Talkback: Ferns in pots

Posts

• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  November 2008

  No. Frost-free mean 'frost-free'. If the temperature in your shed dropped down to below freezing then it's not frost-free.I'm not sure what plants you need to keep free from frost, but perhaps oyur garage is a better option.

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  July 2009

  I have got several evergreen ferns in my garden which I cut back every Autumn. In Spring they come back stronger than ever.I wish to move two of them to a shady part of my garden,when is the best time of the year to transplant them. Thank you.

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  July 2009

  Do ferns do well in damp shade or better in dry shade? I too wish to transplant some which are no longer in the shade as I cut back a plant that was making the shade.

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• Gardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147

  November 2011

  I am mystified by the term 'frost free shed' how can an unheated shed be free of frost. Temp. in mine last night was -1c Is it still frost free in gardening terms?

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• Greenthumb wannabe Posts: 3

  April 2012

  goodmorning,will it kill the fern if i dig it up to transfer it to a more suitable position?

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• Wintersong Posts: 2,436

  April 2012

  @dc73311 understanding that no plant prefers dry shade to damp shade is really useful, there are some plants that will survive it better though. Trial your plants or perhaps search out published lists for your particular location, personally I grow ferns, hardy geraniums, crocosmia, foxgloves, acquilegia and alchemilla mollis quite happily in dry shade under a rather large Laural and a 30ft Eucalyptus pauciflora that robs the entire area of moisture. Also my skimmia japonicas do nicely on little moisture and only direct sunlight for three hours and I have two achantus that I dare say would grow underneath six foot of concrete! You just can't kill these plants in my garden. My one essential is to mulch dry shade ery generously and good luck with yours!

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• Wintersong Posts: 2,436

  April 2012

  @Greenthumb wannabe, I would move evergreen and deciduous ferns early spring, but you could catch me doing it late spring, if I dig up a good root-ball and water it through the summer until established. My soil is light so the digging up is never a hardship and I always mulch well and tend the moved plants through the driest months because my soil bakes like a cake without mulch. Good luck with yours.

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