This seems like the place to get advice about my fern. The two labels were on the ground nearby so its probably one of them They're supposedly ok in full sun or partial shade . It's getting both with a blast of hot sun midday midsummer. It doesn't seem happy. Where should I move it? Most aspect and conditions available -apart from bog!
I have Polystichum tsussimense and I'm pretty sure your fern is not that one. My soil is really too dry for my ferns, so I'm not the best to advise, but more organic matter and more moisture?
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
@B3@LG_ I agree. Between those two it would be Erythrosora by my reckoning. Its pinna are spaced quite far apart; maybe that is just because it is poorly. My ferns when they do poorly seem to have languished in our clay-like soil (even though I will work in organic matter etc). Others don't suffer at all. One theory I have is that in some cases the ferns don't make the jump from pot to soil and don't extend their root system perhaps because of a lack of vigour or being pot-bound for too long. As @LG_ says, organic matter and more moisture should help. My go-to temporary recovery spot for ferns is a corner in the compost
heap with dappled shade where I have a large pile of rotting bark mulch.
Anyway TLC in whatever shape will do it good.
@B3 that is a magnificent specimen that you divided. Is it Dryopteris (filix-mas)? I wish my favourite plant speciesgenus class was easier to identify!
As @LG_ says, organic matter and more moisture should help. My go-to temporary recovery spot for ferns is a corner in the compost
heap with dappled shade where I have a large pile of rotting bark mulch.
Anyway TLC in whatever shape will do it good.
Amen on organic matter!
@B3 I actually plant a lot of baby ferns in all conditions. It’s out native go to plant here . They actually can even deal with dry soil for a bit, but what they really hate is the up and down of temperatures when they’re young and not established. Since ferns are so close to surface and fresh fronds are yet to be protected by the foliage umbrella, plant just gets stressed on a gaily basis. It gets nice and cold at night and then as sun comes up next day all new attempts of building tender new roots and fronds gets boiled alive and then drops down in cold bath at night again. So you definitely need to cover it with a pile of mulch about 2-3 fingers height. I know it will feel counterintuitive at first and you may worry about mold getting to it, but ferns are one of those plants that like to sit under a blanket . You’ll notice that all new growth will start to come out much thicker and bigger compared to leaves it already has .
I wouldn’t move it till next year if you decide to do it after all. I move mine around February-March (or whenever soil becomes workable, but before new growth comes in your area) when I have to. It’s a bit cold to do anything else in a garden, but you if you do if right before new growth wave, you will get better growth that year. I have tried moving ferns with fresh fronds a bit later in a year - it gets “frozen” for at least a month in a same state you dig it out and nearly not as prolific in coming year.
Bark/mulch blanket will also save new fronds from birds and other critters that potentially love munching on them (birds and slugs actually love them, real gourmet crowd!). By the time fronds are strong enough to poke through mulch, they’re rough enough to survive picking at them.
Here’s some new ones I planted this year. One growing from under mulch and another I was just too lazy to cover since it was close to paved area and I just kind of forgot it was there too his year
Thank you all. I will leave it and wrap it in swaddling clothes😊 What you said about the surface roots makes absolute sense. The one beside it, the polystychum,I assume gets just a little more shade and the ones in constant dappled shade are green and healthy - whatever they are. I bought quite a few to try. This was the only one that seemed to be suffering. @micearguers, it's a very old dryopteris. I'm so ignorant, I didn't know there was more than one kind. It's usually spectacular unless it decides to do the spore thing. After splitting it,I visited it every day hoping for signs of life. It's easy to get attached to old plants. @Lena_vs_Deer. The difference is significant ( trying to avoid amaazing but it is😊)
More photos - I tried to take photos of the individual plants/varieties
The big ferns and white foxgloves in this picture are self-seeded, although I (re)move plants as needed. I also remove some of the fern foliage, to let light to other plants. Athyrium 'Dre's Dagger' Athyrium filix-femina 'Frizelliae' Ajuga reptans alba Unknown azalea Athyrium niponicum var pictum Newly planted corydalis Polystichum munitum behind the hosta Hosta 'Dinner Jacket' Dryopteris wallichiana Polygonatum The border on the left (raised bed + pots) is shade, the border on the right gets more sun. Elsewhere in the garden - cyrtomium next to my minipond
I've been meaning to ask you, @edhelka - I've got the odd 'Frizelliae' frond that is not frizzly. I saw one at Beth Chatto's today that was the same. Should I cut them off to stop the whole thing reverting, do you think?.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
Interesting question, I don't know, I haven't heard that it can revert but according to google it can. Hard to say if removing the reverting parts help, given that it grows from a base.
I suppose it will improve the appearance if nothing else! Much as I love the classic fern frond, they look all wrong on this plant. Here's the one at BC's today.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
I’m going to try planting some ferns in the corners of my south facing garden on clay soil. I’ve brought my three potted ferns with me to the new house and they have always been my favourite plants.
If I could get away with it, I’d have nothing but ferns and epimediums front and back.
Posts
My soil is really too dry for my ferns, so I'm not the best to advise, but more organic matter and more moisture?
I wouldn’t move it till next year if you decide to do it after all. I move mine around February-March (or whenever soil becomes workable, but before new growth comes in your area) when I have to. It’s a bit cold to do anything else in a garden, but you if you do if right before new growth wave, you will get better growth that year. I have tried moving ferns with fresh fronds a bit later in a year - it gets “frozen” for at least a month in a same state you dig it out and nearly not as prolific in coming year.
What you said about the surface roots makes absolute sense. The one beside it, the polystychum,I assume gets just a little more shade and the ones in constant dappled shade are green and healthy - whatever they are.
I bought quite a few to try. This was the only one that seemed to be suffering.
@micearguers, it's a very old dryopteris. I'm so ignorant, I didn't know there was more than one kind. It's usually spectacular unless it decides to do the spore thing. After splitting it,I visited it every day hoping for signs of life. It's easy to get attached to old plants.
@Lena_vs_Deer. The difference is significant ( trying to avoid amaazing but it is😊)
The big ferns and white foxgloves in this picture are self-seeded, although I (re)move plants as needed. I also remove some of the fern foliage, to let light to other plants.
Athyrium 'Dre's Dagger'
Athyrium filix-femina 'Frizelliae'
Ajuga reptans alba
Unknown azalea
Athyrium niponicum var pictum
Newly planted corydalis
Polystichum munitum behind the hosta
Hosta 'Dinner Jacket'
Dryopteris wallichiana
Polygonatum
The border on the left (raised bed + pots) is shade, the border on the right gets more sun.
Elsewhere in the garden - cyrtomium next to my minipond