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Gardening in the UK

My tree fern is not growing

gilliegreenfingers

13 years ago

I love my tree ferns and always cover in sacks from October onwards. But after the long snowy winter in the NW of England one of the ferns is clearly not happy. The crown is black in colour,though I can feel 'little bumps'. Is it just slow because of the cold or have I lost it?

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Comments (4)

vetivert8
13 years ago
Depending on which species you have, if the top has 'gone' it may sprout away from the side or even lower down. Give it time - months, in fact.

If it has gone, and your setting for it is suitable, you can use the remaining stem as a haven for other ferns and epiphytes.

(You're unlikely to want to do this but - near where I live there are gorse plants growing on still-live tree ferns and stretching their roots to reach true ground. There are others with perching plants, ferns, and indigenous trees such as rata which get their start in the ruggedness of the tree fern's bark. At home I have Zygocacti and bromeliads perching, too. They might not be quite the thing for the north of England but you may have hardy orchids and ferns that would be happy there.)

Hope it comes through for you.
fred franks
12 years ago
i have had tree fern for 6 years now last year was best over 2 m spread and trunk is about 18 inch high. gave it protection over winter,end of march took fleece off, gave it a watering, 2 weeks later same again,april now cut dead fronds offthis left top open, but i got no bumps.its may now and still no sign,watered it fed it, not waterlogged as i have great drainage for plant, i put polythene over it to see if anything happens, any ideas???
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At the risk of sounding like a 'weed nazi' I have read in Bill Brysons books about the impact on Hawaii's forests by this fern. It apparently has colonised entire valleys and hillsides and has displaced a lot of Hawaiian native tree ferns, and a lot of native orchids and other epiphytes are become endangered because they find the cyathea trunks unsuitable to grow on, unlike the native tree ferns. Maybe you should try to cultivate some of your threatened tree ferns instead. This fern has also become a problem in SW Western Australia along stream banks and other damp places, shading out other little special plants. I know that people and trade do get cynical when every lovely garden plant seems to be declared weedy, but I think it is important to take some responsibility for what you plant in your gardens. It would be irresponsible of me to decide to breed indian mynah birds here in Darwin (where at the moment they are thankfully absent) and then not take responsibility when they escape and go feral, and with plants it really is no different... If you are still keen on the cyatheas, the best method I have for propagating ferns in general is to take the frond just before the sporangia (spore bodies - the little brown circles on the underside of the frond) open, cut off the frond and place it between folded newspaper for a few days until the spores are released. Prepare some coco peat or very fine seed raising mix by sterlising it with boiling water (I have done this without stelising and still had good results) spread the spores over, cover with clear film and keep moist, cool and shady. They can sometimes take many years before the plants are ready to be planted out. Might I suggest that you go out into one of your lovely forests and dig out some small cyatheas and transplant them, and maybe hack down a few hundred mature plants while you are there..... Good luck!
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vetivert8
12 years ago
Not so useful a link, unfortunately.

Dicksonia squarrosa and fibrosa may well sprout from further down. They'll resprout after being driven over and flattened by log haulers after clear-felling.

The Aussie Dicksonia hasn't, in all the time it's been in the garden. Nearly 30 years.

You might find that mulching with pine needles or bark chips could help. Apply lightly only.

In the bush there is an ongoing mulching effect from the overhead evergreen trees such as southern beeches, or Pinus radiata needles in the forestry areas where tree ferns grow thickly in the firebreaks and open gullies - sheltered, and open to good light.
pips
12 years ago
I have a 5' tree fern, span last year was 7'.
It is in theground and covered every year.
this year it has 8 nobules.
my troubl is that next door bamboo has penetrated my garden and
has got close to the fern .
I need to move the fern do I dig it up or will it take pulling out

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