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Ferns
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by Diana Roberts |
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Category:
Indoors
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The fern is a very distinct plant, with it’s graceful and delicate fronds, and beautiful
greenery. Ferns look absolutely wonderful growing atop a high pedestal, where it’s
fronds can grow toward the floor, or hanging from the ceiling. They look truly elegant
in a formal sitting room. |
Spores
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Anyone who has ever had a fern in their home, or rubbed against one while walking in the
bush, knows that ferns produce spores on the backs of their fronds. These spores are
what make the fern so different from flowering plants. I’m sure that many of you wonder
exactly what happens to these spores when they fall off the fern frond. Now it is time
to unlock this mystery. The fern will produce spores, instead of seeds, and when these
spores fall onto damp earth they produce flat, heart-shaped structures that are about a
half inch in diameter. These are called prothallia and they produce the female sexual
organs, which when fertilized will grow into young fern plants. |
Size
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Ferns vary in size and shape. They can be very tiny, almost moss-like, or massive, such
as a tree fern, which grow up to 80 feet, or taller. Most have divided fronds, but some
do have undivided ones. There are an unbelievable 10,000 species of ferns, or more,
which grow wild in all parts of the world. |
Cool
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Most ferns require cool, shady spots with lots of moisture. They love to grow in a mix
of loam and leaf mold. If you are putting them in your garden, it is best to plant them
in the spring, especially in exposed areas. The soil for all ferns, whether indoors or
out, should be kept moist at all times, but not soggy. Never let your fern dry out
totally, as once their leaves wilt, they will rarely ever recover completely. Ferns
will also do very well with a daily misting, or setting the pot on top of wet rocks,
where it will receive the humidity it enjoys. |
Potting
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Ferns should be repotted in the spring, about March or April, when the fronds start to
uncurl. If the pot is filled with roots, repot into a slightly larger pot only. If the
roots seem to be decaying, the old soil should be totally washed from the roots, and new
soil added, once the decay is cut from the roots. Normally it is best to disturb the
roots as little as possible, but in the case of decay, it is necessary. |
Propagation
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You can start new plants from the spores, but it is usually easiest to divide the clumps
of an older plant. When new growth starts in the spring you can divide your fern.
Remove the fern from the pot, and using a sharp knife, cut through the rhizomes to
divide portions. These new plants should be planted in pots just large enough to hold
the roots. Be sure to use a good mix of loam, leaf mold and peat or sand. |
From spores
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You may like to try growing your own ferns from spores, and if so, there is a way. The
first thing to do is find a frond with ripe spores. The spores will be yellowish to
dark brown when ripe. Place a portion of the frond in a plastic bag and hang it in a
dry place for a few hours to allow the spores to fall off, into the bag. Next take an
old brick and boil it in water, then remove, and place the brick in a pan of water which
comes half way up the brick. Pour boiling water over some peat, then wait to allow the
peat to soak up the water. When the peat is cool, put a layer over top the brick. The
spores should be sprinkled over top of the damp peat, then cover the brick, pan and all,
with a plastic bag, and seal. When the brick turns green, using a fork, remove the peat
from the brick and place it in a pot of moist peat. Put a plastic bag over top of the
pot and puncture a few holes in the top. Place the pot in a shaded area, and a month
later there should be a lot of baby plants growing in the pot. Each plant can be
carefully put into it’s own small pot at this point. They must be kept moist by
standing them in a pan of water, not by overhead watering, until they have developed
quite a few small fronds.
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Pruning
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Ferns do not need to be pruned, usually, but you should take out any withered fronds.
If you are finding that there are a lot of dying fronds, be sure to check that you are
keeping the soil moist enough and you may also want to move the plant to a lighter area.
The fern is a very old plant, which has been found in fossils many millions of years
old. In some parts of the world, the fern is used for stuffing mattresses, and one
specific fern is used as a blood clotter. In North America, we normally only use ferns
to decorate our homes.
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Varieties
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The best known ferns, here in the north, are the Boston and Asparagus Ferns, which can
be found in many homes. The Boston Fern looks exactly like you would expect a fern to
look, while the Asparagus Fern is very delicate and doesn’t look much like a fern. The
Asparagus Fern grows very long fronds with tiny, soft, needle-like greenery. If you
walk by them they will seem to reach out and grab you. These two ferns are grown
indoors and would not make it over the winter outside. If you want to grow a fern in
your garden, you will need to find one that is native here in the north, or it may not
make the winter.
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