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Snarkie
02-23-2015, 08:33 PM
I bought two bags of Christmas fern roots at Walmart the other day and potted them up today. A couple are already starting to unfurl, which is why I potted them. I'm keeping them in my back hall next to the duct I keep my bananas next to at night, to keep them warm, wet and shady until it's warm enough to put them in the ground.

Anyone know how long it will take for the rest of them to sprout, now that they're in moist mix?

siege2050
02-23-2015, 09:44 PM
I have tons of wild ferns behind my house in a ravine including christmas fern and probably 20 other species, once the fiddleheads start sprouting they grow pretty fast. Here is a pic of some Northern maidenhair I grew from spores collected from the wild plants last year. This is the stage before the true plants grow, but you can see a few leaves starting to form from the gametophytes. I meant to collect a bunch more spore this last fall and store in the fridge but I forgot unfortunately. One problem you may run into starting them now is low humidity indoors, but Christmas fern is a bit tough for a fern and can tolerate some full sun and stays evergreen in winter.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=55426&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=55426)

Snarkie
02-24-2015, 07:05 AM
Thanks, Siege. I have a lot of ferns up at the Preserve that I could relocate, but when I saw those for sale so cheap, I couldn't resist, LOL.

Humidity isn't a problem. My location is a small porch that I glassed in and tied into the heat and AC. It gets the outside humidity and I spray my bananas as well.

Thanks for the info! Do you have any idea how long it will take for the ferns to sprout, now that they are in soil? I'm just wondering how much of a jump I'm getting by doing this.. This is the first year that I have actually overwintered or started indoors for this purpose.

Snarkie
02-25-2015, 06:44 AM
I am, in fact, using them as a filler. I have a "Jungle" area that I am creating with taro, ferns, bananas, a central needle palm and a carved tiki, and one or two windmill palms. I;ll post a pic once everything is in and up.

Having a slight problem finding the section of power pole I need to carve the tiki though. I got lucky finding the pieces I used to make my nautical pilings at the end of the driveway.

cincinnana
02-25-2015, 07:17 AM
I am, in fact, using them as a filler. I have a "Jungle" area that I am creating with taro, ferns, bananas, a central needle palm and a carved tiki, and one or two windmill palms. I;ll post a pic once everything is in and up.

Having a slight problem finding the section of power pole I need to carve the tiki though. I got lucky finding the pieces I used to make my nautical pilings at the end of the driveway.

That sounds like a pretty nice project.

Snarkie
02-25-2015, 07:49 AM
Thanks.

I've got three distinct areas around the driveway and up to the house. At the end of the driveway on the right, is the nautical theme. I have a cat sitting on top og the highest pole, with a rabbit on the second one. Each season or holiday, I have to come up with a new idea for the two to interact. There are yuccas and a palm around the pilings. At the street, I made a pad for the trash cans that has PT posts in each corner. Those will get the rope railing around them.

Going up the drive, the yuccas are the "row plant" with a windmill halfway in, but this year will get basjoos filling in between as well, for that tropical avenue look. In front of the house are the yuccas and some cycads on a mound. Prickly pear cacti are on the flat area surrounding. That's my desert biome.

The jungle is on the other side of the driveway, and I'm going for the Hawaiian look with that one.

siege2050
02-25-2015, 03:53 PM
Its been awhile but last time I started ferns indoors it was about 2 weeks before the fiddleheads started emerging.

Snarkie
02-25-2015, 04:16 PM
That's exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks!