does ostrich fern usually need some type of support?

16 years ago

My ostrich fern leaves often flop over because they get so big. I wonder if I possibly never planted the plant deep enough into my pot? The crown, or the center of the plant from which the fiddleheads emerge clearly sticks up from the soil. And with some of the leaves, there is say 4-5" of plain stem showing before the actual fern leaves begin. Should there be that much (4-5") of plain stem showing, or should it be planted more deeply into the soil, so that the fern fronds begin to show closer to the level of the soil, which in turn means less length of overall frond to flop over?

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

duluthinbloomz4
16 years ago
Ostrich ferns will naturally crown above the soil line so I wouldn't plant it deeper. The plain stem coming out of the crown is natural too. They seem to be fairly adaptable; all the literature indicates a boggy or at least moist, shady, slightly acidic environment, but I have them in full sun and they get watered when it rains. Never having grown one in a pot, could it be severely root bound and trying to throw out runners/rhizomes? It really isn't a potted plant type like Boston Ferns, etc., and no doubt shouldn't be allowed to dry out between waterings. If they're happy where they are they can get quite Mesozoic looking; the fronds will get to @5' in a growing season, but are quite stiff and upright and only start to arch over near the tops.
Lynn Nevins
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the reply. You said the plain stem coming out from the crown is natural. So are you saying that even 4-5" of stem showing, BEFORE it even gets to the fronds, is normal, and that I shouldn't have to plant it any deeper into the soil?

As to the possibility that the plant is potbound and trying to throw out rhizomes, I'm not sure how that possibility would affect or cause the fronds from flopping over....?

Note that I DO water this potted plant pretty often... at least a few times a week, and sometimes every day.

Tx.
Related Discussions
Does eggplant support itself?
Q
Comments (15)
queuetue, these are end of the season plants. Actually, this could probaly be called the "grand finali". The plants were set out in April, began producing in early to mid June, produced heavily in July, stopped producing in the heat of August, got a second wind in September and started flowering again, then produced in late September into early November. The plants were only about 3 feet tall when they first began setting fruit. As you can see by the photo they were about 7 to 8 feet tall when they set their last fruit. Our long growing season allows for 6 to 7 months of growth. However, when my plants stop producing in the hot days of August, perhaps yours might not.
...See More
Containing ostrich ferns/tall shade plants
Q
Comments (19)
i kinda figured the clematis might not work ... but i was trying to get this newbie to think outside the fern box she has created in her mind.. there are a multitude of understory plants... perhaps within the WOODLAND category which will fit the given location... IF she can get past this fern fixation ... its not that fern itself is bad.. or the ostrich in particular ... but there are thousands of options beyond such ... i would also caution.. since she has only been in this garden for a short time ... that just because it was damp last year.. does NOT mean that is how it will be next year ... weather tends to cycle.... and you should NOT make assumptions too easily ... when i moved here 10 years ago .. i planted 40 bare root six to 8 foot oaks,ash, redbuds.. etc ... and thank God.. it rained every 4 days all summer. ... the ONLY thing that helped me PROPERLY water them on 5 acres ... i learned a lot about dragging hoses that year.. lol ... since then .... that has never happened again ... and i am glad.. i invested in some irrigation lines with spigots around the yard... rather than bank on ma nature ... soooo ... to the newbie ... dont make presumptions... and dont get fixated ... a new post giving the parameters ... without fern in the title.. might get you 1000 more options.. or not.. who knows.. lol ... the water issue might be directly related to the home building.. and the impact on soil structure.. and that might change over time ... ken
...See More
Does Durandii need support?
Q
Comments (9)
Mine scrambles up and into a large rhododendron.....it is quite a bit taller than I am so I doubt a peony ring would be adequate. And I also don't care for the way mine looks without some sort of elevation, so not inclined to let it sprawl. I do recall a durandii that was planted at a nursery I used to work at that was allowed to sprawl down a rather steep slope and it looked great! But it was very well established and never cut back and in full west facing sun. I don't have any photos of mine.....I am usually too busy taking pics at clients yards that I ignore or forget about mine :-) But that intense blue color is what I like as well. I got it to replace my Harlow Carr that mysteriously just vanished one season. Harlow seems to be MIA from the marketplace these days..........
...See More
What fern is this? Do I need to bring it in before it snows?
Q
Comments (25)
sw_gardener, thanks for your insights. This fern was out with the shade perennials when I bought it. I got it at the end of the season on sale, and the label was gone. So I originally thought it should stay outside. I also bought a much smaller one in a tiny unlabelled pot that was with the annuals. I figured that one needed to be inside in a terrarium because of the other plants next to it on the shelf. I was motivated by the sale to try these. But the two ferns looked like they were exactly the same type of fern when I got them home and inspected them closely. So I posted here, and eventually changed my mind about what to do as winter approached, and brought both in. The small one did not make it through the winter inside (no terrarium). No big loss. The replanted larger one is growing steadliy outside now, very happy where I've put it. I have hope for it. I've read somewhere that winter-hardy maidenhair ferns are hard to keep alive here in New England. We'll see. I never see them growing wild in the woods.
...See More
duluthinbloomz4
16 years ago
Yes, the crown and plain stem even at 4-5" is normal. If it's otherwise healthy looking, maybe the weight of the frond is simply pulling it/them down. You would damage the fronds attempting to tie them to a support. Many plants lose vigor when pot or root bound, but if yours is potted well, it wouldn't seem to be an issue.

Google the images for ostrich fern - if yours looks like any of the hundreds pictured, it's probably doing fine.
Lynn Nevins
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks duluth. Yes, I think it would stand to reason that the weight of the frond is what is pulling it down. It just makes the plant "less attractive" in my mind. Course, I suppose if my plant were in the ground, and therefore allowed to spread and become more dense, I suppose all the fronds would help to support each other more. So I guess perhaps the fact that it's in a pot, it's more likely to flop over....

I'll be moving soon into a rental apartment that includes a yard (with actual DIRT! :--) Perhaps I'll try to separate the rhizomes, and plant some in the ground and see what happens! Might it take over the entire yard? This will be my first time planting something into the actual ground. How would I control the growth/spread of this in the ground?

Tx!
arcy_gw
16 years ago
I have been thinning mine, and I noticed they flopped after. Once they get going they grow in a way that they support each other. Smaller, newer ones sort of hold up the older larger ones. Just what I have observed.

does ostrich fern usually need some type of support?

Comments (5)

duluthinbloomz4

Lynn Nevins
Original Author

Related Discussions

duluthinbloomz4

Lynn Nevins
Original Author

arcy_gw

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

does ostrich fern usually need some type of support?

Comments (5)

duluthinbloomz4

Lynn NevinsOriginal Author

Related Discussions

duluthinbloomz4

Lynn NevinsOriginal Author

arcy_gw

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Lynn Nevins
Original Author

Lynn Nevins
Original Author