Dicksonia care

[debbiem]

I think somebody on here's got a Dicksonia but can't remember who. I've just given ours some Miracid as the fronds are looking frazzled. We've put some of the brownness down to being too exposed to sunlight and wind, and also to the fact that two of the fronds were damaged by a huge bamboo falling over onto them! which has now been planted out of harm's way! OH seems to think that the brownness is normal, as other Dicksonia we've seen at the GCs look in the same condition. But I'm not so sure. I feel it isn't in the right spot yet, and that it needs some extra TLC which I'm not sure of. Haven't found the answer in the RHS book so how do you all care for yours? And in what kind of location are they?
Thanks

Debbie

[madonplants]

In our garden two houses ago, I planted one in the west facing border in a northfacing garden. If you can understand that and never had any trouble for the two years we had it for. Wish we had brought it with us, wife told me to. Going to buy another one, to go in a similar aspect and again, by the pond. They prefer dappled shade, but their main thing is LOTS of water at the top and the occasional trunk spray. You can get Tree Fern fertiliser from here if need be.

Keith

[debbiem]

Thanks, that's great Keith. I think it was in the right spot in the first place, dappled shade and by the pond! But I haven't been giving it loads of water, not wanting to overdo it - but thinking about it, it's a fern isn't it, very hard to overwater! I think it could do with a bigger pot too.
But I think it'll pick up with more water, that's definitely where I'm going wrong.
Thanks again!

Debbie

[madonplants]

Sorry Mrs Beige, it was an EAST facing border, in a North Facing garden. How could I make that mistake!! Still it's the water thing that is the main problem, i think!

Keith

[debbiem]

Thanks Keith, I'm pretty sure too that the water's the thing. All the plants around the pond are thriving in their pots with the exception of the Tree Fern. Even the ones that prefer full sun, as it's dappled shade there, are very happy. It's cool there and they get loads of water, so the aspect's irrelevant there really, it's quite sheltered there and they're all happy. I think the Tree fern will be amongst them given the same treatment.

[maggyd]

Just had a look in my Readers digest Garden ency; it says Half Hardy frost tender min 5c b ut I would protect with sacking or take in to the greenhouse if in a pot! needs semi shade and humus rich soil, Remove faded fronds, and propagate by by leaf spores in Summer.Hope this is of some help I wouldnt mind one of these myself but I dont have the room.

[debbiem]

Thanks maggyd. We've had it a few months now and it's really time to lavish some attention on it. It was definitely in the wrong place to start with and got blown about a bit too much - it needs a complete makeover! We haven't REALLY got the room for it either, fronds everywhere!!!!! But it was one of the things we wanted for our 'palmerie', still very much under construction.

[jevs]

As mentioned above, tree ferns need lots of water but not necessarily at the roots. The trunk needs to be kept WET at all times in the growing season.....don't forget that these ferns tend to live in the rain forests of tropical Austrailia and are kept soaked all the time.

I drown my ferns' trunk at least once a day.....sometimes 3 or 4 times if it's hot. I also make sure plenty of water gets into the crown where the fronds come up. A weekly liquid feed "dribbled" into that central crown will also help no end.

[debbiem]

Sorry jevs, I've only just spotted this! Thanks for the advice - I think that the trunk's been allowed to dry out too much. I repotted it the other day without a problem, I thought I was going to have a wrestling match with it but it came out easily. The new compost has manure, homemade compost, a bit of ordinary potting compost and acid compost in it. I added some Growmore to the compost and have been making sure it's watered regularly but the fronds are still looking frizzled so I'll make sure the trunk too gets its fair share.

[cheerypeabrain]

I've had a tree fern ('Bruce') for about 3 years now...he was in a large terracotta pot until last summer when I put him in a minormous great huge plastic one, I overwinter him in the GH...and I tend to trim off the browning fronds before I put him in there (otherwise he takes up too much room) In the summer he's tucked away in a sheltered corner next to some acers I also have in pots...he seems fine. I have no plans to plant him in the ground, although I have a very small tree fern in the fern bed (easier to mulch over winter)...I don't feed him but I do top dress the soil every year ;D and always keep the trunk moist as recommended by jevs ;D

[debbiem]

I'm now seriously considering planting it in the ground. It's top heavy in the pot it's in and is going keep getting blown over. My soil's not brilliant and there is absolutely no room on the border so this is what I intend - to dig a hole in the lawn, where the pot is currently standing. I'll get out all the boulders etc and should end up with a decent hole. I'll fill this with what's existing in the pot plus a bit more manure, Growmore and acid compost. It's looking quite good at the moment so I don't think the wind's harming it. But its span is getting too large for a lot of places in the garden. I think it'll do alright in this place. Does this sound OK?

[debbiem]

Whether it sounded OK or not's irrelevant now - I started digging and removed the usual boulders, rubble and then crack! There's a wall bang under the spot I wanted to plant the fern in. This is my second wall unearthed in our not-so-big garden. : I think I'll plant our Chamaerops Dwarf Fan Palm there instead, since they don't mind the soil being a bit rocky and not so hugely fertile.

[madonplants]

debbiem said:

I'm now seriously considering planting it in the ground. It's top heavy in the pot it's in and is going keep getting blown over. My soil's not brilliant and there is absolutely no room on the border so this is what I intend - to dig a hole in the lawn, where the pot is currently standing. I'll get out all the boulders etc and should end up with a decent hole. I'll fill this with what's existing in the pot plus a bit more manure, Growmore and acid compost. It's looking quite good at the moment so I don't think the wind's harming it. But its span is getting too large for a lot of places in the garden. I think it'll do alright in this place. Does this sound OK?

I would leave out the Growmore if you are going to still plant it and maybe even the acid compost, just mix in some well rotted manure in with the existing soil and mulch the top with the manure and you will be OK. That is all I did with my one and that was planted during the late spring, if I remember correctly. They are best planted in the growing season, which is why I have left buying one for here, until next year now. Are you going to still plant it out?

Keith

[debbiem]

Thanks Keith. I hope to find a spot but the one I was going to plant it in's now got the Dwarf Fan Palm in it. When I find a suitable spot for it(with a bit of jiggerypokery) I'll follow your advice - I got it out the pot easily to repot it last time but now it's fairly wedged so it's either a bigger pot or a spot in the garden and we'd love it to be planted out. Space is something we haven't got loads of - we do like these large plants!

Thanks again.

[debidoos]

Is it dicksonia antarctica you're talking about?

[debbiem]

Sorry Debbie I've only just seen your reply. I bought the tree fern from B&Q and I can't ever remember seeing a botanical name on the label! Just 'Australian Tree Fern' I think.
The other problem with planting it out on the border would be the soil - the rest of it isn't acid and I think in the end, even if it was planted with a lot of acid soil around it, it would tell on the fern.
I think it's got to go in the lawn somewhere, if I can find a spot deep enough and without a wall/air raid shelter under it. :

[debbiem]

I've just wrestled it into the ground in the border - I'll keep it moist and feed it now and again and anything else is fingers crossed! Hope it likes it in there. :