Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

So I got a overwhelming feelin'; wanting to contribute something good to this forum and after sharing my stories of my new greenhouse, elephant ear and banana fetish on this forum I have been getting contacted by a few interested onlookers and NC residents. . . But out of all my discussions with everyone, someone had the willingness, thoughtfulness, and understanding to contact me with a new DiFfErEnT idea!
I realize I could have much more in my greenhouse and don't plan on wasting my investments' space, so after stating my interest in ferns a package showed up! Good things come when you least expect them an equally, good things come in small packages!

FERN SPORES! Metalicca variety Japanese painted, reg. ostrich, king variety ostrich, and Sensitive!
OTHER stuff Included to help start me out right!
Amorphophallus Konjac-whoa
Amorphophallus Sauratum-red hmmmwwhaaat
Brugmansia-white flowers
Crinum lily-white
Hibiscus Texas Star seeds- white or red maybe?
I had no problem translating the note inside. ;) THANKS CINCINNANA this gift is a true blessing I will take care of.

Peat Moss, Perlite, Distilled Water, Rubbermaid Boxes, and spores! How simple could this be?

I microwaved each container for 10 minute as instructed by YouTube.
I had fun crumbling all these spore pod thingys.


This is a local specimen I found and am going to keep this to dry, along with the sensitive fern Spores for another week.
So far I got the Japanese painted, reg. ostrich, king ostrich ready to watch and not open or touch for a couple months!

Giving credit where credit is due, was taught to me as a youngster so when I saw this show up at my house I realized to the fullest extent of what just happen, God gave me fists but I have chosen to use them as tools.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

I am happy you got the stuff......Enjoy....:woohoonaner:
Looks like you got it going on!!

I just back from the store with some more 18 quart containers because I used all my other ones up yesterday.
The common name of the fern you found in the woods is called a Christmas fern.....good to grow
Have fun......I got work to do too :08:
So many spores so little time:ha:

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Pooh Yaah I like DAT me!:}

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Just in case you want to broaden your fern collection ... I have seen ferns (and orchids!) that grow during the summer in silt above the permafrost in central Alaska.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Thanks Richard for mentioning this.
:woohoonaner:
For those of you whom are interested here are two links to organizations that I affiliate with and have purchased from.

You can purchase common and rare fern spore for over 200 varieties from all over the world, and the cost is reasonable, and you have all the growing tips that you will ever need.
I have grown my fern collection from them, and other sources.
The ferns which Richard spoke about can be found and purchased from these two organizations, both based in the Great Northwest U.S.A.




The Hardy Fern Foundation - Hardy Ferns - Fern Displays, Fern Education, Fern Information. Located in Federal Way, Washington.
American Fern Society

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

I'm looking for large 3 -4 feet tall tropical looking ferns to grow inground in my shady 8b/9a garden. I would prefer color but not required. Any you would recommend?

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

No problem. Many ferns are native to the subtropical and near-artic rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. In particular, from the Olympic Peninsula of WA through the Alaska panhandle. Both the Univ. of Washington and the Univ. of Alaska have extensive biological research and preservation programs in flora of the northwest.

Also, there are also some ferns that are native to Australasia that are cold-hardy because geologically that region has been moving north for ages. Check out the the collection and archives at CANBR.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Darkman

Most of my favorites are tree ferns which are somewhat easy to get. Walmarts and Home Depots will usually have them cost is 6 -15 dollars you just have to look for them or you can buy them off the web. I have seen them in many Florida stores and better nurseries .
Your advantage is that in Florida many of these will do just fine in the ground or in a pot and they tolerate very cool temps.

Another fern to look at is called the Giant Leather Fern which is commonly found in most of Florida and can be found near many ditches and canals.......someone in these forums has to know where there is a large stand of these are.....if unchecked these are invasive in certain circumstances and they are massive.
Mine are wild caught and in containers.
Here is a pic from this fall, the waist high plants in the front are Dicksonia Antartica which are three years old... the others are smaller tree ferns and other stuff that I do not know how to spell:ha:
Here is a web page to visit, it has some good photos and descriptions
forestferns.co.uk

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

I have had a few tree ferns but they never can withstand our cold with winners. I'll look into some of those others they sound interesting.

Richard thanks for those links.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

I have had pretty good luck so far growing fern from spores. The first pic is about 2 weeks after I sowed them, As you can see in the second pic, I sowed waaaayyy too many lol. The third pic is from today, and the first true leaves are starting to sprout. Just make sure after the gametophytes reach a good size, mist them with a spray bottle so fertilization can occur. To get to this phase, it took about 2 months. They are from Northern Maidenhair that grow wild behind my house. The last pic are what the adults look like, they look pretty tropical I think.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

These are red stemmed lady ferns, also collected from wild plants. From what I gather on the web they are rare? I have seen them called lady in red. These were started at the same time as the Maidenhair above, but no true leaves yet. It wont be long though.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Try the Tasmanian Tree Fern (Dicksonia antarctica) - I have a little one growing in one of my beds; it has survived several wet, below zero winters without a problem

"Dicksonia antarctica is the most cold hardy of the giant tree ferns. Still, despite the species name "antarctica" — derived from the fact that the family as a whole lives around the lower half of the globe — it really can't stand freezing temperatures. It can be killed at 15 to 17 degrees Fahrenheit; 20 degrees is about it for safe low tolerance, & it's safe only then if it won't be that cold very often or very long."

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

FYI, there are currently 76 - give or take - different ferns that grow within the province of British Columbia, Canada in the Pacific Northwest. It is estimated that only 5 or 6 of these were introduced.
.....some of these ferns (such as the sword fern) are found growing in the interior of the province in zone 2.....

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

1 month Update:
I'm starting to see activity.

I got a feeling I might be overrun/overwhelmed with a bulk supply of ferns next year!

Close-up I can see what appears to be a green start, surly not mold. I keep the lids sealed all the time. Table/heat-mat plants are on is limiting water/slowed down. Water is reaching roots only once every couple weeks, lowest I will let GH get is 50F. Still getting up to 100F w/ daylight. We'll see what happens. :bananas_b

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Dude.....has anyone told you yet that your set up looks like a meth lab...:woohoonaner:...looks like mine....but I do not have so much......cool scientific stuff....I have a Rooster and a Pig.

Wow lookin good ahhhhh,...most of your stuff will take some time, as well as mine. I sowed some the same , and all I have is dirt.......but we know something is there. The bananas are lookin steady....can't wait till spring
I still have not figured out the T8's hanging in mid air.....Chris Angel style
Insert my VINE .....here.. Whoop whoop !
Color me envious !!!

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

If you take a fresh frond next year with spore cases on it, put it on a piece of white paper in a room with no drafts, and let it dry a couple of days. It will have spores on it in the shape of the frond. Thats what I did, and the spores are supposed to be viable for years in the fridge.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

1 No never Mike you are the ONLY ONE.
2. I live in a very friendly neighborhood and everybody shares and kids are always playing outside, interested people are ALL the time walking up to my fence to look into my Greenhouse and asking what I got growing. People being so intrigued I decided to keep a lock on my fence to avoid kids from playing Hide-and-seek in my yard :ha:
3. the bulbs are hanging from string on both sides, from 2"x4"s spaced two foot apart
4. ??? Hahaha who is the meth head? j/k


I'd like to thank you all for the links and info!

I actually tried that with the one I found local and I didn't really work-out after two weeks SOoo I just crumbed the leafs up fine and put 'em in the same heat treated peat/perlite mix like the others.

My only concern is I couldn't get some regular peat moss at the time so I grabbed some sphagnum peat moss... Seems like the same thing?

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Siege

Just so happens I have some drying in the basement.
I like your photos, they are true success stories.

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

My Fern - - Dicksonia Antarctica



I also discovered one growing amonsgt some pebbles at the back of the garden.

:03:

Re: Give a dog a bone... Ima grow FERNS !
 

Are your able to show how you over winter that awesome plant in your UK zone.
I saw this plant in another post of yours .....I love it still.
I bring mine inside as they are not as thick as yours.