dicksonia antarctica - soggy crown

tomdexterscottMoEpri-t · April 2023

So, my pride and joy might have been yet another casualty. As normal, I wrapped it up and protected the crown. However on removing the hay and fleece I stuck my fingers in to feel for any fronds.

Nothing, or maybe one or two that don't seem hard. The hair that surrounds and is in the crown is also soggy and very wet. I know in past and when we had that cold snowy snap in 2020/21 that nothing appeared until June/July.

But should the centre be dry. It's not like slush or mushy. Just very wet and I don't want to poke or prod to much/hard just in case I damage them any of the new fronds.

Know it early doors still, but it's my centre piece and most prized postion.

Thanks.

bertrand-mabel · April 2023

We have 3 that were also covered and we took the covers off last week and then we had 2 nights again of frosts. We can only wait and see what will happen but we remain positive.

A look at the following may give you more infor.

youtube.com/watch?v=GgVJMEykfts

Plantminded · April 2023

I removed the cover from mine whenever the temperature got above about 5 degrees over winter and then replaced the cover before a freeze. This seems to have helped keep the crown from getting too soggy. There are fronds visible in formation but they are fewer and later than last year. I use diluted seaweed extract once a week from early March onwards to give it a boost and this seems to help. I hope your tree fern shows signs of recovery soon.

dicksonia antarctica - soggy crown

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