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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Cool, wonder how well it will do for me. I'd be happy with just 5in of growth in a year. What kind of soil do you recomend?
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Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:30 pm |
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Pierre
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:11 pm Posts: 287 Location: Perpignan, Southern France
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Hello Thomas, I grow tree ferns I a mediterranean climate probably not as warm as your climate but we must cope with long dry Summers and usual strong dry wind. So growing them is also a challenge. Although I try watering them regularly and avoid being away during Summers, sometimes I did. The only ones that withstand a 7 day Summer absence (after a good soaking in half shade of a shetered corner of the garden) were Cyathea cooperi and C.bicrenata. C.brownii still grows but during absence some fronds are lost. C.dealbata and D.squarrosa didn't withstand absences and died. All these ferns need shelter when temperature drops under minus 3°C (especially with cold winds). These Cyatheae lose fronds between -3° and -4°C and ferns can dy under minus 5 to minus 7°C. I don't know wether some C.cooperi forms are superior because even the plain C.cooperi is particularly seldom there. I often teach this advice to friends gardening in similar conditions : avoid NZ ferns and choose Australian ones. Hope this will help.
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Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:45 am |
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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Hello Pierre, luckly (from plants point of view atleast) our summers are very humid as all the air comes in off the gulf, many types of soft ferns florish in shaded areas here. But I did learn my lesson on my first tree fern and bought one of those timer things to hook up to the water hose for when I'm not around to water it. Im going to keep it potted so winter wont be an issue. Right now Im torn between Cyathea cooperi Revolvulum and regular Cyathea cooperi, can anyone tell me the differences other than the fronds being curly on Revolvulum? And also what kind of soil would be best for tree fern?
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Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:30 pm |
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Eduard O
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:46 pm Posts: 1196 Location: Maastricht Netherlands
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
I found this article about this species.
- Cyathea cooperi curly Revolvulum Garrods Form, The original fern, discovered in Adelaide by Ron Robbins, a former president of the Fern Society of South Australia Garrods The form is the most curly form with a twurl to the tips of the fronds. This fern Comes true to form from spore. I have found this fern is a Relatively hardy species, It has tolerated frost and full sun. Mine is thriving in full sun in southern calif. Seems to prefer to be on the wet side When small - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I use standard pottingsoil 2/3 and 1/3 peat as a mixture of blood and bone meal, mix it all well, I think he may have some drier conditions than normal C.cooperi.
Gr. Eduard.
_________________ 2021 min. -09.1ºC --- max. 33.2ºC 2022 min. -09.0ºC --- max. 39.7ºC
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Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:53 pm |
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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Hmmmm, ya I'm gunna go for revolvulum. Now the hard part, finding a source to order it from in the US.... Haha
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Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:13 pm |
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Eduard O
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:46 pm Posts: 1196 Location: Maastricht Netherlands
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
_________________ 2021 min. -09.1ºC --- max. 33.2ºC 2022 min. -09.0ºC --- max. 39.7ºC
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Tue Apr 28, 2015 7:31 pm |
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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Thank Eduard, but I found a few sellers with already established/potted plants. And I never had luck with sporelings haha. So what kind of fertilizer is best for use on tree ferns?
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Wed Apr 29, 2015 1:06 am |
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Eduard O
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:46 pm Posts: 1196 Location: Maastricht Netherlands
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
As fertilizer I use blood and bonemeal well blended under the soil. I mentioned earlier I mix 2/3 potting soil with 1/3 peat at each dose give a hand with this fertilizer, it works 2years, it's usually time to repot again, If you have own good compost you can mix it too . I have had excellent results with it here, but there are several options of course Gr. Eduard.
_________________ 2021 min. -09.1ºC --- max. 33.2ºC 2022 min. -09.0ºC --- max. 39.7ºC
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Wed Apr 29, 2015 9:01 am |
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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
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Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:41 pm |
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Crazy4Chlorophyll
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:10 pm Posts: 70 Location: Hampshire UK
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Without doubt, Cyrtostachys renda (Lipstick palm) is one of the most beautiful and definitely most colourful palms in existence... not to curb your enthusiasm, its not the easiest palm either... it is truly tropical - constant heat, no cool temperatures, no fluctuations in temperature, lots and lots of water (grows in steamy marshes naturally) constant high humidity... even in Miami its a major major challenge. Unless you look into all its requirements, it will struggle to survive even inside.
A bit of palm porn here - If I could grow any palm, for colour anyway, it would be Dyctiocaryum lamarckianum - sadly it is even more difficult.
There are some slightly easier colourful palms that might be happier with summer outside, winter inside (or even inside all year round if thats what you're looking for)...
Areca vestiaria - comes in a number of different colour forms
Chambeyronia macrocarpa - new leaves are red, then fade to green
Same plant but "Watermelon" variant - has red leaves and a striped trunk
Either of those might be a touch easier - and they are popular with collectors and palm sellers. Good luck!
(Edited to say, none of the pictures are mine, but either from palmpedia.net or by Palmbob on DavesGarden (public domain - I think?)
_________________ James
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Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:18 am |
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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Haha, ya I already looked into all of those exept that blue one. The reason I'm gunna get Areca vestiaria instead of Cyrtostachys renda is not because of its extreme requirements, but rather the fact that it grows so painfully slow. My favorite flamethrower palm is the gold blonde variety! But its not suckering and grows even slower than the lipstick palm! I wish I could just be happy with my coconut and bottle palm
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Thu Apr 30, 2015 2:34 am |
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Crazy4Chlorophyll
Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:10 pm Posts: 70 Location: Hampshire UK
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
I think you made a good choice, the Areca will be an easier grow - might not be as in your face as Cyrtostachys renda, but a great looking healthy palm is better than a small black stick in a pot! I love bottle palms - the city I grew up in had a couple in the Botanical Garden - really grabbed my imagination! The flame throwers are great - and yes there are lots of forms. Apparently its an 'easy' grow as well - similar to a kentia (Howea forestiana). New Caledonia has some awesome species, if I could, I would grow many of their Araucaria too (but should count myself lucky that Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle) is probably at its happiest in the UK than anywhere else out of habitat and A. angustifolia doesn't do too bad either). Some other palm oddities are the Hyphaene genus or 'Doum' palms - I think I was about 13 when I saw these in Egypt, I was already a palm fanatic, but these threw my concept of palms into a complete spin: Hyphaene compressa growing wild in Kenya. (Photo: Charles Godfray, in Systematic Biology, April 2009 58) Very few palms naturally undergo dichotomous branching - rarely some other palms such as Phoenix species and coconuts will branch usually after spear (apical bud) damage. They look crazy and beautiful, but to try and copy it usually just ends up in a dead palm
_________________ James
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Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:36 am |
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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
Oh ya, those multi-crowned palms are spectacular! I read that the two main causes in palm that aren't supposed to do that is insects and lightning stirkes if it even survives that! This is the craziest incedent I've ever seen in coconut! I think this one is actually a chromosome mutation since it did it several times. But look at all the coconuts you get!! I'd be luck to get just one coconut off of mine! And dont worry, I'll still get that lipstick palm sooner or later. Once I see a plant I want, I get it!
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Thu Apr 30, 2015 12:57 pm |
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Thomas
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:49 am Posts: 19 Location: Houston, TX USA
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Re: What kind of Tree Fern to get?
My C. cooperi Revolvulum has finaly come in! Now just waiting for Cyrtostachys renda and Areca vestiaria. The cooperi is about 6" tall now. About how long will it be before it starts to produce spore?
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Tue May 05, 2015 3:25 pm |
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