Help on planting bareroot ostrich ferns.

17 years ago

Hi I ordered twelve ostrich ferns bare root through the mail. When they arrived they had no directions, does anyone have any advice or weblinks they can give.

Your time is much appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

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Comments (7)

brendan_of_bonsai
17 years ago
I'd do it just like you do any other bare root plant, Dig a hole, leave a mound in the middle, spread the roots out, and water Very Very well.
botanybabe
17 years ago
Be careful not to cover the crown with soil. It should be the same level as the soil. You don't want it to rot.

Lainey
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A conservative approach to harvesting is always a good thing. I harvest 3 fiddleheads per large established crown and have never had any problems (the crowns are as big as my fist). The average size of the fiddleheads is about the size of a half-dollar. I have hundreds of ferns so I basically get as big a harvest as I want and I cherry-pick only the premium fiddleheads. I also rotate from which colonies and crowns I harvest as well. Not necessary but as a result it never looks like I am harvesting anything and none of the ferns endure stress from possible overharvesting. I also am lucky to be able to trade fiddleheads for morel mushrooms from my morel-hunting neighbors. A real treat is when you have a colony big enough to be able to go in and sneak some baby fiddleheads from some of the small new crowns. They are around the size of a nickel and they are very tender and delicious. IMO it would be better to allow your fern to establish itself and start to spread out before harvesting. When you see others start popping up around the original, then I would consider starting to take harvests from the original crown. And if it turns out you really enjoy the fiddleheads, you are going to need a lot more ferns. :-) Good Luck! -Tom
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Actually, I was referring to planting it in the ground rather than a pot. Ostrich is an aggressive fern and I'm thinking it will not prosper over the long haul stuffed in any size pot. It will quickly fill even a 16-20" pot w/roots. These are native ferns and will thrive in your Zone 6/7 garden. If you leave it in the pot over the winter it could become dinner for hungry voles, mice, etc. that get in the pot and eat the roots right off the poor thing and you'll have to make sure the pot doesn't dry out during thaw cycles also. There are many good ferns suitable for pot culture but, IMO, Ostrich fern isn't one of them. Again, this is due to its aggressive growth habits...this is no wimpy, delicate, 'help me or I'll perish' plant. They are awesome interplanted with Oriental lilies since the Ostrich fern can take 1/2 day of sun just fine if it has the classic "well-drained, moist but not wet" soil. The large fronds hide the rather ugly lily stems and the blooms peeking out of the ferns is lovely (smells lovely too!). I like omphalodes cappadocica 'Parisian Skies' planted at the feet of Ostrich ferns too. Anyway, don't worry about your fern...it will do fine.
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arcy_gw
17 years ago
You only needed one or two. Bury in so the crown is just above the soil. WATER
actuary97
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the advice.

I planted them about a week ago. It seems about half have sprouted fiddleheads so far. I wound up planting them the way arcy said,

Thanks again.
dirtdiva
17 years ago
I planted about 12 ostrich ferns I bought on EBay last fall. I have a big woodland area and I planted them in different areas of my property. They all grew and are about 3 feet tall and beautiful!! My question is because I planted them in different areas will they multiply as fast as if I planted them together? How fast do they multiply? Should I do anything to help them along. I am so excited about the beauty they add to the landscape.
actuary97
Original Author
17 years ago
it sounds like you got them from the same guy that I did. Isn't it amazing that a little stick like that can turn into a plant. Mine have been in for about two weeks now and are just starting to sprout fiddleheads. I can't wait until they are 3 feet tall.

Excelsior
Dave
arcy_gw
17 years ago
I think you will find they will multiply quite fast. They follow the perennial rule, first year rest, second .... third year leap. I spent Saturday cutting ostrich ferns off at the crown. They get so tall they hide my other shade plants. I did notice they wander in a straight line. They do not seem to fan out.

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Help on planting bareroot ostrich ferns.

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brendan_of_bonsai

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Help on planting bareroot ostrich ferns.

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brendan_of_bonsai

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