Yood, yes, cultivating the Narcissus (US-Daffodil) is considered a high skill hobby among the Vietnamese. Mostly are done in water and not in soil. It is a difficult technique as I was told by my parents. It's considered to be a hobby among the prestige. You're right about how to force Hoa Mai to bloom. Since in south VN, it is the main decorated plant for the Lunar New Year, most of the time we force it to bloom in time for the New Year. Lucky you that it only takes 2 weeks in your area to force it blooms. For us here in the US, it takes 6-7 weeks for it to bloom. Then again, it could be due to a different hybrid than the one you have. Daai_Tau_Lam, I didn't mean Hong Kong to be cold such as freezing temperature but isn't the climate is subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall? This is almost the same as of North Viet Nam. South VN is very tropical. There is no cool weather at any time of the year with the exception of Da Lat because it's in higher altitude. Let's put it this way, we have rain forests in the south. I guess when it comes to plants, there is a big different between tropical and subtropical climate. Plants are very picky, aren't they? Hoa Mai may be one of them. It may not grow easily under Hong Kong climate. Maybe, that's why you don't see them? Or, is it perhaps, because there's not enough demand for it so nursery don't bother to grow it? Hey, but like you said, if you're able to provide the perfect condition for the plant, you can grow it. Heck, there're plants that are grown in space and in moon soil even. Personally, I want to grow so much more than I have place and physical strength for. Aren't we all?!? I have burst of interest of a certain kind of plant every season. Then if it doen't work out, my burst of interest change. Last year, it was orchids; this year, it's roses. Love our discussions :) It's so interesting since we live in 3 different parts of the world. Well, I need to visit the Rose forum now and learn some more :) Ciao, til later!

You might try the fern forum. This forum is for plants native to North America. You could also try the name that plant forum and that forum accepts small attachments.

Hi Don't confuse "Tree fern mounts with Long fibered Sphagnum moss The mounts are the trunks of tree ferns compressed and formed into various shapes usually for the purpose of growing epiphytes ,mostly orchids . I've used them for many years in the form of pots,sheets even in the shape of bunnies lol I grow 5 kinds of tree ferns but have had no luck getting orchids to grow on the living ferns .Interestingly they produce a fiber that repels epiphytes from attaching . Dead ,the orchid will happily grow right into it. They discourage the use of tree fern mounts because they have wiped out whole forests harvesting them for that purpose. If you want to mount orchids use cork bark works as well and is a renewable resource. though if growing indoors would think a poor choice ?? gary

I planted quite a few last year, they were relatively cheap at Home Depot. The ones in the ground in shady areas with irrigation died pretty quickly. The ones in pots did much better, to the point I had to transplant into the ground as they were getting too big, and brushing up against them to water left me itchy. They succumbed quickly after planting in the ground. Not a scientific study by far, but I don't think I'll attempt them again.