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how to grow tree ferns from spores
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Posted by kekoa Z11 Kauai HI (My Page) on Thu, Oct 19, 06 at 4:21
Aloha,
I was wondering if there are any tree fern experts out there. How do you collect and grow spores from the cyathea cooperi(tree fern)? I would appreciate any help. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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| Find a fertile frond, pour boiling water on cocopeat and sand mix, let cool. Place frond on mix and cover with gladwrap. Repeat until you succeed :) |
Here is a link that might be useful: what google said about growing from spore.
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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- Posted by kekoa Z11 Kauai HI (My Page) on
Thu, Oct 19, 06 at 15:46
| Thanks for the quick response. Good useful information on the link. Nurseries around here getting rid of this fern as it is now being considered an invasive species.Personally, I think gingers and heliconias are more invasive! |
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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| I guess the question is whether there are suitable alternatives to C. cooperii that are non-invasive. I agree that most nursery trade is rather cynical. |
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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I'd agree with Nathan as to the cynicism of the nursery trade re invasive weeds, but maybe in the other direction. In my experience, nurseries will continue to sell invasive weed species long, long after their weediness is well proven! If a nursery actually decides not to sell a plant because of its weediness, than I think we can probably infer that the plant is very weedy indeed.
It is so depressing to have grown a plant, looked after it for years, and really have fallen in love with it at about the time you decide that your conscience just can't let that weed stay there - or you are sick of the disapproving comments of your environmentally aware visitors. Kekoa, can't you find another kind of tree-fern to fall in love with? Something that won't damage the ecology of your homeland?
Trish |
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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| trish, I wasn't disagreeing with you. I say that they are cynical in that in my experience they only say a plant is taken off as weedy if they think they can make a buck selling an alternative. The moment someone works out how to make say infertile, undividable agapanthus, they will choose to self-impose a ban on the normal sort. |
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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At the risk of sounding like a 'weed nazi' I have read in Bill Brysons books about the impact on Hawaii's forests by this fern. It apparently has colonised entire valleys and hillsides and has displaced a lot of Hawaiian native tree ferns, and a lot of native orchids and other epiphytes are become endangered because they find the cyathea trunks unsuitable to grow on, unlike the native tree ferns. Maybe you should try to cultivate some of your threatened tree ferns instead.
This fern has also become a problem in SW Western Australia along stream banks and other damp places, shading out other little special plants. I know that people and trade do get cynical when every lovely garden plant seems to be declared weedy, but I think it is important to take some responsibility for what you plant in your gardens. It would be irresponsible of me to decide to breed indian mynah birds here in Darwin (where at the moment they are thankfully absent) and then not take responsibility when they escape and go feral, and with plants it really is no different...
If you are still keen on the cyatheas, the best method I have for propagating ferns in general is to take the frond just before the sporangia (spore bodies - the little brown circles on the underside of the frond) open, cut off the frond and place it between folded newspaper for a few days until the spores are released. Prepare some coco peat or very fine seed raising mix by sterlising it with boiling water (I have done this without stelising and still had good results) spread the spores over, cover with clear film and keep moist, cool and shady. They can sometimes take many years before the plants are ready to be planted out.
Might I suggest that you go out into one of your lovely forests and dig out some small cyatheas and transplant them, and maybe hack down a few hundred mature plants while you are there.....
Good luck! |
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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- Posted by kekoa Z11 Kauai HI (My Page) on
Sat, Nov 4, 06 at 7:05
| Hello everyone, thanks for all the responses. I have seen that article regarding how cyathea's have displaced the native ferns. On my island, the main cause of the native tree ferns being displaced has been from man harvesting mature trees and feral pigs eating the tree ferns. I have seen some wild cyathea's in our native forests, but their numbers are not overwhelming. I believe other introduced plants are more invasive and destructive(In my opinion) The reason I enjoy the cyathea is the extremely fast growth. Our native tree fern called "Hapu'u, is a lovely fern, but very slow growing. Hapu'u grow best in the shade or very wet areas and they hate wind. I have been growing more Hapu'u in my garden and will probably plant more as nurseries here are getting rid of their cyathea's. |
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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| OK my mistake - not Bill Bryson but Time Lowe, and it was in either The New Nature or Feral Future. Good luck with your cyatheas kekoa! |
RE: how to grow tree ferns from spores
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| ok... I am so totally new to this, but I would like to know how do u know when the spores are ready to take off the fern? can u just take off a piece of frond and the spore will develop naturally? so, in other words, I just put a tree fern leave with spores on it and pop it on a paper bag for awhile till they fall off or something? |
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