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Tree Ferns
Having wrapped up my tree ferns this winter the fronds began to emerge early due to the warm weather in early April. They reached about 18 inches long when the cold weather and frosts came at the end of April. Even though I covered the fronds in fleece they still became blackened and are dying off. Will new fronds appear this year if I cut them off or is that it for the year? I cannot feel any new fronds forming in the crown which is still quite healthy.
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Cross fingers some new ones will emerge, some dilute SM3 liquid seaweed tonic may help. It seems fleece is not as effective a frost barrier as we have been lead to believe. I have posted on another thread about frost damage to early potatoes being WORSE with fleece on than my allotment neighbours who didn't bother! Anyone else with experience of fleece actually working to protect?Perhaps you have to make a "tent" so it doesn't touch leaves/ fronds!
Simon, I think as long as the middle hasn't gone soft, it should be alright. Try and put some of the original packing around it. It will take a while for it to start growing again.
It all depends on what type of fleece you used, there's lots of different ones and got to make sure that their completely covered. Or put a few layers on.
Thanks for the advice. I will try the seaweed feed and wrap them up again. They are wrapped in straw over winter but once the fronds are out I cannot use straw to wrap them. Fleece is the only option. The fleece is horticultural fleece on a roll from a local garden centre. I didn't realise there were different types. I only saw one type. However, the damage is done now so I am more concerned as to weather more fronds will grow. They do if I cut back my native ferns. The crown is fine.
They should be alright then, if there's no more growth you could put the straw back.
For weather I meant whether