditions needed to survive and the conditions needed to reproduce. Many that can survive drought and heat will not be able to reproduce until the conditions change to moist and cool again.
Ferns look different than other flora and act differently as well. Their reproduction techniques are an example… Flowers and plants basically rely on an insect or wind to carry pollen from one flower to the next for fertilization. Ferns are totally dependent upon there being moisture present because it’s the wet conditions that allows their version of pollen to make its way to the female egg calls and to germinate (this is the simplified version).
Pest Control:
Ferns do not have too many pests that damage them. A few of the more notable ones are:
* Scales – Small hard-bodied brown or white insects.
* Mealy Bugs – Soft white insects that appear to have a mealy or downy substance on them.
Note: The presence of honeydew (a sticky syrup-like material on the foliage) is an indication there is potential problems with Fern Scales or other insects. If the insects are allowed to keep excreting this honeydew substance, a black mold-like algae / fungus will develop and the entire fern will have a black appearance.
Solution: Inspect ferns before buying or transplanting them. If the problems are on your existing ferns it’s harder because many ferns are very sensitive to insecticides. Discard the infected ferns, use organic methods, or purchase an insecticide or fungicide that is specifically for ferns.
Disease Control:
There are various fungus & bacterial diseases that can affect ferns in addition to insect pest. Some of the more common disease problems to be aware of are: Bacterial Blight, Leaf Tip Burn, Mentodes Foliage & roots wilt), Pythium Root Rot, and Rhizoctonia Blight. These can be treated with purchased fungicides. How to get Ferns into your Garden:
There are basically 3 ways you can get ferns into your gardens:
1- You can either transplant your ferns from the woods or other location.
2- Purchase them.
3- Grow your own from scratch (from spores).
Following are 12 Steps to grow ferns from spores:
[1] Collect the spores – This is the first step to grow your own ferns from scratch. Look on the underside of the leaves for brown colored spots or lines. The time to look for these spores, in temperate climates, is late summer. In the tropical climates you can find theses brown spores almost all year long. When you identify that a fern leaf has spores:
1- collect that leaf and put it between two pieces of paper.
2- Lay this in a dry, warm and draft free area for 1-2 weeks.
3- Remove the dried up leaf
4- Fold the paper in half so the spores will fall into the crease and make it easier to distribute (the dust remaining are the spores). Note: After this you are ready to plant your spores.
[2] Get a clear plastic container to ensure higher humidity.
[3] Acquire high quality potting soil and fill your container.
[4] Dampen the soil (not too wet or dry).
[5] This is going to seem crazy, but microwave your soil for 5 minutes. Why? To kill fungal spores and bacteria (Note: If your container is not microwave safe, use another container to microwave and then transfer the soil to your growing container).
[6] Next you take your folded paper and tap the back edge to get the spores to fall out on top of the soil.
[7] Close your container up and put near a window but not into the direct sunlight.
[8] Now exercise patience. Wait 6-8 weeks and you’ll see small leaf-like plants start to appear (it’s now got to go through a process of fertilization).
[9] Make sure the soil inside your container stays moist during this whole process.
[10] In another 6-8 weeks you’ll finally start to see little ferns coming up and when they get to be about ½ inch tall thin them out so they are about 3 inches apart.
[11] In the spring time give them time to adjust to the outside. Set the container outside and take the lid off a little bit each day for a week or so.
[12] Finally, plant them in a shady area of your garden. Partial shade is best because they do like some sunlight for best results. Free Newsletter Please sign up and enjoy our Gardening Advisor Newsletter. In this you will read both fun and serious gardening information covering a wide range of topics.
We will gaurd your Email with great care and NEVER send spam or sell your information. Various Categories Types of Ferns: There are more than 10,000 varieties of ferns in the world. They are very niche specialized so you’ll find different succeeding varieties in every region. Some for example will only survive deep in the rainforest, others make their homes near waterfalls.
Here is a listing of common shade loving ferns:
Holly Fern – This fern had long, large, dark green and glossy leaves. It is relatively hardy and can even survive some freezing temperatures but should be protected as much as possible. Holly Ferns like low light conditions and can be planted close to each other because they are not spreaders.
Japanese Painted Fern – This is a very hardy and pretty fern that has multicolored leaves tinted with hints of purple and red on silvery grey leaves. This fern spreads slowly and grows to a height of 2 feet.
Lady Fern – This fern looks great in the garden. It grows 2-3 feet and has finely cut leaves.
Wood Fern / River Fern – This is “The” landscape fern of the South. It has long arching light green leaves and spreads quickly filling vacant areas nicely.
Autumn Fern – This is a semi-evergreen fern with arching fine-textured leaves. In the spring its leaves are coppery pink and they turn green in the summer and rusty colored in the fall. This fern has been known to be resistant of drought conditions.
Royal Fern – This fern is large with large leaflets and produces a distinctive cluster of bead-like sori at the tips of some leaves. This fern requires acidic and consistently moist soils.
Christmas Fern – This fern is native to the Southeast. It is an evergreen fern with stiff upright leaves. It grows slowly and prefers well draining soil and shade to prosper. Other Fern Types:
Ferns are easy to grow ad add a touch of class to your gardens. |